Name: Easy 30 Minute Orange Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 medium orange, peeled and segmented; green onions, sliced; sesame seeds; 2 cups hot cooked rice; 2 TBSP olive oil; 3 TBSP cornstarch; salt and pepper; 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 " cubes; 3/4 cup orange juice; zest of half an orange; 1 TBSP soy sauce; 1 tsp rice vinegar; salt and pepper; 1 1/2 tsp olive oil; 1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 tsp cornstarch

Jump to Recipe

This easy 30 minute 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!

orange chicken in bowl with silverware and napkin

Orange Chicken is one of those meals that I want to love sooo much but have a hard time enjoying. Its so hard to find a recipe (or something to order off a menu) that actually tastes like it has any orange in it at all.

Seriously, why is it called orange chicken if the only thing “orange” about it is the fact that there are 4 tiny strips of orange peel in it? Between that and the seriously amount of breading (and frying) and fake ingredients – its really hard to love Orange Chicken. But I want to soooo much!

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:

orange chicken in bowl with rice on wood background

Table of Contents hide

1) How to make easy orange chicken

2) Easy 30 Minute Orange Chicken

How to make easy orange chicken

This recipe is so simple to make! Here is a quick rundown, but make sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the full set of directions.

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.

Interested in adding more Asian flavors to your weeknight meals but not sure how to make it actually doable? Check out my Beginner’s Guide to Asian Cuisine for easy tips and recipes that are weeknight and kid-friendly and will help your weeknight meals be a win!SaveSave

Other popular chicken recipes to try:

Food tastes better when its shared! If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rate below!

Yield: 4 servings

Easy 30 Minute Orange Chicken

This easy and healthy Orange Chicken is perfect for any weeknight dinner!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Sauce:

3/4 cup orange juice
zest of half an orange
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 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

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Easy 30 Minute Healthy Orange Chicken