Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

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Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (1)

Happy New Year’s, everyone!

I hope that your 2014 is off to a terrific start. And hopefully, a delicious and healthy start!

So for all of you new years resolution folks who are out there scanning the world wide webosphere looking for lighter recipes after a holiday season full of sweets, you’ve come to the right place. Because I am dedicating theentire month of January this year to sharing healthy recipes with you. And I am stoked to kick things off with a lightened-up Chinese food classic — Skinny Orange Chicken.

This version packs all of the amazing sweet and savory orange flavor of the restaurant-style version, but with only a fraction of the calories and fat. And it is naturally sweetened with honey. And it can be served over rice or (my favorite) quinoa. And it can be made in just 20 minutes from start to finish.

Interested? You should be. :)

Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2)

The main key to lightening up this restaurant classic is that we simply saute the chicken instead of fry it. The chicken is sauteed until golden and drenched in an orange chicken sauce anyway, so I guarantee you won’t even miss the frying! Plus, it saves us lots of unnecessary fat and calories in an already delicious dish.

And as I said, this skinny orange chicken recipe can literally be made in about 20 minutes. So here’s what you need to make it happen.

Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (3)

First, begin by cutting your chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Mine were roughly 1-inch cubed. Then season them with lots of salt and pepper for extra flavor.

Next, we make the rockstar of this recipe — the orange chickensauce. This sauce really could not be simpler. Simply whisk all of the ingredients together along with some cornstarch (for thickening), and you’re ready to go.

Chicken + Sauce. Done.

Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (4)

Next, saute the chicken in some olive oil until it is nearly cooked through. Be sure to let it rest in the pan a bit while cooking so that the sides can get nice and browned.

Then pour in the sauce, which should come to a boil within a minute or so. Let it boil for about 1-2 minutes, or until it’s nice and thickened.

Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (5)

Then top the chicken with some extra orange zest, green onions and toasted sesame seeds, and you’re good to go!

If you want to go the traditional route, you can serve this orange chicken recipe over rice. But I’m a big fan of eating stir-fry recipes with quinoa. So I whipped up a quick batch for this recipe, made (as always) with chicken broth for extra flavor.

Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (6)

I mean, really, just look at that gorgeous dish!

So much great flavor, and so little unnecessary fat and calories from frying the chicken. I’m pretty positive that even your friends or family members who usually prefer the fried version will go “poco loco” over this dish. :)

Stay tuned for more healthy recipes to come this month on Gimme Some Oven. And cheers to a great 2014 ahead!

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Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (9)

Skinny Orange Chicken

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.9 from 54 reviews

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: About 4-6 servings 1x
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Description

This homemade orange chicken recipe comes together in just 20 minutes, and is a crazy delicious! (And healthier than the restaurant version!)

Ingredients

Scale

Orange Chicken Ingredients:

  • 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 Ingredients:

  • 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

(Optional: Quinoa Ingredients)

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 2 cups chicken broth

Instructions

To Make The Orange Chicken:

  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 The 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.

To Make The Quinoa:

  1. You can see my step-by-step photo tutorial for how to cook quinoa here http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/how-to-cook-quinoa-recipe/.

Be sure to also check out these related recipes:

How To Cook Quinoa (A Step-By-Step Tutorial)

Sesame Chicken with Quinoa

Lighter Chinese Chicken Salad

posted on January 1, 2014 by Ali

Main Dishes

285 Comments »

Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to bake chicken low and slow or high and fast? ›

Question: When I cook chicken, it always comes out tough. Am I cooking it too long, too short, too high or too low? The slower you cook chicken, the better. That's the overall rule for cooking protein.

How many calories are in orange chicken homemade? ›

Orange chicken contains 660 calories per 252 g serving. This serving contains 32 g of fat, 36 g of protein and 57 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 34 g sugar and 2 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate. Orange chicken contains 6.1 g of saturated fat and 154 mg of cholesterol per serving.

How to cook TJ orange chicken? ›

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Mine takes about 10 minutes to preheat, but check your air fryer's manual for preheating recommendations. Then add the whole bag of chicken pieces (without the sauce) to the air fryer. Cook for 10 minutes.

Should you cover chicken when baking? ›

Larger cuts, such as whole chickens or bone-in pieces, often benefit from covered baking to ensure thorough and even cooking. Smaller cuts, like chicken breasts or tenders, can be baked uncovered for quick results. Lastly, think about the desired texture and flavor you're trying to achieve.

How long does it take to cook chicken in the oven at 350? ›

The right temperature and time
Type of chickenWeightRoasting: 350°F (177˚C)
breast halves, bone-in6 to 8 oz.30 to 40 minutes
breast halves, boneless4 oz.20 to 30 minutes
legs or thighs4 to 8 oz.40 to 50 minutes
drumsticks4 oz.35 to 45 minutes
1 more row

What to pair with orange chicken? ›

To recap, the best side dishes for orange chicken are;
  1. White Rice.
  2. Stir-Fry Veggies.
  3. Chicken noodles.
  4. Potato salad.
  5. French Fries.
  6. Instant pot Hot and Sour soup.
  7. Green Salad.
  8. Instant pot macaroni salad.
Sep 6, 2023

Is Costco orange chicken precooked? ›

Whether you need to whip up dinner fast or just want to quickly add flavorful chicken to your meal, each $17.99 box of this new Costco addition is “fully cooked, family size” and ready to “heat and serve.”

How do you cook orange chicken from Sam's? ›

Deep frying: preheat fryer to 350°F and thaw unopened sauce pouch in a bowl of hot water. Deep fry chicken for 5-7 minutes. Let cool, then drizzle sauce over chicken or use for dipping. Air fryer: preheat fryer to 350°F and thaw unopened sauce pouch in a bowl of hot water.

Can I eat orange chicken on a diet? ›

Is Orange Chicken Healthy? Traditional Chinese Orange Chicken is loaded with lots of excess fat, salt, carbs and sugar thanks to the batter, frying oil and sweet orange-flavored chili sauce, so it's not necessarily the healthiest option.

Does orange chicken have a lot of sugar? ›

Chinese food

Staple American Chinese dishes like orange chicken, sweet and sour chicken, and General Tso's chicken are actually shockingly high in sugar due to the syrupy sauces that make them delicious.

What is a serving size of orange chicken? ›

Serving Size: 3.6 oz. Preparation Instructions: Place a single layer of chicken on baking sheet. Heat at 400 F for 16-20 minutes or until golden brown, and internal temperature reaches 165 F.

Is orange chicken from Trader Joes good? ›

You're actually sinking your teeth into meat when you enjoy this orange chicken. It's probably some of the best quality chicken I've ever had from the freezer section. I also love that the bag comes with multiple sauce packets. You already know that I love sauce!

Is TJ orange chicken healthy? ›

Mandarin Orange Chicken

“With 330 milligrams (mg) of sodium per serving, it contains a massive amount of sodium,” says Yelena Wheeler, RDN, a dietitian in Los Angeles. “It also contains 95 mg of cholesterol, which is fairly high for just one cup.”

What's the difference between orange chicken and tangerine chicken? ›

Tangerine is used in traditional Chinese medicine as well as cooking. Tangerine chicken tastes fresh and spicy, but orange chicken tastes sweet and sour. Orange chicken is crispy cooked in a sweet and little spicy orange sauce. The sweetness of orange chicken was introduced to cater to American tastes.

Should you bake chicken on low or high heat? ›

While some recipes recommend baking chicken at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, go for anything between 375 to 450 degrees to seal in the juices. The only exception here is if you're making just chicken thighs — in that case, avoid cooking them with high heat so you don't immediately burn the skin.

Does cooking chicken low and slow make it more tender? ›

The Benefits of Cooking 'Slow-and-Low'

There are so many benefits to this cooking method. Not only does it make the meat far juicier and more tender but it also works with all kinds of meats. No matter your preference, this cooking method works well with whole cuts of pork, beef, lamb, and even veal.

Does cooking chicken low and slow make it tender? ›

Because the oven heat is so low - 300ºF/150ºC - there's no risk that the chicken will dry out or that the garlic and herbs on top will burn. With this method, even the white meat is juicy and tender.

What oven setting is best for chicken? ›

Basic recipe for foolproof roast chicken

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Sit the chicken in a roasting tin. Ease the skin away from the breast and push the butter underneath the skin. Season with salt and pepper.

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