Healthier Orange Chicken

Maxine
by Maxine
4 servings
30 min

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This Healthier Orange Chicken is made with boneless chicken thighs, oranges, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and honey.

Craving Panda Express orange chicken but you don’t want the calories? Look no further! This is a un-fried, healthier recipe to satisfy your cravings! This meal requires a ton of prepping. It is very helpful to use small bowls to measure each ingredient before you start cooking.


If you double the recipe, you will cook the chicken in batches.


This is my go to order whenever I go to a Chinese restaurant. I have always been obsessed with orange chicken, especially served with some drunken noodles, pad thai or, Chili Garlic Ginger Noodles. When getting it at a restaurant, I am never sure hwat is in it. This recipe is totally organic and sweetened with honey instead of sugar.


How to make Healthier Orange Chicken


In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, flour and soy sauce in a Ziplock back and shake until the chicken is fully coated.


In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce: orange juice and zest, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey, red pepper flakes. This is your sauce.


Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken in an even layer and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat and pour the sauce into the skillet and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the chicken is coated, 5 to 10 minutes. (If the sauce needs extra thickening, see note below). Remove the skillet from the heat and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.


Note:


Note: If the sauce does not thicken, mix together 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water and pour into the chicken sauce mixture.


Other dishes to try


  • KUNG PAO CHICKEN
  • HONEY ASIAN CHICKEN
  • BEEF AND BROCCOLI
Recipe details
  • 4  servings
  • Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 15 Minutes Total time: 30 min
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Ingredients
Sauce:
  • ÂĽ cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Chicken:
  • 1 ½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
  • ÂĽ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, to cook chicken
  • Garnish with sesame seeds or scallions
Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, flour and soy sauce in a Ziplock back and shake until the chicken is fully coated.
In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce: orange juice and zest, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey, red pepper flakes. This is your sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken in an even layer and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat and pour the sauce into the skillet and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the chicken is coated, 5 to 10 minutes. (If the sauce needs extra thickening, see note below).
Remove the skillet from the heat and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.
Tips
  • Note: If the sauce does not thicken, mix together 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water and pour into the chicken sauce mixture.
Maxine
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Comments
  • Jan Jan on Oct 20, 2021

    The sodium in this dish prohibits me from trying it. For me and millions of others any dish with that much sodium is forbidden. To make it truly healthy you need to find a substitute for sodium.

  • Kda5402111 Kda5402111 on Oct 01, 2022

    Sounds delicious. But I need carbs information.

    thank you.

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