Recipe: Orange Soda Chicken (good!)

I went into this a bit skeptical, but it got so many good reviews - had to try it.  We liked it!  Very mild flavor the way I made it.  I'm posting the original as well as my substitution.  

The original:

2 12oz cans diet orange soda
1/2 cup light soy sauce
2 cups large diced celery
2 lbs chicken


MY version (couldn't find diet orange soda that didn't have aspartame, which i can't have):

12 oz non-sugar-added orange juice
12 oz mandarin orange seltzer water
3 tbsp splenda granulated
1/2 cup light soy sauce
2 cups large diced celery
2 lbs chicken

Just put everything in the crock pot on high for 6 hours. 

Serve with veggies, rice, noodles or something (not a one-pot meal).  I had mine with broccoli and a little brown rice and the family had white rice - everyone liked it.

Enjoy!
Karen

Interesting - and I LOVE the subs you made.  I actually think that sounds more appetizing than the original recipies.

Do you think it needed some herbs?  I was thinking something like some rosemary or thyme would be a nice addition to it.  Oooh - or maybe some ginger to compliment both the soy and the orange?!

To keep it a one pot meal....what if you threw in some fingerling or red bliss potatoes towards the end of the cooking time?  Or do you think the orange permeating the potatoes like that wouldn't work?

Anyway - sounds good!

Pam,

I think some ginger might work well in it - honestly the taste was subtle but nice so it didn't feel like it was really missing anything.   I do think the potatoes might be a nice addition to make it a one-pot meal.  Possibly some celery seed might work over the potatoes at the end too.

Thanks for the ideas!

karen

I have made crock pot chicken with Diet Cherry Coke, and Diet Dr. Pepper. I never though of using Orange soda. Hmmmm

Hi Ladies:

One question--- does it come out with a sweet taste?

Thanks,
Chanel

The diet Cherry coke did, I would think Orange soda would too. Just my guess though

It's not really a sweet taste the way I made it.  It has a bit of an orange-juice overtone to it, so more citrusy than sweet.   It was very nicely balanced in taste and the chicken's texture was more like a pulled chicken (it was still a single piece, but just kind of "fell apart" when you put the fork to it).

Karen

What kind of chicken did you use? I still have issues with eating chicken breast, but I'm thinking maybe if I cooked it in the crockpot like this it would be easier on my pouch.

Thanks!

I use thighs or breasts, whatever I can find on sale. In the crock pot, you should be fine. Meat gets very tender

Thank you! I need another variety of chicken other than my old standby, chicken thighs simmered in diced tomatoes!