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Crockpot Orange Chicken

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4.91 from 170 votes
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This Crockpot Orange Chicken is better than take out! It tastes better, is so much healthier, and is ridiculously easy to make. Orange chicken for the win!

Crockpot orange chicken over rice in a bowl

Crockpot asian inspired recipes like this crockpot orange chicken are the best! You can also check out: slow cooker lo mein, slow cooker teriyaki chicken, slow cooker kung pao chicken, slow cooker ramen noodles. 

Crockpot Orange Chicken for.the.win.

As with most of my recipes, this one started out with craving.

A craving, for orange chicken. Orange-y, spicy chicken with a steaming side of perfectly cooked white rice? Swoon.

Orange chicken and rice in a bowl above

As much as I wanted to just order take-out, with Thanksgiving coming up, I figured I should probably skip the take-out, and try to recreate something healthier at home.

Thank you, Crockpot Orange Chicken, for curbing my craving without the guilt.

Bowl of orange chicken with rice side view

Funnily enough, I typically don’t like orange chicken. Trevor, with his very refined palate, gets these cravings for orange chicken from Panda Express. 😉

But for whatever reason, I was the one craving orange chicken the other day, and I knew Trevor would totally be on board.

When I get a craving for something, I get kiiiind of o.b.s.e.s.s.e.d, so if I’m going to make it at home, it’s gotta be easy. Luckily, this chicken only needs 5 hours to cook (vs 8 hours in some crockpot chicken recipes) and it literally look me less than 5 minutes to whip up.

What does crockpot orange chicken have in it?

  • Chicken breasts
  • Chicken broth
  • FRESH orange juice and zest
  • Brown sugar
  • Honey
  • Seasoned rice vinegar
  • Soy sauce
  • Garlic
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Ginger
  • Pepper
  • Cornstarch

How do you make healthy homemade orange chicken?

  1. Grease your crockpot. <– as usual, I’m obsessed.
  2. Whip together the yummiest orange sauce: see above for ingredients (minus chicken and cornstarch)
  3. Throw sauce and chicken into crockpot and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
  4. Stir in cornstarch and let it cook for another hour on HIGH.
  5. Serve with rice and stuff.your.face.

Closeup of orange chickenThis crockpot orange chicken is c.r.a.z.y. good, you guys. The sauce is perfectly orange-y and you can make it as spicy as you like!

Now. Here’s the deal. When I first had Trevor taste-test, his immediate reaction was YUM. Buuuuut, he wanted the sauce to be thicker.

Trevor was expecting that really thick, sticky, sauce that coats breaded chicken.

Well. This isn’t the recipe for that.

THIS crockpot orange chicken has those same amazing orange chicken flavors you love, but without all the guilt! Plus, it’s super saucy and when you serve it over rice, the rice soaks up all those crazy flavors. And basically, it’s just amazing.

Later that night, I served this crockpot orange chicken up with some steamed rice and Trevor did a complete 180.

All I heard for the rest of the night was “Seriously, babe. This is goooood.”

Craving curbed. Happy husband.

#success

Bowl of rice and orange chicken with a forkNow let’s just see if we can keep him away from Panda Express. 😉

– Jennifer

What are some of your favorite take-out/delivery foods? I’d love to recreate them! Show me the yummy!

Some of my other take-out/delivery creations:

Easy Mongolian Beef

Thai Peanut Noodles

One Pot Asian Noodle Soup

Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry

This Crockpot Orange Chicken is better than take out! It tastes better, is so much healthier, and is ridiculously easy to make. Orange chicken for the win! showmetheyummy.com #crockpot #orangechicken

Crockpot Orange Chicken

4.91 from 170 votes
This Crockpot Orange Chicken is better than take out! It tastes better, is so much healthier, and is ridiculously easy to make. Orange chicken for the win!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Yield: 4 people
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Equipment for this recipe

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 2 pounds uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • ¼ cup brown sugar packed
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
  • 1-2 tablespoons grated orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste (we used 3 teaspoons)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup cornstarch

Optional Toppings

  • Green onion thinly sliced
  • Cilantro chopped
  • Sesame seeds

Recipe Video

Instructions

  • Grease your crockpot with cooking spray.
  • Whisk together sauce ingredients: broth, orange juice, brown sugar, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, red pepper flakes, ground ginger, and black pepper.
  • Pour half the sauce into crockpot.
  • Place chicken into crockpot.
  • Pour the rest of the sauce over the chicken.
  • Place the lid on and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours.
  • Remove chicken from crockpot and set aside.
  • Whisk the cornstarch into the sauce until well combined.
  • Place chicken back into crockpot and cover.
  • Cook for an additional 1 hour on HIGH (if you cooked on low before) or 30 mins on HIGH (if you cooked on HIGH before).
  • Remove chicken, cut into chunks, then stir back into sauce.
  • Serve with your choice of rice and additional toppings and enjoy!
  • Take 5 seconds to either rate this recipe below and/or PIN it. We greatly appreciate it!
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STORING
Room Temp:N/A
Refrigerator:3-4 Days
Freezer:2 Months
Reheat:Microwave or stovetop until warm.
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions

Notes

*Gluten free? Be sure to use a GF soy sauce or a GF alternative!

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Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Crockpot Orange Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 451 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 145mg48%
Sodium 2112mg92%
Potassium 1048mg30%
Carbohydrates 44g15%
Sugar 33g37%
Protein 51g102%
Vitamin A 280IU6%
Vitamin C 24.8mg30%
Calcium 38mg4%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.

Keywords: chicken breast, crockpot, slow cooker
Enjoy this recipe?
Tag @showmetheyummy on Instagram and hashtag it #showmetheyummy
Course: Main
Cuisine: Chinese

This Crockpot Orange Chicken was originally published November 20, 2015 and has been updated to include a video and more detailed content. 

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  2. Robin

    United States

    5 stars I haven’t made this recipe yet but I can hardly wait to try it! It sounds so delicious. Just how Orange Chicken should be made!
    Reply

  8. Gary

    United States

    Cooking time too long. Cook on low for 3 1/2 hrs then on high for 45 min. Check your video as it shows cooking on high for 4 hours and your written recipe says cook low for 4 hours. I change it 3 1/2 on low 45 minutes on high. Chicken sliced nicely so did not need to shred as some people commented. Great recipe.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      So glad you enjoyed, thanks! Yeah, the video instructions are incorrect, follow the written instructions. Thanks!

  9. Jesse

    United States

    5 stars Holy cow this was delicious- wasn’t sure what to expect but it’s now going in the rotation – made as directed and served with glazed carrots over rice
    Reply

  10. Katherine

    McKinney, Texas

    4 stars This was really yummy! We both really liked it. I used a touch less honey and brown sugar based on the reviews. It was plenty sweet. The chicken would not cube after cooking for 4 hours on low and then another hour after the cornstarch addition. I just shredded the chicken as it was falling apart. Very tender. I served it over angel hair pasta with some julienned stir fried carrots. I think it would be nice with some stir fried cabbage too and maybe a bit of onion. Really good recipe!
    Reply

  13. Karen

    United States

    5 stars Absolutely loved this recipe! Couldn’t believe I made it. So simple! Already have all the ingredients. I liked it better than any restaurant or take out. Thank you!!
    Reply

  15. Beth

    Lebanon, Pennsylvania

    Could I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts? Also, would using the chicken thighs allow for me to cook it on LOW for about 6 hours? Thank You!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      You can definitely use chicken thighs… 6 hours on LOW will be fine, but it’ll likely be more like shredded chicken, but that’s ok! It’ll be very moist and delicious still 🙂

  21. Rachell

    Lady Lake, Florida

    5 stars I’ll be short on time tonight and really want to make this. If I cooked on high in the crockpot how long would you recommend? Thank you!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Rachell! Step 6 says: Place the lid on and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!

    • Anonymous

      Lady Lake, Florida

      Thank you! So sorry I didn’t go through all the steps yet and was looking through all the comments for the answer before asking.

  22. Anonymous

    Tampa, Florida

    5 stars Sooo delish!! My husband said this needs to go into our meal rotation menu!! I also cut back on the vinegar a bit as hubby likes sauces sweeter but probably didn’t need to. Lots of orange flavor not overpowered by the soy or seasonings. Its a kitchen coup!
    Reply

  27. Cindy

    United States

    5 stars My husband and I enjoyed this tremendously this evening, I served it with a small green salad & tomatoes… Next time we will half the red pepper flakes a little to spicy for us😁 otherwise perfect lots of sauce for the rice!
    Reply

  32. Anonymous

    Winnipeg, Manitoba

    5 stars Made this tonight for dinner with rice and broccoli,was absolutely delicious. I used less vinegar about 1/8 of a cup, sauce was great.
    Reply

  46. A

    Tampa, Florida

    5 stars I cut the chicken up into bite size pieces, mixed everything in a bowl before adding to the crockpot. At the recommended time, I mixed the cornstarch with water and just stirred it in a little at a time. Lazy, but still delicious!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Technically you’re not supposed to cook frozen chicken in the slow cooker!

  51. Stacy

    Davenport, Iowa

    5 stars Followed this recipe as my 1st time ever making orange chicken. Aside from my 7 year old finicky eater, my grown boy are my biggest critics. This went over well. Thank you for sharing the recipe
    Reply

  53. Amber

    Albany, New York

    5 stars This recipe is simply and truly the best!! We were running a little low on soy sauce so we went a little lighter than the recipe called for but the result was still absolutely delicious!! Thank you!
    Reply

  63. Timothy

    Australia

    5 stars This was sooooo good! We had homegrown oranges and the house has smelt amazing for hours! Thank you! ☺️
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Thank you, Timothy! I bet it was soooo delicious with the fresh oranges 🙂

  64. Geipa

    Middletown, Connecticut

    5 stars Awesome recipe. Easy to put together and great taste. Paired it with cauliflower rice. Followed recipe and will make again.
    Reply

  65. Adam

    Pensacola, Florida

    5 stars I couldn’t decide between this or your honey Sriracha recipe, so I sort of combined the two and added 1/3 cup of Sriracha to this one, which gave it good flavor with a subtle kick. Towards the end I made a white roux to stir in (1/4 cup of butter, 1/4 cup of flour) since i didn’t have cornstarch. When the chicken was cooked, I poured the liquid into a pot and reduced it til it got sticky, then threw the chicken back in. It was delicious and easy! I’ll be saving this recipe. Oh, and I used boneless chicken thighs
    Reply

  66. Caroline

    Whitley City, Kentucky

    5 stars This was a success for me and my husband! We used 2 tsp of chili flakes and while it wasn’t too spicy, it certainly made the room feel warm! Definitely not going to be a summer recipe, but a super delicious keeper all the same.
    Reply

  70. Glory

    Plymouth, Indiana

    5 stars So good! My family Loved it and I have printed it out to be it in our cookbook binder. Defiantly making again! Some tips; I only used a pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs. go ahead and cut the measurements in half because doing regular amounts made way to much sauce. I cooked the chicken on high for a hour and 1/2. I made a slurry with the cornstarch and added it after half a hour because 1 hour after starting just didn’t get it for the sauce. Like any recipe you probably will tweak it to your family’s liking. It is fantastic over white rice! I meant to start out with a teaspoon of red pepper flakes and but was running late, in a hurry, and accidently misread and did a tablespoon! our family like a moderate amount of heat, but that was little to much for us to enjoy the flavor so we are going to try half of that next. This takes a while to prep, longer then you would think, ahem, so defiantly start it earlier. You can always wait and start it in a little bit or put it on warm. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
    Reply

    • Glory

      Plymouth, Indiana

      5 stars I only used a pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs. go ahead and cut the measurements in half because doing regular amounts made way to much sauce. I cooked the chicken on high for a hour and 1/2. I made a slurry with the cornstarch and added it after half a hour because 1 hour after starting just didn’t get it for the sauce. Hope this helps! That is the only chicken we generally use in my house.

  72. Heidi

    United States

    5 stars This is really good. Instead of the orange juice, I used some orange marmalade that I had in the frig. I also juiced one of those little “Cutie” oranges and put that in (I peeled it first). Just add a little more cornstarch (1/2 C. instead of 1/4 C.), and it is the right consistency. Make sure you dilute it with cold water first, so you do not get lumps in your sauce. Just enough cold water to dilute the cornstarch . . . not too much.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      If you make it again, just taste the sauce before stirring in the raw chicken, then you can adjust or re-make toy your liking.

  74. Eric

    Centreville, Virginia

    5 stars Easy enough, and quick aside from zesting. It tastes good, but I’d encourage other seasonings to taste. Was good by itself and with Shriracha.
    Reply

  77. Amber

    Lenoir, North Carolina

    5 stars Made this for dinner and it’s delicious! I was short on time so I cheated and used Sunny D instead of fresh oj. I only used about half the pepper flakes as I have a sensitive stomach, and steamed a bag of california blend veggies to go with it! It turned out fantastic and I will be making it again! For those of you with extra runny sauce, make sure you’re making a slurry for the corn starch before you add it into your sauce, just mix it with a teaspoon or 2 of water then wisk it in, it won’t clump this way and gets evenly dispersed.
    Reply

    • Amber

      Lenoir, North Carolina

      5 stars Was just as tasty the second night! I may have made a bit much though. Anyone tried freezing their leftovers.. if they had any?

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Thanks, Amber! Glad you loved it! You can definitely freeze your leftovers. They’ll last for about 2 months stored in an airtight container 🙂

  78. CookieGirl

    United States

    4 stars Rule number one: never add cornstarch to hot liquid or it will form clumps!!! Mix cornstarch to cooled stock before adding to hot liquid. Followed the recipe exactly and an easy recipe otherwise. A little too sweet for me and I agree with extra hot pepper flakes, but that is my taste.
    Reply

  81. Kristin

    Kissimmee, Florida

    5 stars I just made this recipe. The flavors were absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe exactly, but the chicken shredded when I went to cut it up. It was more like pulled chicken. I cooked on low the setting. Also the sauce wasn’t that thick. Any suggestions on how to make sure the chicken doesn’t shred and the sauce thickens?
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Kristin! Glad you liked the recipe! If you want larger chunks of chicken, try cooking it on low for 3 hours instead of 4 so it’s a little bit more firm. For the sauce, try cutting the amount of chicken broth in half and/or cooking it for the last 30 minutes to an hour uncovered so more of the liquid can evaporate. Hope that helps!!

    • Amy

      Jeffersonville, Indiana

      5 stars You can pre-cut the chicken into cubes and then scoop out with slotted spoon before adding cornstarch

  82. Joann

    Kanab, Utah

    5 stars I made this tonight and it was amazing! I love orange chicken. My daughter not so much. My grandson doesn’t like much of anything. She had two helpings. He loved it! I was over the moon about it! Thank you for an amazing recipe! Best ever!
    Reply

  83. Leslie

    Brandon, Florida

    5 stars This was one of THE best homemade orange sauces I’ve ever had!! Totally addictive….will be adding to my list of favorite Asian recipes! Thanks!
    Reply

  85. Sean

    San Antonio, Texas

    5 stars Amazing!!! I substituted the sugar and half the honey with Smucker’s Sweet Orange Marmalade, and wow it was incredible. The marmalade has thin tiny slices of the orange rind and make it even more orangey tasting
    Reply

  88. Cindy

    Sun City, Arizona

    5 stars I am going to try the orange chicken for my dad this week it sounds yummy and with Az heat I’m all about the crockpot recipes thanx
    Reply

  90. D.R.

    United States

    5 stars We really enjoyed it. My husband especially enjoyed it. I did use a little less red pepper, mostly for my taste. I would make it again.
    Reply

  91. LB

    United States

    5 stars This was delicious, added whole baby carrots on top after about an hour, not as much red pepper flakes, and the zest from just one orange (all I had). My 4-year old granddaughter ate with no complaints.
    Reply

  104. T

    Raleigh, North Carolina

    Question, I work long hours and dont usually get home till 9 30 at night. Is there anything I can do to make this last in a crock pot for 9 hours? My fiance would follow any instructions I leave him for it as he gets off much earlier than I. Looking for something I can make when I work these hours and not have so much fast food.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi! Does your slow cooker have a “warm” button? You can cook this on low for 8 hours and then it should automatically switch to the warm setting! The chicken will be more shredded, because it’s cooked longer, but I think it will still be delicious 🙂

  107. Donna

    Delmar, New York

    5 stars I made this last night. Had 3 pounds of chicken, so adjusted the recipe. Got to the part where I meant to squeeze the oranges for freshly squeezed OJ–and I could NOT find my vintage Wear Ever citrus fruit juicer. After trying to squeeze by hand, I ultimately got out my vintage Wear Ever ricer and pressed the OJ directly into the rest of the sauce ingredients. No measurement–just put the juice of 3 oranges in with the other ingredients. We thought the end product was a little too hot for our tastes, so will reduce the amount of red chili flakes next time.
    Reply

  114. Helene

    North Hollywood, California

    5 stars Made it tonight for my dinner! Soooo delicious! And so much healthier than the fried version!!
    Reply

  123. Cristina

    Bellmore, New York

    5 stars This came out great. It tastes like a healthy version of Chinese takeout. It smelled amazing in my house! I didn’t have ginger or rice vinegar. It came out fine without the ginger and I substituted balsamic vinegar plus a little sugar to balance instead. I changed some ratios because I only had 1lb of chicken too, but the premise was the same, little less soy for less salt. This is immediately going into my recipe book, thanks!!!
    Reply

  124. Anna

    Edmonton, Alberta

    5 stars Oh.My.Yummy! This is amazingly easy and so delicious. I served over coconut rice and it was devoured by everyone. Bowls licked clean. I’m glad I found your website. I’ll be back!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Ashlee! I’d probably just use all flour. Use double the amount listed 🙂 That should work!

    • Ashlee

      United States

      5 stars Thank you so much!! I’m excited about this recipe, because orange chicken is my husband’s favorite! Thanks!

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      You’re so welcome! You’ll have to let me know if the flour thickens it up ok 🙂 Hope your husband loves it!

  129. Liz

    United States

    5 stars I’m in the middle of cooking this now. Love all the ingredients so I’m excited to see how it turns out. I do have a question about the nutritional info. Are the totals inclusive of both the chicken and all the sauce?
    Reply

  130. Molly

    Rowlett, Texas

    5 stars Absolutely delicious and very easy. 1 tsp of crushed red pepper was plenty. Next time I may add some veggies like onion, peppers, brocolli or water chestnuts. Has anyone done this and if so at what point in the cooking process? Thinking I could just toss them in a saute pan and add at the end.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Thanks Molly! I haven’t added veggies to this, but I have on another one of my crockpot asian chicken recipes and it works great! I buy frozen stir fry veggies, cook them according to package directions, season with salt and stir in! Works great 🙂

  131. J

    Toms River, New Jersey

    5 stars Jennifer, So I was looking to make Orange Chicken TONIGHT and searched for recipes (hoping I had everything). I stumbled on your site and though, hmm I can make this work. I only had Halo oranges and had no honey sooo I zested the Halo’s (3 tbsp instead of 2, anticipating a less zesty outcome), but added a tbsp of fresh lemon juice. In place of Honey, but I substituted Molasses and added an extra tbsp of dark brown sugar. I was short on time and cooked on high for 2 hours covered and 1 uncovered. I took the liberty of adding peas at the end (wanted a veggie that didn’t conflict with the taste). Let me tell you… delish!!! I usually like to make recipes verbatim the first time. I was in a pickle and so, luckily it was fantastic. Thank you!!! 🤗
    Reply

    • Ai

      Walnut Creek, California

      5 stars Zesty, but not bitter. Sweet, but not overwhelming. It is definitely the most balanced and authentic orange chicken I’ve made, thus far; however, I plan to keep this as my go to recipe from now on. I definitely recommend it, just be sure to follow the instructions. Fresh squeezed definitely makes a difference in comparison to cold, store bought. Plus, it’s perfect since you can get fresh zest for it too. Tip: 2 navel oranges was perfect for the 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed and the zest.

  134. Julie

    Tampa, Florida

    5 stars Made this tonight. I used boneless skinless thighs, and used sambal instead of red pepper flakes. I also seasoned the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. It was great, definitely a keeper. I served it with stir fried veg (zucchini, peppers, onions, mushrooms and asparagus. Great meal, thanks for the inspiration
    Reply

  135. Faith

    San Angelo, Texas

    5 stars Fantastic recipe! I paired it with Jasmine rice. I had a couple of people over for dinner and they were impressed. This one is going in my recipe box to make on a regular basis.
    Reply

  136. Lorri

    Bethel Park, Pennsylvania

    Just realized I forgot to add the seasoned rice vinegar. It still tastes wonderful. Can I add it now that it’s finished cooking?
    Reply

  137. Denise

    Can chicken breasts be replaced with skinless, boneless chicken thighs? Looking forward to trying this recipe. Sounds delicious!
    Reply

  138. Angela

    5 stars Hi! This is a great recipe, however I did make some alterations just to use up some of the ingredients. I cut up the orange that I grated into pieces and added it into the pot, just to really bring out the orange-y flavours. I also put garlic powder, sesame oil, and a bit of extra garlic. Was also thinking of putting apricot/orange perseveres but ended up forgetting lol. This recipe goes really nicely with white basmati rice.
    Reply

  139. Alex

    The sauce didn’t turn out as I was expecting despite following the recipe. It was much lighter in color and in viscosity than the color of yours at the end. Do you have any idea why this was?
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Was yours too thick or too thin? If it was too thick, then not enough liquid or too much cornstarch… the opposite if it was too thin. Maybe not enough soy sauce if the color was lighter?

  140. Jill

    Hi I am planning my 80th birthday party and guess what I think I might have 28 people who might like orange chicken ! I have the opportunity to have 3 slow cookers on the go. If you have any ideas to help me have a fairly stress free day .I would be grateful
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Jill! You could definitely prep the sauce ingredients the day before if you like 🙂 Then all you have to do the day of is throw the sauce into the crockpot with the chicken and be good to go! I hope that helps!! Happy 80th Birthday!!!!!!!! <3

  141. Jami

    5 stars I use my crockpot almost daily! I work mostly swing shift and my teenagers don’t want to wait till 10:00 every night to eat! My husband works 2 jobs and does a lot of community plays – so let’s just say I’m serious when I say we use it almost daily!!!! One of my daughters loves fast food orange chicken! We have tried the crockpot version that was all over Pinterest with Orange Marmalade and we did not like it at all!!! Yours looks sooo yummy and I love that it has Orange Juice in it. I put it in the crockpot this morning and the teens can finish it up when thy are ready to eat ! Thanks ! And I WILL be checking out all your other crockpot meals !!!!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Yay!!! I hope you all love this Jami! 🙂 You’ve come to the right place, because I LOVE my crockpot!!

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Do you have another kind of vinegar (like white vinegar, apple cider vinegar)? Or lime juice? Just something acidic 🙂

  146. Christine

    5 stars I need to tell you that I really, really love your recipies!!! And people around me start to love me because I ‘use’ these recipies to pamper them. Thank you both for the beautiful and tasty work! All the best from Germany, Chris
    Reply

  147. Jennifer

    5 stars Hi Jennifer, First of all I need to say I’ve used so many of your recipes with fantastic results! Thank you and keep ’em coming! I used to be a huge fan of the Crock-Pot until I discovered the instant pot… Any chance you’ll be making recipes with both the crock pot cooking times AND the instant pot instructions? I’m going to try to make this in my instant pot tonight because I. Just. Have. To. Yum!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      It should! You’ll probably want to reduce the cook time, so the chicken doesn’t overcook and get tough! 🙂

  149. Reggie

    Would it work to use cooked chicken and then just mix in the sauce and the rice? Or to cook the rice in with the chicken at the same time? I have pre-cooked chicken and I would like to keep it in one dish. Thanks
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      You could definitely give that a try… I’ve never tried it, so I can’t guarantee the results!

    • Reggie

      5 stars I made it with cooked chicken and it turned out great! I made the rice and the sauce separately and then just mixed it all together and let it thicken in the crock pot for about 15 minutes. It was so good and easy! Definitely going to make it again!

  150. Marilee

    Could quinoa be used in place of the rice. I have quinoa but have never cooked it before. . Sounds really good. I like the addition of colored peppers and onion as one person suggested.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Absolutely! 🙂 Just follow the directions on the package of the quinoa!

  151. LizK

    5 stars This was delicious! The only change I made due to time was cooking for two hours on high before I added the cornstarch and the chicken was still tender and juicy! Oh, I used a tsp of red pepper instead of flakes because I didn’t have time to run back to the store. So two small changes, oops. This is definitely going in the crock pot rotation – thanks for sharing.
    Reply

  152. Benedict

    For those wondering, a rough calorie count is 2,245 calories for the entire dish. A serving size is roughly 1.5 cups (which will divvy the meal up for 4 people.) Don’t forget to add the calories for what you are serving over, such as brown rice (216 calories for 1 cup.) Below are my numbers. Orange chicken = (chicken), (chicken broth), (OJ, fresh squeezed), (brown sugar), (honey), (apple cider vinegar [substituted for rice viengar]), (soy sauce), (corn starch) *2245 Calories* = (748*2) + (12*1) + (112*0.5) + (836 * 0.25) + (1030 * 0.25) + (51 * 0.5) + (135 * 0.5) + (488 * 0.25)
    Reply

  153. Kathy

    Do you think the sauce thickening step at the end could be eliminated by starting out with flour coated chicken chunks at the beginning? Trying to make this super easy for my husband.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      I bet that would work, but I haven’t tried it, so I can’t guarantee the results. 🙂 I would also recommend making the recipe as is for best results.

  154. Laurie

    5 stars This recipe is good, however I sautéed some coloured peppers, onions and mushrooms to add to the finished product just to give it some extra oomph. Would make again with my additions.
    Reply

  157. Chris

    If I wanted to double or triple the recipe, can I throw it all in one big crock and just increase the cook time? Or should I use multiple pots?
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Chris! If you double the recipe, you could still fit it in 1 (6 quart) crockpot, but would use multiple crockpots if tripling. Let me know how it works out! 🙂

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Amanda! That’s totally normal, it wasn’t meant to be a very thick sauce 🙂 Next time, in the last 30 minutes of cooking on high, you could remove the top of the crockpot and it should thicken more. I hope that helps! 🙂

  159. Cedar

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    This is my first time trying this recipe..it looks super delicious. Does the chicken need to be thawed out or can I put the chicken in frozen (I assume it would just take longer to cook)?
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi there! Thank you so much! It needs to be thawed out 🙂 Technically you’re not supposed to cook frozen meats in the slow cooker for food safety reasons. Although, I’ve totally done it and have been fine, but that’s up to you whether you want to take the “risk” or not. 🙂

  160. Jessi

    Gainesville, Florida

    5 stars Absolutely delicious! I might take down the red pepper flakes to even less than a teaspoon just because I’m a wuss, but the chicken and sauce were wonderful!
    Reply

  161. Darcy

    Scranton, Pennsylvania

    5 stars My husband was craving orange chicken and after seeing all of the sodium and preservatives in the frozen brands I decided I would make a homemade version. This was the first recipe that popped up so I figured I would give it a try. Based on some of the other reviews I cut down on the soy sauce by 1/8 of a cup and used 1 teaspoon of the crushed red pepper flake and it was amazing! I’m not a huge fan of orange chicken but this was sooo tasty! I served this with sautéed veggies and rice and it was absolutely delicious!
    Reply

  162. Jennifer

    San Mateo, California

    Can I also do this in the 8 hour version? I leave in the morning at 7 am and get home at 7 pm and would love for dinner to be ready!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Jennifer! That should be just fine… the chicken will be more of a shredded texture than the original recipe, but if you’re ok with that, then you should be good to go! 🙂

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Adrianna! I can’t speak from experience, but I imagine this would freeze just fine. You’ll have to let me know! 🙂

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Adrianna! I can’t speak from experience, but I imagine this would freeze just fine. You’ll have to let me know! 🙂

    • Adrianna

      Socorro, New Mexico

      5 stars Hi Jennifer, It froze perfectly! Sauce was delicious!!! Thank you for the terrific recipe 🙂

  165. Jen

    Greenfield, Massachusetts

    5 stars I made this for supper tonite. It was really good. I served it with brown rice. Was a lite saltier than we are used to so next time I may cut back on the soy sauce. I love how the cornstarch thickens it up- so sticky and yummy!
    Reply

  168. Chie

    Billings, Montana

    Would regular orange juice work? If so should I reduce the amount of sweetener? Has anyone tried it?
    Reply

    • Brian

      Wolverhampton, England

      4 stars Hi Jennifer…the whole breasts worked out fine 🙂 the meal was a hit but i felt that the soy sauce flavour came through a little more than i would have liked but a small tweak next time will sort that 🙂

  171. lori

    United States

    I’m going to make this with chicken legs. Do you think the bones will change the cooking time at all?
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Lori! You may need to add an additional hour, but I’d check them after the instructed time and go from there 🙂 Let me know how it turns out with chicken legs! 🙂

  172. Lola

    Gainesville, Florida

    This looks sooo good. Here it is, 12 am on a Friday night, and I’m making this. Can you say hungry? I cannot wait to try this. I didn’t have chicken breasts, so I used thighs instead. Thanks for the recipe!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Lola! Oh I bet the chicken thighs were wonderful!! Thank you 🙂

  173. GramCracker

    Happy Valley, Oregon

    5 stars I was looking for a good, easy orange chicken recipe … this was it! I only had 1 pound of chicken which I cut in large chunks prior to cooking (saves a step later on) but I made the full amount of sauce (yummy on white rice); I also held out about 1/2 cup of sauce to blend with the cornstarch (mixes better). I used 2 tsp of red pepper flakes … we like spicy but this was a bit too much so I will drop it back to the 1 tsp and adjust from there.
    Reply

    • Rain

      GramCracker–love the tip about holding out a small portion of the sauce to mix with the cornstarch later on. I’m a disaster with getting it to blend. Thanks! Making this today. Jennifer, thank you for making this crockpot friendly. I LOATHE cooking. I do not mind, however, dumping stuff in a crockpot and letting it do all the work. I was looking at a similar recipe that would require me standing over the stove and keeping an eye on things…while I could be outside! *gasp* I’ll be using boneless, skinless chicken thighs because that’s what I have in the freezer. I’ve been indulging a bit too often in Panda Express for my waistline’s liking, so I hope this is the perfect alternative. 🙂

  175. Barb

    Sewell, New Jersey

    I’m not a great cook so I read directions all of the time! I just want to make sure- I put the sauce mixed with the cornstarch back into the crock pot with the cut up pieces of chicken, right? And, I’m not big on white rice. Is there any other kind you could recommend that might pair nicely with this recipe?
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Barb! Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken and set aside. Whisk the cornstarch directly into the sauce (that is still in the crockpot). Cut up the chicken and stir that back into the sauce/crockpot. I hope that helps! Brown rice would be wonderful with this!

    • Elyce

      5 stars There’s a similar recipe using beef where you add snow peas during last 30 minutes of cooking. You could also add fresh, raw broccoli. I will be making this chicken recipe soon!

  176. kt

    Salt Lake City, Utah

    How many chicken breasts do you use? I bought frozen ones so I don’t know how many 2 lbs is haha.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi there! Chicken breasts can vary greatly in size, but the average chicken breast is around 5-8 oz. I’d say go with 4-5 chicken breasts. 🙂 Also, for accuracy I always weigh my chicken with this kitchen scale. I hope that helps!!

    • Kevin

      Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania

      Get a digital kitchen scale. They are inexpensive and come in handy.

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Great idea, Kevin! I listed my favorite kitchen scale in the comment above 🙂

  177. Niels

    Wageningen, Provincie Gelderland

    5 stars I’ll be making this tomorrow for our friends and it will be the first recipe ever in our first slow cooker ever. Really looking forward to using the slow cooker and hope the result will be as good as expected. Your description is great and it looks super easy, were excited!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Niels! You’re going to LOVE your slow cooker…it’s my all time favorite kitchen tool. 🙂 I hope you and your friends enjoy the recipe!! Thanks for making it! 🙂

  178. MomandNana

    Alpharetta, Georgia

    5 stars With 2 members of the family who have celiac disease, our days of eating at Panda Express are over. I made your version in the crockpot today – making sure each ingredient is gluten-free (even the spices) which was actually easy to do. It was a huge hit!! Thank you so much for sharing!
    Reply

  179. Briana

    Saint Cloud, Minnesota

    I made this tonight on the stovetop because I ran out of time to prep it this morning, but either way it gets rave reviews from my husband and I! I know we will be coming back to make it again soon!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Briana! Yes!! Love to hear that it turned out for you! So glad it works on the stove, too 🙂 Thanks for making and loving the orange chicken! 🙂

  180. shirley

    Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta

    5 stars This looks so good! I wanted a dish to take to pot-luck at church, and vegetarian.I am going to try to make this using some re-hydrated soy pieces, it’s made me a little excited to cook again! The water is already in the kettle heating up to use on the soy.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Thanks Shirley!! I’m so glad you’re excited to cook again. 🙂 I’d love to hear how the soy turns out!