chickengingersesame
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
Tender pieces of chicken in a sweet, tangy orange marmalade sauce with soy, ginger, garlic and a touch of chilli, cooked gently in the slow cooker.
From YouTube · Dec 7, 2025
Tender pieces of chicken in a sweet, tangy orange marmalade sauce with soy, ginger, garlic and a touch of chilli, cooked gently in the slow cooker.
20 min
Prep time
3 hrs
Cook time
3 hrs 20 min
Total time
6 main-course servings
Yield
Ingredients
14 ingredients- 900 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders, cut into 2.5 cm pieces
- 40 g cornstarch (1/3 cup)
- 60 ml olive oil (4 tablespoons), for browning
- 480 g orange marmalade (1 1/2 cups)
- 120 ml low-sodium soy sauce (1/2 cup)
- 30 ml rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar (2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for the sauce
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
- 1 teaspoon additional sesame seeds, for garnish
- Cooked rice or noodles, for serving, optional and not included in nutrition
Method
12 steps- Cut the chicken into evenly sized 2.5 cm pieces.
- Place the cornstarch in a shallow dish or food-safe bag. Add the chicken and toss until every piece is lightly and evenly coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches if necessary, add the coated chicken in a single layer and sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until lightly golden. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this stage.
- Transfer the browned chicken to a 6-litre slow cooker and spread it into an even layer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange marmalade, low-sodium soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.
- Pour the orange sauce over the chicken and stir gently until all the pieces are coated.
- Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 3 hours. Stir once halfway through cooking to promote even cooking and prevent the sauce from catching.
- Check that the chicken is fully cooked and has reached at least 75°C in the centre of its largest pieces.
- For a thicker sauce, remove the slow-cooker lid for the final 20 to 30 minutes.
- Garnish with the sliced spring onions and additional sesame seeds.
- Serve hot, optionally over cooked rice or noodles.
Recipe notes
Helpful tips
- Brown the cornstarch-coated chicken before slow cooking to improve its flavour and texture.
- Do not cook the chicken for much longer than 3 to 3 1/2 hours on LOW because chicken breast can become dry.
- Cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces so they finish cooking at the same time.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce because the sauce reduces and becomes more concentrated during cooking.
- Remove the lid during the final 20 to 30 minutes if the sauce is thinner than desired.
- Rice or noodles should be calculated separately when determining the nutrition of the complete meal.
Equipment
- 6-litre slow cooker
- Large frying pan
- Medium mixing bowl
- Shallow dish or food-safe bag
- Whisk
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Tongs or slotted spoon
- Food thermometer
Storage
Thaw frozen leftovers overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a skillet or microwave until steaming hot throughout. Add a splash of water or chicken stock if the sauce becomes too thick.
Additional tips
- Contains soya and sesame. Standard soy sauce may contain wheat and gluten. Handle raw chicken carefully, clean all contacted surfaces and cook the chicken to at least 75°C. Nutrition excludes optional rice or noodles.
Save recipes like this from any YouTube video
Create beautiful, printable recipe cards with ChefScribe.
Get 6 free recipes every month.
