How To Make Real-Food Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken. Mmmm. The mere sound of that dish makes my mouth water. Transports me back to a time when I would cluelessly scarf down all sorts of toxic eats late-night at my local Chinese restaurant, and go to sleep with an ear-to-ear smile on my face (along with indigestion).

The good is that you you can easily make this yourself in a slow cooker, and enjoy the heck out of it sans indigestion, by using real-food ingredients. With chicken thighs and some readily available ingredients, including raw honey and coconut aminos, you’ll be feeling as great after the meal as you did before it.

So let’s take a look at the benefits of the key ingredients.

Raw honey aids digestion, helps with allergies, and is high in vitamins and minerals that help to boost your immune system.¹⁵

The other mainstay of this recipe is coconut aminos, which are a grain-free, soy-free, soy sauce alternative.¹⁶

Add some boiled cauliflower “riced” in the food processor, and the mall food court offerings will seem so far away, you won’t even miss them.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless organic chicken thighs
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos
• 1/3 cup raw honey, melted
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2-4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Toasted or plain sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Add the chicken to the bottom of the crock pot on low heat.
2. Melt the honey.
3. Place it and all remaining ingredients, except the sesame seeds, into a large bowl and whisk.
4. Pour mixture over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are thoroughly covered.
5. Cover and cook for approximately four hours.
6. Remove the chicken and cut or shred into small pieces.
7. Transfer sauce from the crock pot into a small saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened, about fifteen to twenty minutes.
8. As it begins to thicken, stir to make sure it doesn’t stick.
9. Pour the thickened sauce over the chicken and garnish with the sesame seeds.
10. Eat slowly and with gratitude.
11. SMILE, SMILE, and SMILE!