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Slow Cooker Citrus Chicken has a little sweet and a little heat! This easy chicken recipe is a perfect family dinner. And with the help of your crock pot, an easy meal to get on the table!
Mondays are my favorite day to use the slow cooker. I put a meal in before we go to church and we have a delicious dinner waiting for us at dinner time with very little effort. It makes it such a relaxing day. On your next busy day, plan to make dinner a little easier with this Citrus Chicken recipe.
To make citrus chicken, just pop all of the ingredients into the slow cooker, turn her on and let her go! The flavor from the orange and lemon mixed with the sweet chili sauce gives the chicken a great sweet, but spicy flavor. When I cook chicken in the slow cooker, I love to use thighs to keep the chicken nice and moist, but you can always switch out the thighs for boneless skinless chicken breast.
I like to cook my chicken for about 4 hours instead of the longer time a lot of recipes call for.  I like the texture of the meat better if it cooks a little less.  If it is done and we’re not ready for dinner  yet I just turn my crockpot on warm and let it sit until we’re ready. This citrus chicken was cooked perfectly at 4 hours.
I love having a timer on my slow cooker .  This is my favorite  slow cooker if you are in the market for a new one.
Served your citrus chicken over rice with your favorite vegetables.
Check out more of my easy chicken dinner recipes:
And my favorite slow cooker
Citrus Chicken Recipe
Slow Cooker Citrus Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 orange halved and sliced thinly
- 6 chicken thighs skinless, boneless (about 1.5 lbs.)
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/2 C sweet chili sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp ginger minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Place orange slices in bottom of slow cooker.
- Toss the chicken in flour, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
- Add chicken to slow cooker.
- Combine chili sauce, soy sauce, sugar, ginger and garlic in a bowl.
- Pour over chicken
- Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours.
- Remove chicken from cooker and cover with foil to keep warm
- Pour remaining liquid into a sauce pan.
- Mix together 1/4 C chicken broth or water with 2 tsp cornstarch. Mix until smooth
- Add into sauce in pan and stir over medium heat until thickened.
- Spoon sauce over chicken.
Nutrition Facts:
Jan Rhoades says
I love the idea of the citrus chicken and as winter approaches Down Under, I’m absolutely going to give it a try. Please tell me though, is that 4 hours on high or low? I’m thinking low but just wanted to check. Thanks. Jan in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia where it is an amazing autumn (fall) day.
Jenna says
Do you throw the thighs into the slow cooker whole and then dice them once they’re cooked? I can’t figure that out, ha.
Leigh Anne says
They are put in whole and then I served them whole.
Jaime says
Clearly I’m a bit dopey, but I can’t work out if I’m supposed to peel the orange or if the skin goes in too.
Looks delicious and I’d love to add it to my slow cooker collection!
Leigh Anne says
Nope, don’t peel it. You aren’t going to eat the orange, it is just in there for flavor
Harvey says
I never leave comments. This recipe is worth me breaking my rule! I made this tonight, and it was super easy. I didn’t make any changes to your recipe. My thighs were pretty butterflied because of the grocer’s deboning, so the chicken stayed in the cooker for 3hrs. Super tender and tasty. And that pan sauce. OMG that pan sauce! Thanks for this great, tasty dinner idea!
Leigh Anne says
Thank you so much for leaving a comment! I am so glad you loved the recipe too and that sauce is yummy, isn’t it!
Michelle says
This looks like a great weeknight meal I love recipes that use trader joe’s products since I am always trying to find a creative way to use them
Leigh Anne says
Hope you enjoy it. Trader Joes is the best!
Chelan Allen says
Just put this in my crockpot. That sauce is fantastic!
Leigh Anne says
Hope your family enjoy it!
Liz says
Love this recipe. Thank you.
Leigh Anne says
Thanks Liz!
Jane D. Huffines says
This looks very good! I plan to make this in the next week or two. That said, am not a big fan of thighs, so would use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead – as you suggested. I also do NOT like ginger, so a the risk of screwing up the taste of the whole thing, I think I will forego using it. This will change the taste, I know, but I’m gonna have to risk it. 😀
Leigh Anne says
Jane. I hope you enjoy it and I’m sure it will be fine without the ginger.
Marnie says
This looks yummy! But, I hate to buy a specialty item like sweet chili sauce without any other ways to use it. Can you share any more ideas?
Leigh Anne says
love using the sweet chili sauce as a dipping sauce.