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This Easy Orange Chicken Stir Fry recipe is made with lean chicken breast, bell peppers, onions, and a sweet and spicy orange sauce. Better than takeout, this makes for a perfect weeknight dinner recipe.
Skip buying pre-made orange chicken from Trader Joe’s or Panda Express and just make it at home and enjoy a much healthier orange chicken at home instead
What’s better than Chinese takeout made healthy right at home? I made it using lean chicken breast that’s non-breaded or fried. This recipe can be ready in just 30 minutes, juicy and tender, and a recipe the whole family can enjoy. Quick and simple with tons of flavor!
Ingredients needed
- Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces: you can also use boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- Garlic Powder
- Chili Flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive Oil: or any other oil
- Ginger: use fresh if possible
- Bell Pepper: any color works
- Purple Onion
- Fresh Orange Juice
- Low sodium soy sauce, or coconut aminos
- Cornstarch
- Sesame Seeds
- Scallions or green onions
- Orange slices to garnish, optional
How to make orange chicken
Cut the Chicken– Cut the boneless and skinless chicken breast into bite-sized pieces.
Cook the Chicken– Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add chicken, and sprinkle with garlic powder, chili flakes sea salt and pepper. You may skip adding the chili peppers of you plan on the kids having some! Cook stirring occasionally, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, then set aside on a plate.
Cook the Veggies– In the same skillet, add the remaining oil, and fry the ginger, bell pepper, and onion for 2-3 minutes.
Prepare the Orange Sauce – In a small bowl whisk orange juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Pour the sauce over the stir-fried veggies and stir to combine and deglaze all those delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Combine Sauce with Chicken– Return the chicken to the pan and cover with the sauce, cooking for a few more minutes until everything is heated up. Finally, garnish with sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and orange slices. Enjoy!
Tips for success
- Cut the chicken bites same sizes.
- You can skip adding the fresh orange garnish
- If you prefer using chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, you can do that. Try swapping the chicken with other proteins like shrimp or beef.
- If you like the veggies more on the soft side, sear them for a few more minutes.
- Don’t have fresh garlic? Use garlic powder instead. Use one teaspoon of garlic powder.
How to make Orange Chicken Sauce
The orange chicken sauce has a combination of sweet and spicy flavor. It can easily be made at home using a few ingredients. This is what you will need:
- Orange Juice
- Garlic
- Soy sauce
- Ginger
- Red Chili
- Sugar or honey (not included in our recipe)
- Corn Starch (optional)
Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Cook separately in a saucepan before adding to breaded fried chicken or add to cook with stir-fry chicken.
Frequently asked questions
Orange chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze leftover orange chicken, place it in a tightly sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, place in the fridge to thaw 24 hours ahead and reheat in the microwave or stovetop using a saucepan.
Yes. If you prefer to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, you can swap them with chicken thighs or even beef.
Yes. To save on time, if you prefer to use store-bought orange sauce, you can. Even though it saves you a bit of time, I recommend making your own orange sauce from scratch.
Yes. If you have leftover orange chicken, you can place them in a sealed container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
What to serve with Orange Chicken
- For a low-carb option, try it with Cauliflower Rice like this Cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
- Quinoa or couscous like this herbed couscous.
- Roasted Veggies like this garlic roasted veggies.
- Grains like, barley or bulgur
- Pasta or noodles like this spinach mushroom pasta.
- Try Zucchini Noodles for low carb noodle option
- Brown Rice
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How to reheat Orange Chicken
For a frozen orange chicken, allow it to thaw in the fridge the night before and then use one of the following methods to reheat:
- Oven: Breaded orange chicken, place in a sheet pan and rebake them for 15 minutes at 350 F.
- Microwave: Reheat Stir-Fried orange chicken using the microwave for 1-2 minutes if they were pre thawed.
- StoveTop: Place Orange chicken in a saucepan and reheat at medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Consequently, if it is too dry you may add some more fresh orange juice or water to get it saucy.
You may also like
- Shrimp Pad Thai
- Asian Shrimp Zucchini Noodles
- Low Carb Asian Chicken Cups
- Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
- Szechuan Shrimp Stir Fry
- Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry
- Honey Sesame Chicken
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Easy Orange Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Chili Flakes
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
- 1 inch Ginger, thumb size, fresh, chopped
- 1 Large Bell Pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 Purple Onion, chopped
- ⅓ Cup Fresh Orange Juice
- ¼ Cup Low sodium soy sauce , or coconut aminos
- 1½ tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Sliced Scallions , or green onions
- Orange slices to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon of the 2 tablespoons Olive Oil in a large, non-stick pan over medium heat. Add 1 pound Chicken Breast (cut into bite sizes) and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ¼ teaspoon Chili Flakes, Sea salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, then set aside on a plate.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining oil and stir-fry the 1 inch Ginger (chopped), 1 Large Bell Pepper (chopped), and 1 Purple Onion (chopped) for 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk ⅓ Cup Fresh Orange Juice, ¼ Cup Low sodium soy sauce , and 1½ tablespoons Cornstarch. Pour the sauce over the stir-fried veggies and stir to combine and deglaze all those delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Return the chicken to the pan and cover with the sauce, cooking for a few more minutes until everything is heated up.
- Garnish with sliced 1 tablespoon Sliced Scallions , 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds, and Orange slices to garnish. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Consider using shrimp in place of chicken
- Tapioca or arrowroot flour in place of cornstarch
- Avocado oil in place of olive oil
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
