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Easy, Healthy Orange Chicken

Got 30 minutes and one pan? Then you’ve got this saucy Healthy Orange Chicken. This scrumptious dish is quick, gluten-free, and robust with flavor.

orange chicken on a plate
This healthy orange chicken is easy on the waist, yet BIG on taste.

Easy Healthy Orange Chicken

This 30-Minute Orange Chicken is healthy, full of protein, and absolutely scrumptious.

No messy breading, frying, or excess oiling is going to happen here.

What is happening: tender, mouthwatering pieces of chicken breast smothered with a deliciously bright and citrusy orange-soy-brown sugar sauce that is awesome over fluffy rice

Just because a dish takes only 30 minutes or less does not mean it has to be frozen pizza. (Though sometimes it means just that…only not today.)

Most busy weekdays, we go for healthyish meals at home that are nutritious yet tasty enough that the entire family is satisfied. No matter how healthy, it’s gotta be delicious.

It’s also got to happen on the double, pronto. Because time, like money, does not grow on trees. Is that asking too much? We can and will do this.

orange chicken on a plate with orange slices
Real orange juice and zest make this skinny orange chicken incredibly tasty

One Pan Technique for Healthy Orange Chicken

Skip the messy batter and frying oil; there’s no need for all that with this healthy orange chicken recipe. The best thing about recreating this popular takeout dish at home? You get all the flavor, without the not-so-healthy side effects.

No need to heat up the oven, either. Just grab your favorite pan and watch the transformation.

  • Use an extra large nonstick sauté pan, which minimizes the amount of oil needed and makes cleanup a breeze. Our sauté pan is the daily workhorse of our kitchen.
  • Heat the oil until it’s very hot, as oil that’s not hot enough will not brown your chicken nicely.
  • As a rule of thumb, always remove excess moisture from your meats prior to cooking. Paper towels are perfect for the job. If you sauté pieces of chicken that contain excess moisture, the chicken will end up more steamed than browned.
  • Always cook pieces of meat in a single layer — do not overcrowd the pan, or that undesired steaming thing will happen. Here’s where you’ll be so glad you have an extra large pan.
  • Once chicken is browned, transfer it to your serving dish. Using the same pan, you’ll heat up the easy orange sauce for just 30 seconds.
  • Once the sauce is thickened, add back the browned chicken. Stir to coat, and bingo!
orange chicken on a plate
Serve this skinny orange chicken with jasmine rice or healthy brown rice.

What to serve with Orange Chicken

  • Perfect Instant Pot Brown Rice is our rice of choice, as we love the toothsome goodness of well made brown rice. Since we’re being healthy, might as well rise to the occasion.
  • Lo Mein Noodles is a super easy meal prep solution, just like this orange chicken. Both can be made in advance or in larger batches for extra dinners.
  • Asian Sticky Rice is a family favorite of ours, as it’s meal-prep friendly and tastes amazing. Our easy homemade version is naturally healthier than takeout.
orange chicken with chopsticks
Orange chicken is perfect for meal prep, since it’s not breaded won’t get soggy.

common questions and answers

Is white meat or dark meat better for cooking orange chicken?

We recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs for cooking orange chicken, as dark meat yields more tender results and is generally more forgiving if you accidentally overcook it. If you use chicken breast, take care not to overcook.

Can I make orange chicken in advance for meal prep?

Absolutely. This orange chicken recipe is ideal for meal prep, as it can be made in advance in larger batches and keeps well in the fridge. No batter/frying means no worries about anything getting soggy.

What is Asian white rice vinegar?

There are various types of Asian rice vinegar. Some Chinese varieties are darker in color, while others are light-colored, referred to as white rice vinegar. Asian white rice vinegar is made from fermented rice and adds tangy-umami flavors to your dish. It’s less acidic than typical Western style vinegars.


More to Cook and Eat


How to make super easy thai fried rice


Shop This Recipe

  • rice vinegar

    This gives a balanced tangy-sweet flavor to Asian salads and dressings.

  • organic tamari sauce

    Organic and gluten-free, it’s a delicious substitute for regular soy sauce.

Did you make this?

Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!

orange chicken with chopsticks

Healthy Orange Chicken

5 from 78 ratings
This 30-Minute Healthy Orange Chicken comes together easily and quickly, without the mess of batter and frying. It's easy on the waist and big on taste!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

  • 2 tsp freshly grated orange zest
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, approximately 2 medium oranges
  • cup brown sugar, tightly packed
  • 2 TB Asian white rice vinegar
  • 3 TB Tamari*
  • 2 tsp Sriracha
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp cornstarch, fully dissolved in 1 TB water
  • 2 tsp olive or canola oil
  • 1 ½ lbs boneless/skinless chicken thighs, chicken breast can be used, though dark meat yields more tender results
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced
  • Optional: Cooked rice for serving

Instructions

  • Prep the Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, Sriracha, ginger, garlic powder, and dissolved cornstarch. Whisk until there are no white streaks left from the cornstarch.
  • Cook Chicken: Towel dry the pieces of chicken, as it's important to remove excess moisture for even browning. Cut into bite-size pieces. In a large nonstick pan, heat oil over high heat until hot. Add chicken and kosher salt. Cook and stir until chicken is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
  • Heat Sauce: In now-empty pan, add the orange sauce mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, 30 seconds. Return the cooked chicken back to pan, along with any accumulated juices. Toss to coat chicken.
  • Serve: Serve immediately over cooked rice. Sprinkle with scallions for garnish and extra Sriracha sauce on the side, if desired. Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for several days. 

Notes

This recipe is part of our Healthy Takeout Dishes collection.
We use tamari gluten-free, pure soybean soy sauce, as it has a depth of flavor beyond "normal" soy sauce and tends to be less salty. If you need to further cut down on sodium, you may use low sodium soy sauce
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ♡

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.6g | Protein: 39.5g | Fat: 6.9g | Saturated Fat: 1.2g | Cholesterol: 124.1mg | Sodium: 529.1mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1.2g
Course: Dinner, Main
Cuisine: Asian
Diet: Gluten Free
Method: Stovetop

Add a comment

Recipe Rating




55 comments

    • Cara

    I loved this flavor much!!Any advice on how to thicken the sauce up? Thank you!

      • Amy Dong

      For thicker sauce, add a cornstarch slurry (1 TB cornstarch FULLY mixed/dissolved in 1 TB water) – add it to simmering sauce and it will thicken up!

    • kd
    • 5 stars

    excellent! very easy and very tasty thank you

    • Cecilia K
    • 5 stars

    This sauce is amazing! Perfect amount of flavor and heat. I went ahead and used the whole zest of one orange, which was more than 2 Tbl spoons. It came out fragrant! I think next time I’ll add more dissolved cornstarch because I like my sauce goopier. This recipe comes out thin-ish.

      • Amy Dong

      So happy you guys liked this, Cecilia! 🙂 🙂

    • Marie
    • 5 stars

    The sauce is great and is very versatile. It should not be limited to chicken. I served it with broccoli , pea pods, and onions over brown rice. I don’t think I would miss the chicken if I added another veggie. I think you should repost and call it orange vegetarian stir fry.

      • Amy Dong

      Yes, this sauce is amazing on other proteins and veggies – agreed!

    • Liv
    • 5 stars

    I absolutely loved this recipe! Easy to follow, very fresh tasting. My friend and I made this for our husbands and they pretty much licked their plates clean!

    • Lauren
    • 5 stars

    The best healthy way to eat orange chicken. Actually… I think this is BETTER than the original way with breading. The flavor comes through so much more! Thank you so so much for this recipe!

      • Amy Dong

      You’re so welcome!

    • Noelle Venem
    • 5 stars

    This recipe is amazing! I subbed frozen garlic and ginger cubes as that’s what I had on hand. We ate it over a bed of garden greens: arugula and watercress. Healthy has never tasted so good! Thank you!

      • Amy Dong

      Yes!! So happy you loved it, Noelle! 🙂

    • Shirley g
    • 5 stars

    This was excellent! I doubled the sauce ingredients for the 1 1/2 lbs of chicken…. We like our sauce, but you could really taste the orange. It was scrumptious over linguini noodles! Definitely a keeper!

    • Rosario Alvarado Martinez
    • 5 stars

    I made this today and instead of powdered garlic and ginger, I used fresh on both and think the bits of it made it superb. It was a little sweet for me, but I am thinking my oranges were just a bit on the riper side, but I really enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing!

      • Amy Dong

      SO happy you enjoyed this, Rosario!

    • Kat
    • 5 stars

    I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious. I was telling my boyfriend it’s fresher tasting orange chicken sauce that is light and refreshing with the orange zest. I made enough for 8 portions to last us the next few days. I think I might add 9 tb of sugar so it’s a little more sweet because the orange it quite powerful but I love it too!

      • Amy Dong

      Aww, thank you, Kat! 🙂 🙂

    • Abbey Butler
    • 5 stars

    Cooked this for easy meal prep. I’m always on the lookout for variety. This nailed it! thanks!

      • Amy Dong

      You’re welcome, Abbey! 🙂

    • Angela Morris
    • 5 stars

    This sauce is just delicious! It was a hit at my house. Thanks for sharing!

      • Amy Dong

      Yay, Angela! 🙂

    • Beth

    Hi..

    Do you happen to have the nutrition facts?

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