Healthy Orange Chicken
This healthy orange chicken is full of real ingredients, great fresh flavor, and is perfectly easy for any night of the week! Skip the takeout and try this homemade orange chicken recipe! Ready in 30 minutes.
This home made orange chicken recipe has perfectly cooked tender bites of chicken coated in a simple but flavorful orange chicken sauce made with real ingredients. Ready in 30 minutes, your whole family will love this recipe!
This meal would be awesome with a great vegetable side dish – pick one out from my Asian Vegetable Recipes roundup, filled with easy, simple and family friendly side dish recipes!
Try these other easy weeknight Asian inspired meals:
How to make easy orange chicken
This recipe is very simple to make! Here is a brief overview of the recipe to give you an idea of how it works. For the full set of directions and measurements, please make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below!
Make the orange chicken sauce
- Stir together orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, olive oil, ginger and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the sauce in a hot skillet and simmer, until thickened.
- Remove the sauce from the pan and set aside. Return the skillet to the oven and wipe out with a paper towel.
Cook the chicken
- Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and coat in cornstarch.
- Cook in the hot skillet, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sauce back to the skillet and toss to coat.
- Serve with segmented oranges, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and rice.
Serve with your favorite white or brown rice (coconut rice would be awesome, too!) and a veggie like broccoli with garlic sauce.
Meal prep shortcuts:
- Use microwave rice pouches to cut down on cooking time.
- Some stores like Whole Foods sell orange segments precut! I love this option because there is no pith included in the segments. Plus they are pretty and easy!
- The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead of time and stored in an air-tight glass container. Reheat it before you toss in the chicken.
Storage Information
Got leftovers? Place cooled leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a microwave for a minute or two until warmed through.
Other popular chicken recipes to try:
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Easy 30 Minute Orange Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
Sauce:
- ¾ cup orange juice
- zest of half an orange
- 1 TBSP soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- salt and pepper
- 1 ½ tsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp fresh ginger minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Chicken:
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 3 TBSP cornstarch
- salt and pepper
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 ” cubes
For serving:
- 1 medium orange peeled and segmented
- green onions sliced
- sesame seeds
- 2 cups hot cooked rice
Instructions
To make the sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add in the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
- Add in the orange juice mixture to the skillet.
- Bring to a low bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together 2 tsp of the hot sauce with the cornstarch, and then dump that back into the pan and whisk well.
- Boil for 2 minutes, and then turn down to a simmer and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until it thickens up.
- Transfer to a bowl and cover – allow to sit on the counter while you prepare the chicken.
Chicken:
- In a large skillet over medium/high heat, heat up the remaining olive oil.
- In a large ziplock bag, add the chicken, cornstarch and salt and pepper to taste. Seal and shake to evenly coat the chicken.
- Dump the chicken into the hot skillet and cook until brown and crispy (about 3 minutes per side)
- When the chicken is done, remove from heat.
- Add in the sauce and toss to coat.
- Top with sesame seeds, green onions, and segmented oranges.
- Serve with white rice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This sounds so good! We love orange chicken! Definitely will be having this asap!
Looks Delish! Can’t wait to try it.
This looks great! Adding it to my meal plan this week!
I’m always looking for ways to make Asian-inspired meals at home! Thanks, Jenni.
Yes! Nate loves Asian-inspired food, and I struggle making it at home. Thanks, Jenni!