Crock Pot Orange Chicken
‘Tis the season of ‘set it and forget it’. Also known as the season of the crock pot and casserole dishes. I find it ironic that the time of year when I find myself not wanting to leave my apartment is also when I look for short cuts and easy meals in the kitchen. My couch and I embrace a relationship of bliss in the winter that takes over all priorities in life. Enter…. crock pot orange chicken. I jacked up the classic bbq + marmalade + chicken to add extra flavor. Who needs takeout, right? Jack it up even more by adding vegetables and serve over your favorite kind of rice.
Don’t scroll on past my ‘cooking for one-ers’. If you want to be on the crock pot bandwagon, but don’t want to make a feast, buy a small crock pot that is 4 or 5 quarts. In this recipe I only used 2 chicken breasts which ended up to be enough for 2 people (or for one plus lunch the next day). It is also easy to double if you need to feed a family. Don’t let a solo party hold you back from this tasty meal.
Crock Pot Orange Chicken Recipe
Serves 2.
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp orange juice, optional
- 1 scallion
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
Directions
- Cut 2 chicken breasts into large bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Toss the chicken in the cornstarch until thoroughly coated.
- Mix together 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, 1/2 cup orange marmalade, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 2 minced garlic cloves), 1 Tbsp lime juice and 2 Tbsp orange juice (optional).
- Spread a spoonful of the marinade on the bottom of a small crock pot (4 or 5 quarts). Add a layer of the chicken and spoon some of marinade over the chicken. Add the rest of the chicken and marinade until all of the chicken is covered in sauce.
- Set the crock pot on low and cook for 4 hours.
- Serve the chicken over rice with diced scallion, sesame seeds and additional sauce.
If you don’t already have the sesame oil, ground ginger or orange juice on hand you can skip them. I like the additional flavors, but the barbecue and marinade have enough flavor for the chicken to still taste great.
You can incorporate some veggies by sautéing carrots, broccoli, bell pepper or snow peas. Serve the vegetables with chicken and sauce over your favorite rice.
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