Orange chicken has been a staple of American Chinese takeout for many years. My kids simply love getting the orange chicken from Panda Express. But that’s not really healthy at all. Here, I have a healthy and clean recipe for orange chicken. It’s called Lightened Up Orange Chicken but the “lightened up” part is also interchangeable with “skinny” making it Skinny Orange Chicken. All this means is that it is healthy, clean, low in calories, and most of all, delicious!
I kept it as simple as possible so even a kid can make it. It’s super fast and extremely easy to follow. The ingredients are probably already in your pantry as well or can be bought for super cheap.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- salt and pepper, to taste
- vegetable oil, for frying
For the Orange Sauce:
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Recipe:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Add the chicken pieces and coat evenly. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- In a shallow dish, mix together the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken piece in the flour mixture until coated and set aside on a plate.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken pieces (in batches if necessary) and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
- To make the orange sauce: Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. Once the chicken is cooked through, add it to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Mama Mel Kitchen 