A healthy orange chicken? Yes please!

Okay, look, before we get too far into this please be advised that I am not a nutritionist or dietitian in any way! And the term “healthy” is very subjective because obviously, there are going to be better things out there for you than this. HOWEVER, when it comes to orange chicken that is typically fried in a bunch of seed oils… I think this recipe could be considered healthy. Or at least healthy-er.

I have been making this orange chicken recipe for years. My husband loves it and so do the kids! Plus it’s really not too complicated to make as long as you have all the ingredients on hand.

Recipe Credit: Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients:

Orange Chicken:

• 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• orange chicken sauce (ingredients below)
• toppings: thinly-sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, orange zest

Orange Chicken Sauce:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• zest of one orange
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions:

1. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute for about 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and nearly cooked through.
3. Pour in the orange chicken sauce, and stir to combine. Let the sauce come to a boil, then boil for an additional minute or two until thickened. Remove from heat and serve immediately over quinoa or rice. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds and additional orange zest.

To Make Orange Chicken Sauce:

1. Whisk all ingredients together until combined. If you would like the sauce to be even sweeter, add an extra 2-4 tablespoons of honey.

Select the image below to download the recipe card!