Orange Chicken

If you’re a fan of Orange Chicken, you won’t believe how easy it is to make from scratch! Let’s go!

This recipe is an oldie but a goodie! Originally posted on January 3, 2014, I decided it was time for a makeover! I’ve updated the photos and recipe to breathe new life into this awesome dish! #ThrowbackThursday

Like many of you, I’ve been scouring Pinterest looking for lighter fare recipes since the middle of December. When I discovered this recipe for healthy Orange Chicken, I knew I’d be adding it to my repertoire!

We love our Chinese food, but rarely do we make it from scratch, so I was excited to take on the challenge.

Guess what? It wasn’t a challenge at all.

Can I tell you how simple this was? We’re talking 25 minutes – start to finish.

If we had to come up with a word that truly captures the essence of this meal it would have to be………………….wait for it…………………

Chineasy!

Get it? Chinese + Easy = Chineasy. We had a good laugh over that one! (Thanks, Luc!) See, I’m not the only goofy one in the family! 😉

This is a perfect weeknight meal. The thing we really love is that it’s richer in flavor than you might expect something so healthy to be. It is restaurant quality without all the fat and calories we might normally find.

The biggest difference is that this chicken is sautéed rather than breaded and deep-fried and we ate it over brown rice vs. sticky white rice. It’s versatile too. I can imagine adding additional ingredients like broccoli or snow peas, which would be delicious, and you could just as easily substitute quinoa for the brown rice.

Here’s the deal though, the orange sauce is the real star of this show. It’s as good as I’ve ever had – and I’ve had some great Chinese food. It’s a perfect balance between sweet and savory.

This Orange Chicken, topped with toasted sesame seeds, chopped scallions, and red pepper flakes makes staying in for Chinese a delicious idea!

Buon Appetito!

Orange Chicken

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.4 from 5 reviews

• Author: Ciao Chow Bambina
• Category: Dinner

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Description

If you’re a fan of Orange Chicken, you won’t believe how easy it is to make from scratch! Let’s go!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger (or allspice)
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• zest of one orange
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Thinly sliced scallions
• Toasted sesame seeds

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Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, cornstarch, ginger, white pepper, and orange zest. Set aside.
2. In a large sauté pan, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken and salt and pepper to taste, and sauté for about 5 – 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and nearly cooked through.
4. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to combine.
5. Let sauce come to a boil and continue boiling and stirring for another minute or two until thickened.
6. Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice or quinoa. I used brown long grain rice.
7. Garnish with red pepper flakes, scallions, and sesame seeds.

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(Inspired by Skinny Orange Chicken.)