Sweet and Tangy Orange Chicken is a delightful change sure to wake up your senses and make you smile! I’m not crazy about fried anything, so this is a perfect revision. Other than juicing a few oranges, it is seemingly effortless and quick to pull together on a busy night. I love an abundance of sauce to smother the chicken and rice so this has plenty!
Chicken can be cut and cubed to about 1″ chunks. If the chicken is partially frozen, it makes it easier to cut however fresh works well too. Either way, make sure chicken is patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper before cooking. 
My choice of oranges this time of year is Cara Cara, the power orange. They offer this dish the perfect sweet, tangy flavor, with a great anti-oxidant punch! After washing a couple to remove the protective coating, zest oranges to obtain the amount needed for this recipe. Then juice a few oranges until you have what is required for the sauce.
To prepare rice, place 3 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add two cups of Jasmine rice along with the zest and stir. Reduce the heat simmer and cover the pot. It should be ready in about 15 minutes. Plan on starting the chicken about 5 minutes after the rice begins to simmer.
Pat chicken dry and cook for about 5-6 minutes in a wok, or saucepan on high heat, tossing frequently in the oil. Remove from the pan and place on the side and remove pan from the heat. This 1.5 pounds created about 3 cups of meat. Considering how much sauce this recipe makes, you could certainly cook another pound of chicken with it and it would make the recipe go further. However, if you like a lot of sauce, keep it as it is. This sauce is amazing and I love that it uses freshly squeezed orange juice. So, an abundance of sauce is what I desire. My grandchildren loved it!
Combine the remaining ingredients in a glass bowl. Return pan, or wok, to medium heat and put in sauce ingredients. Whisk in pan until it begins to thicken and bubble.
Stir in the chicken to thoroughly coat with sauce.
Place desired amount of chicken and sauce over the orange-infused rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Broccoli makes a great side dish for the meal! Close your eyes and inhale. I know this dish isn’t Indian, but its aromatic orange awakens your senses and calms your inner soul….kind of like yoga. Namaste!
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Cook time:
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Serves: 5 servings
- 1.5 pounds of chicken breasts, diced 1" chunks
- salt and pepper\
- 2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Orange Sauce:
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 T. orange zest- I used Cara Cara oranges in this recipe.
- ½ c. freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ c. chicken broth-I used Better than Bouillon Chicken Base.
- ⅓ c. soy sauce
- ⅓ c. honey
- ¼ c. sugar
- 1 t. onion powder
- ½ t. ground ginger or about a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
- 3 T. white/rice vinegar
- 1-1½ t. Sriracha sauce
- 3 T. cornstarch
- 3 T. freshly squeezed orange juice
- green onions for garnish
- sesame seeds for garnish
- crushed red pepper flakes for garnish, optional
- Rice:
- 3 c.water
- 2 c. Jasmine rice
- 1 t. orange zest
- Zest 1-2 oranges and juice enough oranges for the ½ cup needed for the sauce.
- Dice chicken into 1" pieces. Pat dry and lightly salt and pepper.
- Boil water for rice. Add rice and zest to pan and stir together. Cover and lower heat to simmer.
- In a wok or saucepan, cook chicken in 2 T. of oil on high heat until cooked throughout, about 5-6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and take chicken out and set aside.
- Combine sauce ingredients and pour back into wok/saucepan.
- Whisk as it cooks. Once it begins to bubble and thicken, add chicken.
- Serve over the orange infused rice.
