How to make slow cooker orange chicken (video)

Johnny Ornelas

Staff Editor

One of my favorite dishes to order at Chinese restaurants is orange chicken. It's tangy, sweet, and it's always delicious. Unfortunately, I never knew how to make the dish, so I could only enjoy it if there was a Panda Express nearby. Luckily, we've discovered how to make this amazing dish using your slow cooker!

The best thing about this recipe is that it doesn't require any hard-to-find spices or ingredients -- everything you need can be found at pretty much any grocery store. It's not the breaded variety , but it has all the same awesome flavor.

Cooktop Cove

slow cooker orange chicken

15 minutes

3 hours

3 hours and 15 minutes

6 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into large cubes

1/2 onion, small dice

1/4 cup chicken broth

1.5 cups fresh squeezed orange juice

zest of 2 oranges

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 cloves garlic chopped or whole

1 tablespoon ginger peeled and minced into a paste

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon Sriracha

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon white pepper

In a 6-quart slow cooker mix together chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, onion, orange zest, Sriracha, ginger and white pepper.

Add in chicken and cook for 30 minutes.

Mix 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with equal amounts of water (or sauce in slow cooker) into a slurry, add to slow cooker and mix well being sure to incorporate thoroughly. Allow to cook for another 2.5 hours on high stirring half way through.

Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds then serve.

Pro tip: Toast sesame seeds in a pan for more flavor and depth. Simply put a sauté pan on medium high heat, add in sesame seeds and continuously move the pan to prevent sesame seeds from burning. In about 3-5 minutes you'll begin to smell them roasting as they release their oils. Toast until seeds are golden brown and fragrant. Remove from pan and spread on a plate till cool.

Note: All slow cookers are a little bit different in temperature and calibration. This recipe was tested in Cooktop Cove's Test Kitchen using this slow cooker, which is available for purchase here.
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