Orange Chicken - Crock*Pot Cafe 9

As you know, I just love my slow cooker!  It is so easy to just throw some ingredients in it and let it cook dinner for me.  Oranges were in season when I made this, so I decided to devise my own healthy, fresh, orange chicken crockpot dinner! I used my small crockpot, but you can easily double, triple, or quadruple the recipe and just place it in a larger slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
• zest of 1 orange
• juice of 4 naval oranges
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 clove grated garlic
• 1 1/2 inch knob of ginger, grated
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:
Mix together zest, garlic, ginger, oil, honey, and juice together in bottom of your slow cooker. Add in chicken breasts.  Toss in sauce.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Serve with rice.  Enjoy!

Orange Honey Chicken - Home Cooked Recipe 60

While looking for new chicken recipe online recently, I came across a recipe for Orange Chicken that the Pioneer Woman posted.  You can find the original recipe HERE.  It looked so good, I had to try it.  It is really easy to make and super delicious.  The only thing I tweaked was that I added double the amount of honey (she used 1 tbs brown sugar, but I used 2 tbs of honey), and I omitted the vinegar because I didn't think the sauce needed it due to the acid in the OJ.  I even fresh squeezed my OJ since navel oranges are in season and I got 4 lbs for $1.99.  I squeezed 5 oranges worth, which was probably more than the 1/2 cup of OJ she calls for, but we like things really saucy around here.  Try it for a great weeknight meal!

Orange Honey Chicken

Sauce before thickened

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tbs cornstarch
• 1 cup OJ
• 2 tbs honey
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• crushed red pepper to taste (I used about 1 tbs)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 inch ginger, minced
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• veg oil (for frying)

Chicken in egg white mixture

Directions:
Heat 2 inches oil in dutch oven until it reaches 350.
Whisk together 2 egg whites and 1 tbs cornstarch until frothy.  Place chicken cubes in mixture and let sit 5-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, make sauce.
In small non stick saucepan, combine OJ, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and red pepper.  Heat on medium until bubbling.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Stir together 1 tsp cornstarch and 1/4 cup water.  Whisk in to sauce mixture.  Heat on medium low until sauce is thickened (about 5-10 minutes).

Thickened sauce

Fry chicken in oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.  

Chicken Frying

Serve chicken in sauce, with white rice on the side if desired (cook 1 cup rice in 2 cups water for 30 minutes).
Enjoy!

Finished chicken