Easy Orange Chicken
from kristineskitchenblog.comThis Orange Chicken has tender bites of chicken coated in a sweet and savory orange sauce. It's ready in just 30 minutes and perfect for a busy weeknight. Serve the chicken with rice and a green vegetable for a quick, tasty dinner.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 297kcal
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons orange zest from 1 large orange
- ½ cup fresh orange juice from 1 large orange
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more if you like spicy
- 1 tablespoon olive oil avocado oil or canola oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooked rice for serving
- chopped green onions and/or sesame seeds optional, for serving
Instructions
- Combine the orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Let the chicken brown on the first side for a few minutes and then flip, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until cooked through. (This will take about 7-10 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken pieces. Thighs take a bit longer to cook through than chicken breasts.) If the pan gets too hot, reduce the heat to medium.
- Whisk the sauce again to make sure everything is well combined and then pour the sauce into the pan with the chicken. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Serve chicken and sauce over rice, topped with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Video
Notes
- While using fresh ginger will give you the best flavor, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger if you don’t have fresh available.
- Nutrition information estimate calculated for recipe made with boneless, skinless chicken breast and does not include rice.
- Leftover orange chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 recipe | Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 776mg | Potassium: 784mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
