Healthy Orange Chicken Recipe
If I’m walking by the food court in the mall and if I can snag a free sample of Panda Express orange chicken, I do a little happy dance inside. But I don’t order it because I know it’s greasy and loaded with calories and fat that I don’t need. Enter: this homemade, healthier, not fried version of orange chicken that’s made in one skillet and ready in 10 minutes. No fuss, hassle-free, and perfect for busy weeknights. The skinny orange chicken is ridiculously tender, juicy, and full of orange flavor. When I say ridiculously tender, I mean it just melts in your mouth. You’d swear it was fried but it’s not.
Ingredients in Healthy Orange Chicken
To make the healthy orange chicken sauce and chicken, you’ll need:
Chicken breasts Cornstarch Toasted sesame oil Olive oil Freshly squeezed orange juice Lite soy sauce Honey Green onions
How to Make Healthy Orange Chicken
This really is such an easy orange chicken recipe! Here’s a quick overview of the cooking process:
What to Serve with Orange Chicken
You can serve your favorite Asian-inspired sides with this skinny orange chicken. Here are some serving suggestions:
Better-Than-Takeout Fried Rice (omit the chicken in the fried rice) Low-carb cauliflower rice (you can buy pre-made packets at the grocery store) Fresh spring rolls Crunchy peanut salad Sheet pan ginger vegetables (omit chicken) Mango teriyaki salad
Can I Use a Cornstarch Alternative?
A few readers have asked about using arrowroot powder or another cornstarch alternative in this recipe. I’ve only made this recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure if arrowroot or another substitute will give you the same results.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Most likely, yes. However, I’ve only made this orange chicken recipe using chicken breasts.
How Much Orange Juice Is Needed for This Recipe?
You’ll need the juice of two large oranges, which is equal to roughly 3/4 cup bottled orange juice. However because this is such a critical element of the recipe, I recommend juicing the oranges yourself versus using bottled juice.
Can This Recipe Be Made in Advance?
Yes! It’s best fresh from the skillet, but you can divide the chicken into meal prep container and reheat throughout the week if desired. If at all possible, reheat the chicken in a lightly oiled skillet. I try to avoid microwaving leftover chicken because it winds up being tough and dry, but do what’s best for you.
Tips for Cooking the Chicken with Cornstarch
Cornstarch thickens any liquids or sauces it comes into contact with. In this recipe, it helps the orange chicken sauce tighten up and cling to the chicken as if it had been fried and then coated in a sugar-laded orange sauce, but we’re not frying anything today. Cornstarch is a kitchen magician in many regards, but there are some pitfalls. If you’re not careful you can have a gloppy mess in a hurry. My tips for avoiding that include:
Cook over medium heat. Flip the chicken and stir the pan sauce that coats the chicken nearly constantly. If at any time your sauce is tightening and thickening up faster than you’d like because the chicken isn’t quite cooked through, simply add more orange juice.
More Asian Chicken Recipes:
ALL OF MY ASIAN-INSPIRED RECIPES! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Slow Cooker Orange Chicken – The easiest orange chicken ever because your slow cooker does all the work!! Super juicy, tender, and coated with a sweet-yet-tangy orange glaze that’s irresistible!!
15-Minute Orange Chili Chicken and Broccoli – The orange chili sauce is spicy, tangy, and sweet all in one!! The PERFECT sauce to jazz up chicken and broccoli! A FAST and EASY dinner with great Asian FLAVOR!!
Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken — This sweet and sour chicken recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and tastes way better than takeout. Perfect for a weeknight dinner!
Sheet Pan Ginger Orange Chicken and Vegetables – Fast, EASY, HEALTHY, and loaded with great orange ginger flavor!! A DELISH one-pan meal with zero cleanup that’s perfect for busy weeknights!!
Mandarin Chicken Stir Fry — An EASY Asian stir fry with tender chicken, juicy oranges, and veggies!! Skip takeout and make this ONE skillet recipe that’s ready in 15 minutes and perfect for busy weeknights!!
