This revamped Orange Chicken is a lighter and healthier variation on the beloved Chinese fast-food take-out meal. It’s sweet, tangy, somewhat spicy, and tasty.
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Easy Orange Chicken Recipe
I love to make my own versions of famous fast food takeaway dishes, like this Orange Chicken! When you prepare your own food, you have far greater control over what you put into your body. I’m not a fan of fried sugary foods, so I wouldn’t order the typical battered and deep-fried Chinese orange chicken, but I was excited to try a lighter version. My answer was to cook lean chicken breast portions in a tasty orange sauce instead of doing all that frying. My spouse was really pleased with the outcome and gave it two thumbs up! Favorite fast food makeovers include pepper steak, General Tso’s chicken, and chicken with broccoli.
Making Chinese orange sauce is quite straightforward and uncomplicated. Compared to using an orange sauce bottle with unknown components and more sugar, this is undoubtedly a healthier choice. Additionally, this is inherently gluten-free because it has no flour.
Ingredients
- chicken pieces: chopped skinless, boneless breasts
- seasoning: salt, cornstarch; aromatics: ginger and garlic
- flavor: sesame oil and orange zest
- garnish:Add sesame seeds and sliced green onions as a garnish.
Orange Chicken Sauce:
- fresh orange juice, to enhance the orange taste
- Soy sauce and chicken broth
- Two teaspoons of brown or white sugar
- rice wine
- rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, or Sriracha (for a little spiciness)
- cornstarch (to make the sauce thicker).
- white pepper
How To Make Orange Chicken
- In a small dish, combine the ingredients for the orange sauce and leave aside.
- Lightly season the chicken with salt, then uniformly cover it with corn starch and put it aside.
- One teaspoon of sesame oil should be added to a big pan or wok and heated to high heat. Cook the chicken in batches until it browns well, two to three minutes each side, then put aside.
- Cook the chicken for a further two to three minutes on each side after adding one teaspoon of oil. Along with the remaining chicken, set aside.
- The minced garlic and ginger should be immediately stir-fried until aromatic after adding the remaining teaspoon of oil.
- Add the orange zest then return the chicken to the pan.
- Cook the chicken until the sauce thickens, stirring quickly after adding the orange sauce mixture and tossing.
- Distribute into four dishes and adorn with the sesame seeds and onion.
Variations:
- You may use tofu to make it vegetarian or replace the chicken with a white fish like tilapia.
- Add some bell pepper, zucchini, or asparagus that have been sautéed.
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you’re a dark meat lover.
- Instead, use low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the salt content.
- If sesame oil is off-limits to you, feel free to use peanut oil instead
What To Serve with Orange Chicken
- It is frequently served with broccoli or other steamed veggies together with steamed rice.
- Serve it with “fried” cauliflower rice or cauliflower.
- Serve it over brown rice for a healthier choice.
- Try other veggies like some sautéed bell peppers, snow peas, or asparagus.
Storage
Remaining food can be refrigerated for four days in an airtight container or frozen for a maximum of three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the skillet or microwave.
FAQs
How Do You Define Orange Chicken?
A famous Chinese-American meal, orange chicken consists of bite-sized pieces of chicken that are usually covered in a sweet, tangy, and somewhat spicy orange sauce after being battered and deep-fried till golden and crispy.
Is Chicken Orange Healthy?
The chicken pieces are battered and deep-fried in traditional orange chicken recipes. Additionally, they typically add a large quantity of sugar. My healthier version is higher in protein and fits into a healthy diet because it uses less sugar, batter, and frying.
What is the difference between General Tso and orange chicken?
A meal of sweet and spicy chicken with a reddish-brown sauce, General Tso’s Chicken is frequently topped with dried red chili peppers and broccoli. On the other hand, Orange Chicken usually lacks the spiciness of General Tso’s and has a vibrant orange color with a sweet and tangy orange-flavored sauce.
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Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- For the Orange Sauce:
- 1/3 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 tbsp soy sauce Tamari for gluten-free
- 2 tbsp white or brown sugar or sugar substitute
- 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
- 1 tbsp sriracha or more to taste
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- For the chicken:
- 20 oz skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
- kosher salt to taste
- 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1- inch grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 2 tbsp chopped scallions
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Combine ingredients for the orange sauce and leave aside.
- Lightly season the chicken with salt, then uniformly cover it with corn starch and put it aside.
- One teaspoon of sesame oil, half of the chicken, and a wok heated over high heat are added. Cook until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Then, set aside.
- Cook the chicken for a further two to three minutes on each side after adding one teaspoon of oil. Along with the remaining chicken, set aside.
- Add the last teaspoon of oil and briskly stir-fry the ginger and minced garlic for approximately a minute, or until fragrant.
- Add the orange zest then return the chicken to the pan.
- Stir the chicken quickly, then pour in the orange sauce and heat for one to two minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Distribute into four dishes and adorn with the sesame seeds and onion.