I’ve shared about my love for China and my special connection to the country, and you may have noticed that I share a lot of Asian recipes on the site. I especially like to share these recipes around the Chinese New Year, because our family LOVES to celebrate it!
We have a new recipe we’ll be making for our family festivities – this crockpot orange chicken! I have always LOVED Orange Chicken, and making it in the crock pot makes it even better!
For more of my favorite orange chicken recipes, check out Orange Chicken and Asparagus, How to Make Orange Chicken, and Panda Express Orange Chicken.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Quality. This recipe delivers the rich, savory flavors of a restaurant favorite without leaving your kitchen.
- Set it and forget it. You can set it in the morning and come home to a delicious, hot meal ready to eat.
- Customize it. Go ahead and add a little spice or pair it with your favorite stir-fry veggies to make it your own.
Crockpot Orange Chicken Ingredients
- Boneless chicken, cut into 2-inch chunks (1 ½ pounds) – Cooks evenly and stays tender after browning and slow cooking. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- All-purpose flour (½ cup) – Gives the first layer of coating so the crust can form and hold sauce.
- Cup panko (½ cup) – Adds light crunch and helps the coating stay on after the quick skillet sear, or use regular bread crumbs.
- Milk (½ cup) – Loosens the egg, creating a wet base that helps the flour and panko adhere.
- Egg (1) – Binds the coating to the chicken so you get those satisfying saucy bites.
- Olive oil (1 tablespoon) – Used for browning, it crisps the exterior and adds a little richness, or use vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Kosher salt (1 tablespoon) – Seasons the chicken and the sauce so the orange flavor pops.
- Frozen orange juice concentrate, no pulp, thawed (6-ounces) – Brings concentrated citrus sweetness and tang, the signature orange chicken taste.
- Brown sugar (3 tablespoons) – Balances acidity and helps the sauce glaze as it cooks. You can also add a bit of honey for added flavor and sweetness.
- Balsamic vinegar (1 teaspoon) – Adds depth and a mild tang that rounds out the sweetness.
- Ketchup (3 tablespoons) – Adds body, gentle tomato notes, and a glossy finish to the sauce.
- Optional toppings- sesame seeds, green onions, red pepper flakes
How to Make Crockpot Orange Chicken
BREADING. Mix egg and milk in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix your flour and panko. In 5-10 piece batches, soak chicken chunks in milk mixture then in flour mixture, Repeat this twice.
BROWN. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on the stove and brown your chicken on all sides. You will not be fully cooking the chicken, just giving it a nice coat. Place the chicken pieces into your slow cooker
SAUCE. In a small mixing bowl, combine orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter taste. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and carefully toss to coat.
SLOW COOK. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. Serve warm over the rice or noodles of your choice.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
- Feel free to double the sauce recipe if you prefer your slow cooker orange chicken to be extra saucy. You can also use the extra sauce to mix with rice or steamed vegetables
- We like to top it with sesame seeds, green onions, red pepper flakes, and serve it with a side of white rice or brown rice.
- To make this meal even easier, use a slow cooker plastic liner. Clean up is as simple as tossing the liner in the trash.
Crock Pot Orange Chicken Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken, cut into 2 inch chunks
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup panko
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate, no pulp, thawed
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
Instructions
- Mix egg and milk in a small bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix your flour and panko. In 5-10 piece batches, soak chicken chunks in milk mixture then in flour mixture, Repeat this twice.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil on the stove and brown your chicken on all sides. You will not be fully cooking the chicken, just giving it a nice coat. Place the chicken pieces into your slow cooker
- In a small mixing bowl, combine orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter taste. Pour sauce evenly over the chicken, and carefully toss to coat.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Serve warm over the rice or noodles of your choice.
Notes
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
- Feel free to double the sauce recipe if you prefer your chicken to be extra saucy. You can also use the extra sauce to mix with rice or steamed vegetables
- I like to top it with sesame seeds, green onions, red pepper flakes, and serve it with a side of white rice or brown rice.
- To make this meal even easier, use a slow cooker plastic liner. Clean up is as simple as tossing the liner in the trash.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store leftovers, with any extra sauce, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freezer for up to 3 months. If needed, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up in the oven, stove top, or microwave.
Complete the Meal
Sides
Asian Chicken Recipes
Kung Pao Chicken
20 mins
Honey Chicken
20 mins
Chinese Lemon Chicken
25 mins
Sweet and Sour Chicken
25 mins
Collections
This recipe was originally published February 2015.
Recipe adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking.
Looks delicious.
Thank you!!
I MADE THIS TODAY AND FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO A TEE, BUT JUST CHECKED IN MY CROCKPOT AND ALL OF MY COATING FELL OFF! I LOVE ORANGE CHICKEN AND THOUGHT A CROCKPOT VERSION WOULD MAKE IT EVEN SIMPLIER BUT NOT IF MY COATING CAME OFF. ANY SUGGESTIONS? I USED EGG AND WHOLE MILK, PANKO AND FLOUR.
I wish I knew?? I haven’t had that happen before. Did you soak them really well, twice?
I’m sorry, but it was way too mushy and the breading separated from the chicken pieces. I won’t make it again. Thanks though for offering it. It was tasty, but way too mushy to eat comfortably.
Thank you for trying it. I am sorry it was mushy. I haven’t ever had that issue, but I appreciate you trying it.
sAME THING HAPPENED WITH MY MINE TOO. bREADING IS FLOATING AROUND THE CROCKPOT.
Too sweet. It needs something tangy or sour to balance out all the sugar in the OJ. Basically tastes like an Orange Julius on chicken.
This is by far the best orange chicken I have ever made. I actually surprised myself!
LOL!! I am glad you did! It’s one of my favs!
Try it with low pulp orange juice I thought was nice. I used it because that was all I had and was good.
Thank you so much for sharing that! Glad you liked it!
I love to cook. I prepare 90% of the meals for my wife and I at our house. I ran across your site and was very impressed with the variety of different culture recipes and how tasty the pictures look.
That is so awesome, that you do 🙂 You are too nice..thank you so much!! Hopefully, you like the ones you try!
I know it won’t taste as good but could this be tried with frozen chicken nuggets? Maybe you could fry them first to brown then put in crockpot…What do you think?
I haven’t tried. Not sure I would. They are very different and taste different. You could always try?! I’d love to know what you think!
Omg! Gotta try this! Mmmmm! ????
I hope you do!!! I’d love to know what you think! Thank you!
Is there anything I can substitute for the frozen OJ concentrate? There is something the concentrate that triggers my migraines. Could I use fresh squeezed and just increase the amount?
I personally haven’t tried, but it should be ok 🙂 I’d love to know how it comes out! Thank you!!
Applebee’s restaurant used to have an Orange Chicken Bowl. Served on a bed of rice with almonds, it had just a mild to medium hot spicy coating. They no longer make this, at least not in Michigan. If you have had this and could provide a clone recipe, I would love to have it!
Sounds yummy!! I don’t think I’ve tried it, but I will have to see if our Applebee’s has it!
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what can be substituted for the milk in this recipes?
What is Panko?
Japanese breadcrumbs. They’re extra crispy. You can usually find them close to the fry mixes on the flour isle in most grocery stores.
Thank you Rachel! Hope you find them, Pat 🙂
Could this be made ahead and frozen? Or made to a certain point, frozen, then finished in the crock pot? I’m having surgery in 2 months and will be out for about 3 months. Looking for lots of freezer meals! Thanks
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Thankyou for this recipe!
You’re welcome! ;D
Hi! Will be leaving home super early (5 am eek!) but wanted to leave dinner in the works on “Low”. Could I do the breading & frying the night before then throw the sauce & everything else together the morning of? Looks SOOO yummy! Thanks!
Hi Lourdes! I haven’t tried it that way before but I think it would be just fine. If you could let me know how it turns out I’d appreciate it so others could do the same thing if they needed to. 😉
My 10-year old made this sauce but used regular salt instead of kosher. Regular salt has twice the density as kosher salt and so the sauce was gross. Maybe you could alter the recipe and put “or 1/2 Tbps regular salt” so others don’t make this error.
All measurents in all recepies are ‘regular’ which i believe you mean is table salt. Unless otherwise specifised the assumtion should stay standardized. Perhaps teaching your son this easy rule instead of editing a recepie based on his mistake would make him a better cook overall!! Unless specefied table salt is what ‘salt’ refers to. If another kind is needed it will cleary state; kosher, hymalayan, sea salt etc..this is how all recepies are written and teaching him to read the ingredient list correctly is the real use of the lesson here! 🙂
I am confused on the crockpot orange chicken- so you soak chicken then flour and then put it BACK in the milk again? and back into flour again? or are you saying to repeat twice – in meaning that you do all ONCE but in two batches? love your recipes!
yes- milk, flour. milk-flour. it is building up a layer to make a thick breading on it.
Hi Kristyn, your Orange Chicken looks delicious. My family loves Orange Chicken, and I like finding new recipes. I like yours because of the balsamic and ketchup. Most recipes I’ve tried use orange marmalade, and I don’t usually have this in the pantry all the time, unlike ketchup and balsamic, they are staples in my pantry.
Thanks for sharing. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Thank you Kristyn.
I love orange chicken. Especially if it can be made in a crockpot!