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Orange chicken isn’t usually my go-to, but I recently had a craving. I wanted something to balance out the sweetness from the orange marmalade, so I decided to make it spicy. This was also a great way to use up the leftover dried red chili peppers I bought to make another dish recently.
Can I make it not spicy? Yes! Just eliminate the dried red chili peppers. If you want to have more control over the level of spice, let each person add in their own red chili flakes or Sriracha at the table. Also of note with the spiciness, if you have leftovers it does get spicier while it sits in the fridge. If you plan on making this recipe ahead of time, you might consider using less of the red chili peppers.
Can I make this in an Instant Pot? Yes, but I recommend checking to see if the chicken is done after about an hour and a half. Use the Instant Pot on slow cook mode on low with the steam vent open.
Do I have to use sesame oil? No, you can use another oil, such as vegetable or canola.
What can I use instead of rice vinegar? White vine vinegar or apple cider vinegar are OK substitutes.
Slow Cooker Spicy Orange Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 8 dried chili peppers
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 cups broccoli florets or one approx. 9.5 oz. bag of steam-in-bag broccoli
Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Coat the chicken pieces in cornstarch.
- Add 2 tbsp sesame oil to the slow cooker, followed by the chicken, sauce, and dried chili peppers.
- Cook on low for about 2 hours.(Slow cookers vary, so check to confirm it's cooked through before eating.)
- Cook the broccoli (saute or steam). Stir broccoli in with chicken and sauce.
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