Slow Cooker Orange Chicken and Broccoli

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5 from 3 votes

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken and Broccoli

This easy slow cooker orange chicken has all of the flavors that you crave -- and it's healthier than takeout!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword Chinese Orange Chicken, Crock Pot orange chicken, orange chicken, slow cooker orange chicken

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 10

Servings servings

Calories 333kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

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

The orange zest gives the dish a more prominent orange flavor. Just be careful that when you're scraping the peel off of the orange, you don't get any of the bitter white pith (you just want that thin top layer). I use a microplane for this task.

If you prefer, 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, making them perfect for slow cooker recipes.

Nutrition