Healthy Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken is one of my favorite Chinese Takeout picks. But sometimes you want the flavors of takeout in a healthier way. Enter this Healthy Orange Chicken. Marinating chicken thighs in an easy orange marinade gives you all the flavor, without the frying. Not to mention that cooking up the chicken takes just about 30 minutes. Marinate the chicken the night before so your weeknight dinner comes together in a snap! Or cook this up on a Sunday for a healthy meal prep during the week.

Ingredients You'll Need for this Orange Chicken:

• Soy Sauce
• Orange Juice and Orange Zest
• Garlic
• Toasted Sesame Oil
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
• Canola Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Rice and steamed veggies (optional) for serving
• Sesame Seeds and Green Onions for a garnish

Once the chicken is marinated, this dish comes together so quick! Get your rice (or quinoa, or even cauliflower rice) cooking then set heat up a medium-large skillet with some canola oil. Dump in your chicken (with the marinade) and sauté! It will take about 10-15 minutes for the chicken to cook and the marinade to thicken into a sauce. That's it! I like to sprinkle on lots of sesame seeds and sliced green onions before spooning over the cooked rice.

In addition to being an easy weeknight dinner, I love this Healthy Orange Chicken for meal prep! Just divide up the chicken with some rice in containers and you've got lunches and dinners all set to go!

Craving some other Takeout-inspired recipes?

• 15-Minute Korean Ground Beef Bowls
• Spicy Black Pepper Shrimp Udon
• Kimchi Fried Rice
• Easy Sesame Chicken

Recipe

Healthy Orange Chicken

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Healthy Orange Chicken satisfies your takeout craving without the frying. Just marinate chicken thighs in an easy orange marinade for an easy, flavorful weeknight dinner or healthy meal prep. 

• Author: Kathleen
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 155 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

Orange Marinade

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Chicken and for Serving

• 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch chunks)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• salt and ground black pepper
• 1 cup white rice, cooked according to package directions
• steamed veggies (optional for serving)
• sesame seeds (for garnish)
• thinly sliced green onions (for garnish)
• extra orange zest (for garnish)

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Instructions

1. In a medium-large bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients and toss in the chicken chunks. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
2. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and marinade. Saute, stirring occasionally until chicken is golden brown, cooked through, and marinade has reduced and thickened. About 12-15 minutes.
3. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of water so you can scrape up any brown bits from the bottom. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
4. Spoon cooked rice into a bowl with steamed veggies (if using). Spoon over some orange chicken and sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onions, and a pinch of orange zest. Enjoy!

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Keywords: Orange Chicken, Healthy Orange Chicken, Healthier Orange Chicken