Food

Orange Chicken

I must be honest: I’m not the biggest fan of Chinese food.  I do have a craving for Sweet and Sour Chicken ever so often, but I avoid the veggies that come with it.  It became one of my weekly staples while I was living in Brussels years ago (wow…  11 years ago, to be precise), and there’s a very good version at a restaurant nearby that I rationalize every so often.  I’ve also had cashew chicken, but it’s been ages since I’ve had that.  With the exception of the Pork recipe I’ve posted, I’ve avoided most recipes, since they usually call for ingredients I tend to not have on hand – and why purchase bottles of things when I’m only going to use tablespoons of the things?

So, when I found a recipe on Pinterest for Orange Chicken that didn’t require those types of ingredients, I jumped on it.  Sure, it may not be TRUE Orange Chicken, but it works for me!  Bonus – it doesn’t require frying chicken!

Orange Chicken

  • Servings: 4
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Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-1.5 inch cubes
  • 1/4 c cornstarch
  • 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 3/4 c orange juice (no pulp)
  • 3 Tbsp Barbecue sauce
  • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil (divided)
  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix cornstarch, soy sauce and water until well combined.  Add cut up chicken.  Let marinate for at least 5 minutes.
  2. While the chicken marinates, combine Orange juice, Barbecue sauce, and 1 tablespoon of oil in a small bowl.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking.  Add chicken to pan using a slotted spoon, discarding marinade.  Sprinkle with 1-2 pinches kosher salt.  Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes.
  4. Add orange juice mixture to chicken and cook for another 4-6 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, and sauce has thickened.
  5. Serve over white rice.

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She has since changed the recipe so that it uses things like Hoisen sauce and the typical Chinese food ingredients, but I’ve not tried that one.  This version just seems easier, and I have all the ingredients in my house already.

I also love the fact that this takes me 30 minutes, tops to make.  A simple meal that I can make one night and use for weekday lunches!

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A bonus is that my Chinese food avoiding husband will actually eat it!  Not as often as I do, of course, but at least he doesn’t abhor it.

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Throw it on some white rice, and enjoy!

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