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Crockpot Orange Chicken Meatballs are a sweet and savory slow cooker diner that practically makes themselves. Ready-to-use frozen chicken meatballs simmer in a sticky homemade orange sauce that’s bursting with sweet citrus flavor, garlic, and ginger. Serve the over rice for an easy family favorite dinner.
For more orange chicken dinnertime faves 🍊🍽 – be sure and try Oven Baked Orange Chicken and Easy One Pan Orange Chicken.
Crockpot Orange Chicken Meatballs Recipe
This easy crockpot recipe for orange chicken meatballs uses simple ingredients and requires minimal prep, making it perfect for busy families. This recipe delivers takeout-style flavor with hardly any effort.
I love dinner recipes that use frozen meatballs. The convenience of an already cooked, ready-to-use ingredients is always a win in my kitchen.
Mix up a simple homemade sweet orange sauce, pour it over frozen meatballs inside the crockpot, cover it with the lid, and let the slow cooker do the rest of the work.
Why You’ll Love Orange Chicken Meatballs with Frozen Meatballs
- 🍊Easy dump-and-go slow cooker recipe
- 🍊Sweet, tangy, and savory orange sauce
- 🍊Family-friendly and kid-approved
- 🍊Even better than takeout with simple ingredients
- 🍊Serve over rice, noodles, veggies, or as an appetizer with toothpicks
Simple Ingredients Needed
- Frozen Fully Cooked Chicken Meatballs : Most of the frozen meatballs are already fully cooked, so just look for some that are frozen chicken meatballs.
- Orange Marmalade
- Orange Juice : I use Simply Orange pulp-free orange juice, no need to use freshly squeezed orange juice (unless you want to).
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
- Rice Vinegar
- Honey
- Hoisin Sauce
- Minced Garlic : Use fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed, or use garlic paste or chopped garlic from a jar.
- Grated Fresh Ginger or Ginger Paste
- Sesame Oil
- Garlic Powder
- Cornstarch + Cold Water : This helps thicken the orange sauce for serving. You will add it at the end of the cook time.
How To Make Orange Chicken Meatballs In The Crockpot (Printable Recipe Card)
Dump the frozen chicken meatballs into the crockpot.
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange marmalade, orange juice, low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, hoisin sauce, minced garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and garlic powder until well combined.
Dump the sauce over the meatballs inside the crockpot and stir everything together to coat all the meatballs in the sauce.
Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours, stirring it 1-2 times during the cook time, until the sauce is hot and bubbly, and the meatballs are tender.
When ready to serve, stir the cornstarch and water with a fork and pour it into the crockpot. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes, still on low heat, with the lid off until it’s thickened.
Serve over cooked rice and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
How To Store Leftovers
Store leftover meatballs and orange sauce in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Store the rice separately, if possible, so it does not absorb all the sauce.
Do not leave the meatballs out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If you are serving them as an appetizer, leave them inside the crock pot on the WARM setting.
To freeze, let the meatballs and sauce cool to room temperature, then place them inside a freezer-safe container or bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat, warm the meatballs and sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave in short intervals, stirring between each heating. Add a small splash of orange juice if the sauce gets too thick.
Pro Tips From The Test Kitchen
- Even with the cornstarch slurry, the sauce won’t be like really thick, but rather it will thicken but still be a drizzable consistency so you can easily serve it over top the rice. If you want the sauce really thick you could try doubling the cornstarch + cold water; I have never had to do this, but it’s an option you could try.
- Most stores should sell the frozen chicken meatballs, I find mine at Walmart, if you can’t find them there is always regular frozen meatballs but for the integrity of ‘orange chicken’ I highly suggest only using the frozen chicken meatballs and not the beef or other varieties.
- Orange marmalade is a jam-type ingredient that gives the sauce its sticky, orange flavor and helps it clings to the meatballs rather than becoming watery. You will find orange marmalade by the other jars of jam and jelly at the grocery store.
- Hoisin sauce is a small but really important addition because it gives the sauce a deeper takeout-style flavor without making the recipe complicated. Hoisin sauce is easily found near the soy sauce at the store.
- To add some heat to the orange sauce, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
- This is best served over cooked white rice, or other rice of choice, or over noodles. Another option is to serve it as an appetizer – leave the meatballs in the crockpot on the WARM setting and set a small jar of toothpicks to the side. People can grab & go as they please.
More Meatball Recipes
- EASY Crockpot Meatball Marinara
- Crockpot Cranberry Meatballs
- Crockpot Mississippi Meatballs
- Crockpot Meatball Stroganoff
- Ground Chicken Alfredo Meatballs
- Crockpot Jelly Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Enchilada Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
Crockpot Orange Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bag (22 oz) fully cooked frozen chicken meatballs
- 1 jar (18 oz) orange marmalade
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger OR ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Cornstarch Slurry (For Later)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
For Serving
- cooked white rice
- sliced green onion
- white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Dump the frozen chicken meatballs into the crockpot.* If you don't want to dirty a seperate bowl, you can mix the orange sauce ingredients first in the crockpot and then dump in the meatballs. I like to mix the sauce separately because I feel like it gets mixed better.1 bag (22 oz) fully cooked frozen chicken meatballs
- In a small bowl, whisk together the orange marmalade, orange juice, low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, hoisin sauce, minced garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and garlic powder until well combined.1 jar (18 oz) orange marmalade, 1/3 cup orange juice, 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger OR ginger paste, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Dump the sauce over the meatballs inside the crockpot and stir everything together to coat all the meatballs in the sauce.
- Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours, stirring it 1-2 times during the cook time, until the sauce is hot and bubbly, and the meatballs are tender.
- When ready to serve, stir the cornstarch and water with a fork and pour it into the crockpot. Let the mixture cook for about 15-30 minutes, still on low heat, with the lid off until it's thickened.3 tablespoons cornstarch, 3 tablespoons cold water
- Serve over cooked rice and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!cooked white rice, sliced green onion, white sesame seeds
Notes
- Even with the cornstarch slurry, the sauce won’t be like really thick, but rather it will thicken but still be a drizzable consistency so you can easily serve it over top the rice. If you want the sauce really thick you could try doubling the cornstarch + cold water; I have never had to do this, but it’s an option you could try.
- Most stores should sell the frozen chicken meatballs, I find mine at Walmart, if you can’t find them there is always regular frozen meatballs but for the integrity of ‘orange chicken’ I highly suggest only using the frozen chicken meatballs and not the beef or other varieties.
- Orange marmalade is a jam-type ingredient that gives the sauce its sticky, orange flavor and helps it clings to the meatballs rather than becoming watery. You will find orange marmalade by the other jars of jam and jelly at the grocery store.
- Hoisin sauce is a small but really important addition because it gives the sauce a deeper takeout-style flavor without making the recipe complicated. Hoisin sauce is easily found near the soy sauce at the store.
- To add some heat to the orange sauce, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
- This is best served over cooked white rice, or other rice of choice, or over noodles. Another option is to serve it as an appetizer – leave the meatballs in the crockpot on the WARM setting and set a small jar of toothpicks to the side. People can grab & go as they please.
- Nutrition Information does not include the rice or garnishes; as those will vary depending on what you use. It is for one serving of meatballs plus some sauce. About 5-6 meatballs per serving with some sauce.
Nutrition
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