How to Make the Prettiest (and Tastiest) Slow-Cooker Chicken Ever

Looking for an impressive, beyond-the-basics way to use a whole chicken? Look no further than our Slow-Cooker Whole Orange Chicken. It all starts with a simple but incredibly flavorful sauce that has the citrusy sweetness of orange and the savory depth of soy sauce—plus a little brown sugar and chili-garlic sauce for some subtle heat. After cooking the whole chicken in the slow cooker, it gets cut into pieces and brushed with extra glaze before going under your oven’s broiler to crisp the skin. Once it’s out of the oven and plated up, it’s hard to imagine a prettier dish—and the taste lives up to the appearance.

What you’ll need:

• Ingredients for Slow-Cooker Whole Orange Chicken
• 5-quart oval slow cooker
• Small bowl
• Instant-read thermometer
• Large, rimmed baking sheet
• Foil

How to:

1.  Spray a 5-quart oval slow cooker with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix the marmalade, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and salt. Next, add the chicken and marmalade mixture to slow cooker, placing the chicken breast side down and spreading the marmalade mixture over the chicken, making sure to coat it inside and out. Add the gingerroot.

2.  Cover your slow cooker and cook on the Low heat setting for 4 to 5 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of the chicken thigh muscle, but not touching the bone, reads at least 165°F (the chicken legs should also move easily when lifted or twisted). Do not uncover the slow cooker before 4 hours.

3.  Remove and discard the gingerroot. Transfer the chicken to cutting board and let it stand for about 5 minutes, or until it is cool enough to handle. Then, cut the chicken into 8 pieces.

4.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and orange juice together, and then stir the mixture into the liquid that remains in the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on High heat setting for 10 to 15 minutes, or until sauce thickens.

5.  Position an oven rack 4 inches from the broiling element and set the oven control to broil. Line a large rimmed baking pan with foil; carefully transfer chicken, skin side up, to pan. Place orange slices around chicken; brush oranges and chicken with sauce. Broil 3 to 5 minutes or until skin is golden brown and crisp; sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with more of the sauce over rice.