Updated: June 5, 2026
Today I was craving Chinese food for dinner! So I decided to do my own spin on orange chicken and rice. Orange chicken is one of my favorite things to order when eating Asian food. However, sometimes I am left disappointed, feeling that the orange chicken was not seasoned well. The orange chicken served at some restaurants does not have any flavor beyond the outer crust. So to enhance the flavor of this dish, I wondered what would happen if I allowed the chicken to sit in the crockpot for one hour prior to serving. To my surprise, the chicken came out wonderful and truly tasted like orange chicken all the way through! Here are the details to how I prepared my orange chicken for dinner:
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Crockpot Orange Chicken
This crockpot orange chicken is sweet, savory, and coated in a rich citrus sauce that tastes even better as it slowly cooks throughout the day. Made with tender chicken, fresh orange flavor, and a perfectly balanced sauce, this easy slow cooker recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, and comforting family dinners.
Serves4 people
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Ingredients
Chicken Prep
- 1.25 lbs Chicken Thighs
- 1 Egg White
- 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup Corn Starch
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
- Canola Oil
Orange Sauce Glaze
- 1/2 jar Orange Marmalade , around 9oz
- 1/2 cup Raw Honey
- 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- Orange Zest, 1/2 an orange
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
Instructions
Chicken Prep
- Take chicken thighs and safely clean these prior to seasoning. After cleaning your chicken, cut it into nugget size pieces and place these in a clean bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to ensure the salt and pepper spread evenly on your chicken pieces.
- To your bowl, add 1 egg white and stir again. Once the egg white evenly distributes on the chicken nuggets, add corn starch and all purpose flour and stir again until chicken is completely coated.
- Now you're ready to fry your nuggets. Take a pan or wok and fill the bottom of it with canola oil , around 1/4 an inch.(I recommend canola oil or peanut oil since these have a high smoke point. However please do not use peanut oil if you are allergic to peanuts). Allow your oil and pan to come up to the correct heat temperature. TIP: An easy way to determine oil temperature without a thermometer is to flick some flour into the hot oil. If the flour sizzles upon hitting the oil, your chicken is ready to fry!
- Add your chicken nuggets to the hot pan or wok and fry these until both sides cook evenly and are brown. Once chicken has fully cooked, remove these from the pan and place in a dish lined with a paper towel to capture the additional grease. Set chicken aside.
Crockpot Prep
- To your crockpot add orange marmalade, honey, chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar (or regular vinegar is fine as a substitute), sesame oil, grated fresh ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, orange zest, and salt/pepper to taste. Stir ingredients together.
- Turn on your crockpot and add the fried chicken nuggets to the orange sauce mixture. Sir, cover and allow ingredients to cook for 1 hour. The crockpot will do a great job with allowing the orange sauce to melt into your nuggets.
- After 1 hour, turn off your crockpot and enjoy your orange chicken over a bed of jasmine rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve!
Notes
- For the best flavor, allow the chicken to cook low and slow so the sauce has time to fully coat and flavor the chicken.
- If you prefer crispier chicken, lightly bread and air fry or bake the chicken pieces before adding them to the crockpot sauce.
- Fresh orange juice and orange zest provide the brightest citrus flavor and help balance the sweetness of the sauce.
- Cornstarch can be used at the end of cooking to thicken the sauce if needed. Mix it with a small amount of cold water before stirring it into the crockpot.
- Serve this orange chicken over steamed rice, fried rice, lo mein noodles, or roasted vegetables for a complete meal.
- For added heat, stir in red pepper flakes, chili garlic sauce, or sriracha to taste.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat well for meal prep lunches and dinners.
- Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, or extra orange zest before serving for added flavor and presentation.
Nutrition
Calories: 563kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 27gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 1575mgPotassium: 389mgFiber: 1gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 185IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this?Leave a comment below!
It looks so yummy. I am running out of stock in many ingredients and have ordered again. In this quarantine days, cooking had been a great stress buster. I am going to try out your recipe.
Super delicious! Orange chicken and rice is so simple and very quick. Thanks for the recipe.
Can’t say I’ve ever had orange chicken before, however now is the perfect time to try new dishes
I am yet to try out this delicious dish. Please do make more such articles on dishes like this. I’m bookmarking this.
Wow! this dish looks really good and yummy. It makes me hungry now. Orange and chicken sounds like a great combination.