Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This easy Slow Cooker Orange Chicken and Broccoli has all the flavors that you crave, but it’s a whole lot healthier than traditional Chinese take-out! Instead of breading and deep frying the meat, you simply toss the simple ingredients in the Crock Pot and move on with your day. This is a family-friendly, healthy orange chicken recipe the whole family will love!
Table of Contents
- Crockpot Orange Chicken Recipe at Home
- Ingredients for Slow Cooker Orange Chicken and Broccoli
- How to Make Homemade Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- What to Serve with Easy Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- How to Store Leftover Crock Pot Orange Chicken
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe Tips and Variations
- More Asian-Inspired Meals to Try at Home
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken and Broccoli Recipe
Crockpot Orange Chicken Recipe at Home
You know those easy dinners that you pick up from the Chinese restaurant, coated in more breading and sticky sauce than actual meat? Kids may love those dishes, but they’re not the healthiest. And they’re a pain in the neck to make at home!
Once again, my Crock Pot comes to the rescue! I can recreate a copycat recipe for Chinese restaurant-inspired orange chicken in my own kitchen with less work, using simple ingredients that I know and recognize.
Best of all, this easy slow cooker orange chicken tastes amazing! It makes for an easy dinner that’s a family favorite in my home. Bite-sized pieces of tender chicken are coated in a sweet and tangy orange sauce. By adding the broccoli to the slow cooker at the very end, you get crisp-tender veggies that aren’t mushy and overcooked.
This delicious orange chicken gives you the ease of a Crock Pot dinner with the taste, flavor, and texture of a restaurant meal!
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Orange Chicken and Broccoli
Below is an overview of the simple ingredients needed to make slow cooker orange chicken and broccoli. You don’t need anything fancy to make your favorite takeout meal at home—a healthier version that’s perfect for busy weeknights. As always, full ingredients and directions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: cut into bite-sized pieces for even cooking.
- Salt, Pepper, & Cornstarch: to season the chicken and provide a thinner crispy outer breading that we all know and love from traditional orange chicken.
- Orange Marmalade: the base of the orange chicken sauce, for that tangy and sweet orange flavor.
- Soy Sauce: for an umami flavor that balances out the sweet.
- Sesame Oil: gives a unique toasted, nutty, rich flavor that’s key to so many homemade Asian dishes.
- Minced Garlic & Ginger: classic Chinese-inspired seasonings. Fresh ginger and garlic are always best, but jarred works with this recipe as well.
- Broccoli Florets: you can use fresh or frozen broccoli. If using frozen, allow it to thaw first. You’ll need about 5 ½ cups.
- White Rice: the perfect base for slow cooker orange chicken, soaking up all that extra flavorful sauce.
- For Garnish: sliced green onions and sesame seeds
How to Make Homemade Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
If you’re craving Chinese food, but don’t want the expense? Make this healthier version at home! With just a few easy steps, you can have one of your favorite takeout meals, home-cooked with little time and effort.
- Dice the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces.
- Toss the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and cornstarch in a large freezer bag until evenly coated.
- Whisk together the orange sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Toss the seasoned chicken into the slow cooker and cover with the orange sauce, making sure all pieces are completely coated with sauce.
- Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 1 ½ – 2 hours.
- Add the broccoli during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
- Serve over a bed of rice, garnished with extra sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds.
Do I have to brown the chicken before putting it into the slow cooker?
With this recipe, you do not have to deep fry or brown the chicken before adding it to the slow cooker. However, if you want a crispier crust on your orange chicken, you can lightly pan-fry the cornstarch-coated chicken before slow cooking. Lightly fry it for just a few minutes until the outside is slightly golden brown. Then drain the chicken and paper towels and transfer right into your slow cooker.
What other vegetables can I add to slow cooker orange chicken?
There are plenty of vegetables you could add alongside the broccoli; however, you don’t want to add too much or else the sauce will be too thin. Other vegetables that go well with orange chicken are green or red pepper, sugar snap peas, mini corn, or onions.
How can I make orange chicken spicy?
Simply a few pinches of red pepper flakes to the orange sauce ingredients—start with about half a teaspoon for a kick of spice and adjust if you like spicier! You could also add dried red chiles or a few dashes of sriracha sauce.
What to Serve with Easy Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
You don’t need much more than white rice (or brown rice) to go along with this easy orange chicken recipe. The tender cooked chicken and steamed broccoli are satisfying and have so much flavor all on their own. If you want to pair this recipe with an Asian-inspired side dish, try sesame peanut noodles, ramen noodle salad, sesame ginger snap pea salad, or baked store-bought egg rolls.
How to Store Leftover Crock Pot Orange Chicken
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Make sure the orange chicken and sauce are fully cooled before storing.
- Can you freeze homemade orange chicken? Yes, orange chicken freezes well in a large freezer bag or airtight container. Store for up to 3 months.
- How do you reheat slow cooker orange chicken? The best way to reheat orange chicken is on the stovetop, in a pan or in a wok (if you have one). Cook over medium heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce mixture is thick and sticky.
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe Tips and Variations
- For easy cleanup, use a slow cooker liner. I make sure to spray my slow cooker liner with nonstick spray before cooking to ensure the sweet, sticky sauce doesn’t stick to the plastic liner.
- For enhanced orange flavor, add some fresh orange juice or orange zest to the sauce ingredients. Additionally, garnish with fresh orange zest just before serving.
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. While chicken thighs are generally thinner and smaller than breasts, they’re much more forgiving when slightly overcooked—they remain tender and moist, perfect for slow cooker recipes.
- If you have extra sauce, spoon it over the rice and veggies when serving. You could also half-double the sauce recipe to make extra sauce if you desire.
- If the sauce gets too thick while cooking, add some orange juice or water to thin it out. If it’s too thin, make a quick cornstarch slurry and stir it into the sauce at the end of cooking, and it will thicken up in no time.
More Asian-Inspired Meals to Try at Home
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (or sub with boneless skinless chicken thighs)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup orange marmalade (I like this sweet orange marmalade, which doesn't have a bitter aftertaste)
- ¼ cup less-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- Zest from 1 small orange (about 1 tablespoon total)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves) (or sub with ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger (or sub with ¼ teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed (or 5-6 cups of fresh broccoli florets)
- Cooked white rice, for serving
- Optional garnish: sliced green onions or toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Place the meat in a large zip-top bag or a large bowl. Add the cornstarch to the bag, seal, and toss to coat the chicken pieces. Place the chicken in the bottom of the prepared slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange marmalade, soy sauce, sesame oil, orange zest, garlic, and ginger.½ cup orange marmalade, ¼ cup less-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
- Pour the sauce over the chicken. Stir gently to make sure that all of the chicken pieces are coated in sauce.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours (or on HIGH for 1 – 2 hours). Keep an eye on it, though. Some slow cookers may be done in as little as 2 hours on LOW. During the final 15 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli to the slow cooker.1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets,
- When the broccoli is crisp-tender, give everything a good stir. If the sauce looks too thick at this point, add water or orange juice to thin until it reaches the desired consistency. Spoon the chicken, broccoli, and sauce over rice. Garnish with sliced green onions or sesame seeds, if desired.Cooked white rice,, Optional garnish: sliced green onions or toasted sesame seeds
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe for Slow Cooker Orange Chicken and Broccoli was originally posted in February, 2013. The photos were updated in August, 2017.
I love takeout orange chicken, but I have yet to try making it on my own. I’m loving this slow cooker version, Blair! Definitely healthier and I’m sure a million times better than the restaurant version. Love the addition of broccoli, too!
Thank you, Gayle! This is such a great way to enjoy it at home without much effort. 🙂
Got to try this. Sounds awesome!!! Your 5 ingredient honey garlic chicken is definitely “a keeper”. Thanks for sharing.
Yay! I hope that you love it, Diana! 🙂
Really looking forward to trying this recipe! Should this be refrigerated or frozen if I am looking to make a large portion and eat through the week? I’m wondering what would be safe (I think cooked chicken lasts a few days in the fridge if I’m not mistaken) while also maintaining as much flavor as possible.
Thanks!
Hey, David! I’m so glad that you’ll give it a try! The cooked chicken should stay fresh in the refrigerator for at least a few days (and probably up to 1 week), so I’d go that route. I think freezing it might change the texture of the meat, sauce, and broccoli, so I wouldn’t suggest that. Enjoy!
If the sauce is a little too thick can orange juice be added instead of water?
Hi Noelle,
We haven’t tested it, but readers have enjoyed adding orange juice to the sauce. It should work!
This sounds really yummy; out of curiosity though, does the Broccoli get mushy being in the slow cooker for 15 minutes? Or does it come out al dente? Thanks Blair!
Hi, Heather! It’s not too mushy! I prefer my broccoli still a little bit firm, so the 15 minutes works well. You can add it sooner if you like your broccoli softer, OR another great option that I often will use is to purchase a steam-in-bag microwaveable broccoli. Then you can microwave your broccoli to the exact texture that you like and just stir it into the chicken mixture right before serving. 🙂 Enjoy!
Made it tonight, but used whole chicken thighs as I didn’t have any chicken breasts in the freezer. Also microwaved the broccoli. The sauce was delicious – will definitely be making this again. Many thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Judie! I’m glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
I have a question … I cook for several different people, some like rice others don’t, some have to try to remain on very low carbohydrate diets. So here is my question…. Can one omit the rice and use veggie noodles (Example: zucchini noodles) instead?
Hi, Teresa! Of course! You can serve the chicken and broccoli over regular rice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice. It’s great on its own, and it will definitely work with your veggie noodles as well. Whatever your family prefers! 🙂
Judie
That recipe sounds Yummy
Do you have one for chicken n broccoli with the the brown sauce? I would love to make that one also
Thank You
Rose
I love the combination of flavours here, my family love oranges too so a win win!
I can’t wait to try this! It’s in my crockpot as I type this. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Awesome! Enjoy, Kelsie!
Hi!! If I want to make this in my instant pot would I set it to pressure cook? And how long would it need to cook for? Thank you!!
Hey, Nichole! I honestly don’t know, since I haven’t tested this particular recipe in the Instant Pot. I think it would work if you want to play around with it, but I can’t offer any specific times. If you want a similar Asian-inspired dish that’s perfect in the Instant Pot, you can try this Chicken Teriyaki Recipe: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/healthy-slow-cooker-teriyaki-chicken-ginger-bok-choy-salad/
or this Garlic Sesame Chicken: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/instant-pot-sesame-chicken/
Tried this tonight and honestly if you love marmalades you will like the taste of this. Hubby and I were not really fans because I felt that all I tasted was the orange marmalade.
My family absolutely loves this recipe. When I make it now, I use 3 lbs chicken and double the sauce because they always want leftovers the next day. I’m fact, my family has lived every one of your recipes that I have cooked this far. Thank you so much
That’s so good to hear, Nanette. Thank you for taking the time to leave me a note and let me know! 🙂
Does the calories listed include the rice, or just the chicken?
Hi, Brie! The nutrition information is automatically calculated based on the measurements for the chicken, sauce, and broccoli included in the recipe. The rice, sesame seeds, green onions, or any other optional toppings/sides are not included in that calculation.
Hi! Question. I know you say serving size is 1/6 of recipe. Do you know what measurement this equates to? We are on a pretty strict calorie-deficit diet at the moment and will need to know how much it actually equates to to tell if it’s worth making for us. Thanks!!
Hi, Nicole! No, I’m sorry — I don’t. The recipe software automatically calculates the nutrition information, so the details provided are just an rough estimate. I would suggest using your preferred nutrition calculator of choice, and entering the specific ingredients that you use. That’s the best way to get a more accurate calculation, and you can measure out your individual portions.
I HAVE NOT TRIED THE SLOW-COOKER ORANGE CHICKEN YET I AM GOING TO.
We hope you enjoy it, Almeda!