Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Name: Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 490 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 1, 3 to 4 pound whole chicken; 2 large oranges, divided; 3 cups low sodium chicken broth; ½ teaspoon paprika; 1 whole onion; 3 Tablespoons butter, softened; 2 Sprigs plus 2T chopped Rosemary; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; ¼ cup sugar free orange Marmalade; 1 whole head garlic

by Brooke Burks

10 servings

8 hr 10 min

is a delicious way to prepare a whole chicken in the crock pot. We use butter, rosemary, oranges and orange marmalade to concoct a delicious weeknight protein.

whole slow cooked chicken on a blue and white platter

Skinny Slow Cooked Orange Chicken

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken sounds like a decadent, heavy meal. Making it The Buttered Home way shows you some easy tricks to get the same result but with far less impact on the waist line. You guessed it! Simple substitutions to follow!

How to Make It

Like our other slow cooker recipes, BROCCOLI BEEF and MISSISSIPPI ROAST, just to name a couple, the secret is in the prep. No real method to speak of except in how you prepare what is going in the crock pot. But boy, does that prep make a BIG difference!

~ Ingredients ~

1, 3 to 4 pound whole chicken
2 large oranges, divided
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon paprika
1 whole onion
3 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 Sprigs plus 2T chopped Rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup sugar free orange Marmalade
1 whole head garlic

~ Method ~

slow cooker orange chicken ingredients

Mix butter, chopped rosemary, salt, pepper and orange Marmalade.

using a cheese grater to grate cold butter

prepared fresh rosemary

adding pink salt to butter rub

adding pepper to butter rub

adding sugar free marmalade to rub

chopped rosemary, butter and orange marmalade for rub

Salt and pepper chicken. Place Rosemary Sprigs and one orange in cavity of chicken. Loosen skin of chicken and put half of butter mixture under skin. Rub remaining on out side of chicken.

Adding salt to outside of chicken

adding pepper to outside of chicken

placing whole head of garlic in cavity of chicken

placing orange sections inside of cavity of whole chicken

stretching the skin on the chicken to place herbs and butter underneath

placing infused butter under skin of whole chicken

rubbing outside of chicken with butter herbs and marmalade

Quarter onion and peel and divide oranges into sections. Pour chicken broth in liner of crock pot and place the other orange slices and onion in bottom. Place chicken on top.

adding chicken broth to crock pot

orange sections, onion quarters and chicken broth in crock pot

Sprinkle paprika on top, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours until internal temp of 165 degrees is reached. Allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes, slice and serve.

sprinkling chicken in crock pot with smoked paprika

orange chicken on a blue and white plate

Tips and Tricks

How do I make the full fat version?Substitute all of the sugar free ingredients with full sugar and voila!

What other protein can I use?This would be a fabulous way to make a whole turkey or turkey breast. Provided it will fit into your crock pot. Get creative!

Can I omit the Rosemary?You can. The earthly flavor of it gives the sweet a balance it needs but feel free to substitute with other herbs. We like chives here too. Also, if you are using dried herbs, be sure to half the amount as they are much stronger

orange chicken on a blue and white plate

chicken quarter on a blue and white plate

whole slow cooked chicken on a blue and white platter

Chicken in Paradise

Slow cooker orange chicken takes a sometimes boring protein like chicken and makes is flavorful and delicious. Thinking about complimenting flavors to add to proteins is how we grow as cooks. This is how recipes are born!

If you make this recipe, be sure and post it to Facebook or Instagram and tag us. We love pictures of food. Also, if you pin this recipe, we would appreciate that when you make it, you use the Made It function in Pinterest too.

And as always, we would love it if you shared this recipe with your family and friends. Over to the side on this post and all of the others are handy dandy share buttons. We would sure be grateful if you shared the love!

Other Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes you may enjoy!

Cranberry Chicken Sandwiches
Sticky Pineapple Chicken
Mexican Chicken
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice
Salsa Ranch Chicken Tacos
Chicken Curry
Tuscan Chicken
Cream of Mushroom Chicken

Brooke signature

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

You can do it! Saved to your recipes

Recipe details

Yield 10 servings
Time spent: Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 8 Hours Total time: 8 hr 10 min

Show Nutrition Info

Per serving

% Daily value

Instructions

Quarter onion and peel and divide oranges into sections.
Mix butter, chopped rosemary, salt, pepper and orange Marmalade.
Salt and pepper chicken. Place Rosemary Sprigs, whole head of garlic and one orange in cavity of chicken. Loosen skin of chicken and put half of butter mixture under skin. Rub remaining on out side of chicken.
Pour chicken broth in liner of crock pot and place the other orange slices and sliced onion in bottom. Place chicken on top. Sprinkle paprika on top, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours until internal temp of 165 degrees is reached.
Allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes, slice and serve.

Comments

Sus13587910 on Jan 03, 2023

Where does the whole head of garlic go in this recipe?

5 Reply
- Florence on Jan 03, 2023
  
  9th picture after the ingredients picture it shows placing the whole thing inside the chicken. I might break off the cloves and give them a slight smash to get the flavor out a bit more tho...just me, I love garlic.
  
  4
Linda S. Goblesky on Jan 04, 2023

Can you substitute chicken breasts for whole chicken?

6 Reply
- Becky Griffith on Jan 04, 2023
  
  I’m going to try it
  
  1