Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

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Slow Cooker Orange Chicken 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
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 whole onion
3 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 Sprigs plus 2T chopped Rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sugar free orange Marmalade
1 whole head garlic

~ Method ~

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

using a cheese grater to grate cold butter

chopped rosemary, butter and orange marmalade for rub

Salt and pepper chicken. Place Rosemary Sprigs, one of the oranges and the whole head of garlic in cavity of chicken. Loosen skin of chicken and put half of butter mixture under skin. Rub remaining on out side of chicken.

placing whole head of garlic in cavity of chicken

placing orange sections inside of cavity of whole chicken

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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.

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

chicken quarter on a blue and white plate

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!