Slow-Cooked Orange Chicken
Originally published as Slow-Cooked Orange Chicken in Reminisce May/June 1999, p45. I created this recipe in an effort to prepare a dish lower in calories and fat. Everyone likes the taste, including my grandchildren. A hint of orange gives the chicken a delicious flavor. This is a favorite of mine. It travels well, and I often take it to potluck suppers. -Nancy Wit, Fremont, Nebraska
Originally published as Slow-Cooked Orange Chicken in Reminisce May/June 1999, p45. I created this recipe in an effort to prepare a dish lower in calories and fat. Everyone likes the taste, including my grandchildren. A hint of orange gives the chicken a delicious flavor. This is a favorite of mine. It travels well, and I often take it to potluck suppers. -Nancy Wit, Fremont, Nebraska
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 cup green pepper chopped
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- hot cooked rice optional
- 1 broiler/fryer chicken cut up and skin removed
- 3 cups orange juice
- 4 ounces mushroom stems and pieces drained
- 4 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt optional
- additional minced fresh parsley optional
- Carbohydrate 36.90193325 g
- Cholesterol 170.025 mg
- Fat 34.77863725 g
- Fiber 2.70765254827477 g
- Protein 45.46681375 g
- Saturated Fat 9.874003825 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (542g)
- Sodium 859.1904 mg
- Sugar 34.1942807017252 g
- Trans Fat 3.14349482500001 g
- Calories 650 calories
Step-by-step
- In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first nine ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken juices run clear.
- Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking liquid. Cover and cook on high for 30-45 minutes or until thickened.
- Serve with rice and sprinkle with parsley if desired.
The ingredient list omits how citrus juice reacts during extended thermal processing, specifically how high heat and natural fruit sugars behave inside a confined vessel. Orange juice contains significant natural fructose that caramelizes rapidly if exposed to direct bottom heat, making slow cooker vessel selection critical for preventing scorching along the ceramic edges. Using a three-quart slow cooker creates enough headspace for the three cups of liquid and the cut-up broiler-fryer chicken without risking boil-over during the four to five hours on low heat.
Thickening juices at the end requires dissolving three tablespoons of cornstarch completely in three tablespoons of cold water before introduction, as adding raw starch directly to hot liquid creates insoluble lumps. Stirring this slurry into the simmering cooking liquid and switching the heat setting to high for thirty to forty-five minutes activates the starch molecules fully, yielding a glossy finish that coats the back of a spoon. Adjusting quantities upward requires proportional container scaling to maintain adequate liquid-to-meat ratios.
