Sesame Orange Chicken

Sesame Orange Chicken

Just a quick dish for you today.  This is my Sesame Orange Chicken, or as my 5-yr-old calls it, “Orange Says Me Chicken”!

It’s a fast “dump-and-freeze” meal with very little prep.  And it cooks all day in the slow cooker, so it is basically hands off.  I love these kinds of meals!!  🙂

Plus, it’s made with many of the things that I already keep in my pantry, so no need to go on an extra shopping trip just to make this one.  This Sesame Orange Chicken freezer meal is an homage to a classic Chinese take-out dish, but without the take-out hassle of having to leave your house, and without the take-out price!  I’m all for staying home and cooking in my pajamas…

The chicken kind of marinates as it freezes and then again as it thaws, so it gets a great juicy orange flavor.  But not too much punch, because the honey barbecue sauce keeps it grounded.

You can go spicy on this orange chicken by altering the amount of red pepper flakes you add in.  I leave them out completely, as my family cannot handle the heat.  Of any kind.  My husband tells me that I must have burned off all my taste buds years ago.  (Might have been that time I ate a full raw habanero pepper on a dare…)

At any rate, you can customize the heat to your liking!  Apparently my taste buds are not to be trusted…

You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but I really prefer the chicken thighs on this one.  The higher fat content helps them to stay juicy as they cook.  But my kids aren’t huge fans of the darker meat, so sometimes we have to compromise.  *sigh* The things I do for my kids, right?  (totally just kidding)

We usually serve this Sesame Orange Chicken recipe over rice, but it is great over noodles, too!  If you like extra sauce, double the ingredients (other than the chicken) so there will be plenty to go around.

Sesame Orange Chicken

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes

Or "Orange Says Me Chicken" as my daughter calls it.  Either way, it's a delicious twist on Chinese takeout, without the takeout hassle or the takeout price!

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Ingredients

In freezer bag:

• 4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup honey barbecue sauce
• 1 cup orange marmalade
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced or finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Additional ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

To freeze:

1. Place first seven ingredients into gallon-size freezer bag.  Remove as much air as possible and seal tightly.  Knead gently to mix.  Lay flat to freeze.

To make:

1. Remove bag from freezer and let thaw overnight in refrigerator. 
2. Dump contents of bag into slow cooker, and cook on low for 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked through.
3. Stir 2 tablespoons cornstarch into 2 tablespoons cold water in small glass or bowl.  Add to slow cooker.
4. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes until sauce thickens.
5. Serve over rice or noodles.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds to garnish.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 8 servings
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 642 Total Fat: 19g Saturated Fat: 6g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 13g Cholesterol: 277mg Sodium: 1048mg Carbohydrates: 69g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 62g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 57g

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only.

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