One Skillet Mandarin Chicken Stir-Fry
When I was a kid I used to love mandarin oranges. I haven’t eaten many since childhood, but this easy orange chicken stir-fry recipe that’s ready in 15 minutes brings back great memories. The orange chicken is cooked in sesame oil before adding a bag of coleslaw mix, which is just shredded cabbage and carrots. I love the convenience of the mix because it really helps get this Asian-inspired dish on the table in no time. Garlic, ginger, soy and hoisin sauces (available in your regular grocery store in the Asian aisle) are added before adding sugar snap peas, juicy mandarin oranges, and garnishing with green onions. The sweet mandarin oranges perfectly counterbalance the savory flavors of the soy and hoisin, and I love the crisp-tender crunch of the sugar snap peas. It reminds me of an orange version of this Sesame Mango Chicken. The easy orange chicken stir-fry is healthy, naturally gluten-free, and all the veggies keep you satisfied for a long time. The beauty of a stir fry is that you can toss in extra veggies that you have on hand. You can skip takeout and make this family-friendly dish that both kids and adults will love. It’s perfect for busy weeknights when you’ve got to get dinner on the table in no time.
How to Make Mandarin Chicken Stir-Fry
To make this healthy orange chicken stir-fry, cook the chicken in a well oiled skillet until cooked through. Add garlic and dried ginger and continue cooking until the mixture is fragrant. Add the coleslaw mix to the skillet and drizzle the soy sauce over top before adding in the hoisin sauce and pepper. Stir to combine, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the cabbage is wilted. Add the sugar snap peas near the end of the cook time and cook until crisp-tender. Remove from the heat, add the mandarin oranges and stir to combine. I topped my healthy chicken stir-fry with green onions and enjoyed it over a bed of rice, but you could also eat this with quinoa or cauliflower rice.
Tips for the Best Chicken Stir-Fry
If you can’t get your hands on a bag of coleslaw mix, you can grate cabbage and carrots yourself. You want about a pound (16 oz) of cabbage and carrots, and the mixture should be primarily cabbage. Any color cabbage will work, so use whatever you have on hand! To keep this orange chicken stir-fry from being too sweet, I used mandarin oranges in juice. The mandarin oranges in syrup are far too sweet for my taste, but again, you can use whatever you have on hand. If you like saucy stir-fries, I recommend adding 2/3 cup soy sauce instead of the 1/2 cup the recipe calls for. Just keep in mind that I used reduced-sodium soy sauce in this recipe; if you add 2/3 cup regular soy sauce this mandarin chicken stir-fry may be too salty for you. Lastly, give this healthy chicken stir-fry a taste after you’ve added in the mandarin oranges and add a drizzle of honey, if desired. The honey won’t make the stir-fry taste sweet, it’ll just balance out the flavors of the hoisin and soy sauce.
More Chinese Chicken Recipes:
Chicken Egg Roll Bowls — Deconstructed egg roll bowls reduce the calories, fat, and carbs of traditional egg rolls without sacrificing flavor! Easy, ready in 15 minutes, and way better than takeout! 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!! One-Skillet Orange Chicken with Vegetables — Easy, ready in 15 minutes, healthy (no breading, no frying), and the orange flavor just pops! Perfect for busy weeknights, a family favorite, and you’ll make this over and over! Easy 15-Minute Sweet and Sour Chicken – Faster, easier, healthier, and tastes better than takeout or a restaurant! Perfect balance of sweet yet sour Asian flavors that the whole family will love! Cashew Chicken — Juicy chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and crunchy cashews coated with the best garlicky soy sauce!
Even More Asian Recipes:
You can check out my favorite ASIAN RECIPES HERE and my go-to CHICKEN RECIPES HERE. Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps {Copycat Recipe} – Skip the restaurant version and make at home in 20 minutes! Easy, healthier because you’re controlling the ingredients, and they taste way better! Chicken Fried Rice – One-skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and you’ll never want takeout again after tasting how good homemade is! Way more flavor, not greasy, and loads of juicy chicken!
Easy Better-Than-Takeout Shrimp Fried Rice – One-skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and you’ll never takeout again! Homemade tastes way better! Tons more flavor, not greasy, and loaded with tender shrimp!
