Make orange chicken in your slow cooker using only four basic ingredients for a quick and easy weeknight dinner the family will all enjoy.
Jump to RecipeSlow cooker meals are perfect for the busy school year. I know how crazy it can get in the evening, so having dinner ready when you are is wonderful! Especially when it’s as easy as this meal and only requires 4 ingredients.
My aunt sent me this recipe years ago, but we never got around to trying it. I kept pushing the recipe aside because orange is not my favorite flavor. Then, one day I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner and we happened to have all of the ingredients.
As I said, I don’t like orange much, but we had leftover orange marmalade from making Paczki for my Harry Potter club a few weeks ago. Instead of letting it go to waste in the refrigerator, I decided to go ahead and try the orange chicken.
Well, I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor. The orange was not overpowering, which I liked. Even Ryan said he liked the chicken! Lately, the boys don’t want to eat anything I make, so that right there made this dinner a winner for us!
Justin’s only complaint was the texture of the chicken, but I think that was mostly due to the chicken not having thawed all the way. It was still mostly frozen when I put it in the slow cooker. Because of this, I couldn’t let it lay flat and it didn’t cook evenly.
Lesson learned: make sure to take the chicken out with plenty of time for it to thaw before cooking this meal.
Orange Chicken in the Slow Cooker Step by Step
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- 3/4 cup bbq sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and make sure they are flat so they cook evenly. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours.
After 3 hours, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk the orange marmalade, bbq sauce, and soy sauce together.
Pour the mixture over the chicken. I like to also turn the chicken a few times to make sure it gets coated on both sides.
Cook on high for another 30 minutes. Serve your orange chicken warm. We made some rice to have on the side and poured some of the extra marinade over it.
Recipe
Originally Published On: January 10, 2019
Last Updated On: September 19, 2022
Orange Chicken in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- 3/4 cup bbq sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Place the chicken in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 3 hours
- After the chicken has cooked, whisk the orange marmalade, bbq sauce, and soy sauce together in a medium mixing bowl
- Pour the mixture over the chicken and turn to coat
- Cover and cook for another 30 minutes
- Serve warm with the sauce over the chicken
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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- BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
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- Beef Roast: A Full Meal in the Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas with Homemade Fajita Seasoning
- Minestrone Soup: The Perfect Warm Vegetarian Soup
- Orange Chicken in the Slow Cooker – Only 4 Ingredients
Looks very tempting, and that much more appealing and delicious!
Thanks! It’s such an easy recipe and so yummy.
We make something super similar at least once a week! We love orange chicken!
I had only had it a few times before this. It’s so yummy, we will be making it more often now, too!
I LOVE Orange Chicken! Definitely one of my favorite Asian dishes! I will definitely try this. YUM!
I’ve never liked it much before this because it was so overpowering, but we will be making this recipe again!
What’s even better is it only needs 4 ingredients to make and simple enough. Also looks yummy.
And 4 easy ingredients at that!
Love how the orange flavour doesn’t overpower this dish. A lot of the takeout orange chicken we’ve had have been so orange-y and sour it was not very pleasant!
That was the best part of this recipe! The orange was subtle and not so overpowering like it is when we get takeout.
I am so here for this recipe. It’s easy and I LOVE orange chicken. Thanks!
Trust me, it is so super easy!
I love fast food orange chicken so I’m sure this recipe would be a healthier, equally delicious alternative for when the craving hits! Will definitely be bookmarking this one!
I haven’t checked the nutrition for takeout, but usually, it’s loaded with sodium. This was light, yummy, and so easy to make!
I have never really thought of using orange as a flavor, I would think it would be odd. Glad this turned out so well for you!
I don’t like orange much as a flavor because it is strong, but this was subtle so it worked really well.
This sounds like a great recipe… I really need to get a slow cooker – they sound so handy!
Slow cookers are the best! They make meals so easy and are perfect for warm meals in the winter time.
This looks so yummy. For me I’d use vegan products thank you for this wonderful post.
I’ve heard of people making meals like this with meat substitutes such as tofu. I haven’t tried it myself, but would love to hear how it turns out if you do.
I love slow cooker meals. This one sounds super simple and perfect for a week night!
Definitely simple. In my opinion, that’s the way a slow cooker meal should be!
I’ve been trying to add to my slow cooker recipe repertoire. This is perfect!
I love having some go-to slow cooker meals when we know we have a busy day coming up.
It looks so tempting. I must try this recipe.
I hope you do! It’s so easy and turns out delicious.
Looks great and I’m constantly looking for new ways to make chicken. Thanks for sharing!
We are always looking for new chicken recipes too. It’s one meat that my whole family agrees on.
How fab, I like the fact that this is nice and simple and only has 4 ingredients. Makes for an easy food fix xx
Yes, so quick and so easy. And only 4 ingredients makes it a cheap family meal, too!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE orange chicken but have yet to find a recipe that compare to the glorious panda express. I will have to try this cause it looks so simple and you have yet to fail me with your amazing recipes.
I’ve never had it from Panda Express, so can’t comment on how it compares. This is not as strong of an orange flavor as most places, so if that’s what you like you may want to increase the amount of the orange jam in the recipe.
I love the fact that it only has 4 ingredients. So easy for a mid-week meal. Being able to pop it in the slow cooker makes life so much easier.
We have this or similar meals on nights that I know we are going to busy. It’s quick and easy but still filling for all of us.
I buy orange chicken a lot when I order Chinese food. Goes great with the rice. I never really knew how they made it tho. Admittedly I have a slow cooker but rarely use it, this gives me another recipe to use.
You should give it a try if it’s your go-to meal. You can make a lot more for much cheaper if you make it at home!
This looks amazing! I am all about crock pot cooking and I love recipes with only a few ingredients.
Me too! Especially on days I know we have a lot going on in the evening and I won’t have time to cook a full dinner.
Chicken and orange combination looks yummy and perfect can’t wait to try this at home 🙂
I wasn’t sure at first since orange isn’t my favorite flavor, but it actually works so well together.
I love the fact that you could make such a delicious recipe with only four ingredients. We are planning to go crazy this weekend when it comes to cooking and this would be a great dish for us. Thanks
Sometimes the simplest recipes and ingredients can make the best meals. I hope you enjoy!
This orange chicken looks like it would be so incredible! This is one of my favorite dishes when we do takeout.
If it’s a favorite, you should definitely try to make it at home! It’s so easy in the slow cooker.
This looks absolutely delicious. I’m going to have to try it.
I hope you do! It’s so easy and has so much flavor when it’s done.