Right now in Ohio, it’s dark by like 5pm. And generally, this time of year, you want to hibernate and eat ALL the comfort foods. BUT, if in the Spring, when you’re brushing off the dust and coming out of your slumber, you don’t want to be 15 pounds heavier than Fall-you, you gotta keep your shit together. Pardon my French, but this Winter stuff is no joke. For my family, the go-to comfort food is Chinese take-out. Particularly Orange Chicken. It’s sweet, slightly spicy, and has a heavenly orange flavor. If you haven’t had take-out Orange Chicken, you’re missing out. Unfortunately, fried Chinese food isn’t going to help my cause I’m trying to behave. So I came up with a solution- Healthier Orange Chicken.

Orange Chicken and I have been frenemies for a while. Friends because it’s delicious and I love it. Enemies because I have been trying to nail down a recipe that I enjoy as much as take-out for MONTHS. Yes, months. In fact, the last time that I attempted to create an Orange Chicken recipe, I threw the whole damn thing away and we all went out to dinner. It’s been an incredibly frustrating recipe to come up with, but I finally have a recipe that I love.

This Healthier Orange Chicken recipe is sweet, slightly spicy, packed with veggies, and has all the flavor of take-out versions without all of the oil.

For this recipe, instead of the traditional deep-frying of the chicken, the chicken is coated in a little cornstarch and pan-fried in a little olive oil. It’s so much healthier. I’ve also add some crunchy vegetables- broccoli and red peppers so that you still get a little bit of that crunch. This dish is also totally customizable. Change up the veggies! Do green beans or snow peas. Add water chesnuts. Do all veggies. Use pork or shrimp instead of chicken. The options are endless. First, though…

Let me show you how I made this Healthier Orange Chicken 👇🏻

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of fresh orange juice (took 2 large oranges for me), the zest (of said) 2 large oranges (reserve 1 tbsp for the end), 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1/2 tbsp sesame seed oil, 1 tbsp hoisin, 1 tsp fresh grated ginger, 3 minced garlic cloves, 3 tbsp light brown sugar, 2 tbsp of cornstarch (that was mixed with 2 tbsp of water), and 1 tbsp of crushed red pepper flakes. Add more red pepper flakes if you’d like a little extra spice. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add 3 cups of broccoli florets, 1 chopped red pepper, and 1 chopped sweet onion.

Cook for a minute or two and then cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Let the veggies finish cooking while you cook the chicken. You want the veggies to be tender-crisp.

Add 2 tbsp of cornstarch to the bite-sized chicken pieces. Stir until all of the chicken is coated. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet over high heat and then add the chicken to the skillet. Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper.

Let the chicken cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes before stirring. You want the chicken to crisp up and brown while cooking. Cook until the chicken is completely cooked through.

When the chicken is done cooking, remove it to a plate. Lower the heat to medium and add the sauce to the skillet. Let the sauce bubble and cook for a minute or two. It should thicken up a little as well.

Now add the chicken and the veggies back to the skillet and toss them in the sauce until coated.

Serve over rice and top with sesame seeds, some of the reserved orange zest, and sliced green onions.

Enjoy!!

These are some of the recommended products that I used to create this delicious recipe! These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.

Healthier Orange Chicken

This Healthier Orange Chicken recipe is sweet, slightly spicy, packed with veggies, and has all the flavor of take-out versions without all of the oil.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Servings 6 Servings

Author Maggie @ Cupcakes and Sarcasm

Ingredients

For the Orange Sauce:

1 Cup Fresh Orange Juice (was 2 large oranges for me)
Zest of 2 Large Oranges (reserve 1 tbsp for topping)
1/4 Cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1/2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 Tbsp Sesame Seed Oil
1 Tbsp Hoisin
1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
3 Large Garlic Cloves, minced
3 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Cornstarch (mixed seperately with 2 tbsp water)
1 Tbsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes Add more for more heat

Other:

2 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 Tbsp Olive Oil, divided
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
Salt and Pepper
3 Cups Broccoli Florets
1 Large Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Sweet Onion, diced
Optional Toppings: Sesame Seeds, Sliced Green Onions

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients (reserving 1 tbsp of orange zest for the end). Set aside.
In a medium-sized skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli, red bell pepper, and onion. Cook the veggies for a minute or two, then turn the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Let the veggies finish cooking while you cook the chicken and sauce. You want the veggies to be tender-crisp.
Combine the chicken pieces with 2 tbsp of cornstarch and stir until all of the pieces are coated. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and season with a little salt and pepper.
Let the chicken cook for a couple of undisturbed minutes before stirring. You want the chicken to crisp up and brown while cooking through.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove to a plate. Lower the heat to medium and add the sauce to the skillet. Let the sauce bubble and cook for a minute or two. It should thicken up a little as well.
Now add the chicken and the veggies back to the skillet and toss them in the sauce until coated.
Serve over white rice and top with sesame seeds, some of the reserved orange zest, and sliced green onions. Enjoy!