Over the last year, I’ve slowly been increasing our repertoire of deliciously, simple recipes, which are easy enough that my kids can make. It’s completely a bonus when I’ve tweaked the recipe to where they are low fat as well.
Just like my Simple Sesame Chicken recipe, this “Chinese” Orange Chicken recipe delivers all the taste of the recipe we love without all the fat from deep frying. Two years ago, at my band rehearsal, my friend brought me a little Tupperware full of this Orange Chicken. I devoured it and insisted on the recipe. She proceeded to tell me, garlic, ginger, red chili sauce, soy sauce and orange marmalade with NO amounts listed. I panicked. How can she except me to guess, yet those are the types of challenges that have made me a better cook over the years.
I am listing amounts, but remember that once you’ve made it once, tweak it to your family’s palette. Enjoy this Low Fat take on Orange Chicken. Since I grill and bake chicken strips in bulk, and then have Ziplock bags ready to go in my freezer, this meal whips up quickly, meeting my requirements for a great Ten Minute Dinner.
Recipe: Easy Orange Chicken
Summary: A simply delicious, low fat take on this citrus inspired Orange Chicken recipe.
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 3/4 cup orange marmalade or jam
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water (I’ve used orange juice, but it makes it very orange. Again, preference)
- 1-2 teaspoon ground ginger (fresh is best, but ground ginger works as well)
- 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or chili paste (This gives it an extra “kick,” especially if you add 2 tsps.)
- Choice of oil (I use olive or sesame oil.)
- 3-5 garlic cloves (Since we love garlic – use less if you don’t love it.)
Instructions
- Chicken Strips Preparation
- Cut chicken breast into 1 inch strips.
- Dredge chicken in flour for a quick breading.
- Heat (medium-high) a large skillet that has been coated with your choice of oil.
- Cook chicken strips in a few cloves of minced garlic, oil and a few dashes of soy sauce until no longer pink.
- Remove chicken from pan and deglaze pan with some of the vinegar.
- Orange Chicken Sauce Instructions
- Saute remaining garlic and then add orange marmalade, soy sauce, water, ginger, chili paste, red pepper flakes, and the rest of the vinegar.
- Cook on medium – high heat until sauce begins to thicken slightly. Reduce heat. Initially, it will be very liquidy and seem as if it won’t thicken, but it will. ( Some choose to add 1/4 cup cornstarch to help aid that process.) This is also when I do a taste test, and ask myself those important questions. Do I want more of a kick to it? Then I add some more red pepper flakes. Is it not sweet enough? Add more marmalade Too sweet? Then I add a bit more soy sauce and rice vinegar. I love that this can be mastered into the perfect fit for your taste.
- Pour chicken into skillet with sauce. It will continue to thicken.
- You can add more water if sauce is too thick. (Taste test to see if additional seasoning needed.)
- Serve with recipe.
I always double the amount of sauce since we like extra for rice and left overs.
Preparation time: 10 minutes (Much less if using prepared chicken strips)
Cooking time: 10 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
My very simple breading technique is to just use flour. Mix the flour and chicken in a ziplock bag or just a bowl for ease. I guarantee, you will want to make additional chicken in this manner for lots of easy chicken recipes.
De-glazing the pan is just the fancy cooking term that means remove all those extra yummy, caramelized pieces that were left behind when you cooked up your garlic and chicken and make sure they get added to your sauce.
Yes, it starts out liquid-y, but will thicken into sheer deliciousness.
I double and triple this recipe and my family will still continue to eat as long as I’ve made it. I try and put some away before they see the extra amounts, so that I have another meal out of it. It freezes very well, but typically, we just heat it up the next day.
The kids still pick my Sesame Chicken Recipe (which is the same technique) as their first choice, but since they love a change like I do, this is another great low fat option. I’ve included multiple steps, but once you’ve made it a few times, it will be one of those recipes that you have memorized and go to on any busy evening.
ENJOY!
I’d love for you to follow me and share this on Pinterest.
How did you know I had a jar of orange marmalade in my pantry that I bought for 50 cents??? 🙂 Looks great, will definitely try it soon.
[Reply]
You can also dredge chicken in cornstarch and let sit for 15 minutes before cooking. It gets nice and crispy if you have to do it in 2 batches. (I learned that little trick from a gluten-free website) I have been craving orange chicken lately! Thanks for the recipe!
[Reply]
Tawna Reply:
February 29th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
@Tawna, oops! supposed to be “if you cook it in two batches”
[Reply]
Jen Reply:
March 1st, 2012 at 10:50 am
Yes, that is a great tip. The chicken also gets nice and crispy if dredged in egg whites and flour too, but with “attempting” to keep this as a Ten Minute Dinner, those extra minutes might keep someone from making it. I think I’ll share that though in an additional post for those who want to take the few extra minutes because yes, it’s so good that way. 🙂
[Reply]
Why haven’t I thought of that…to grill and freeze chicken?! I need to do this and then make this – my family loves orange chicken – thanks!
[Reply]
We love orange chicken and I think this recipe is better than the one I’ve been using. Thanks
[Reply]
Sounds Great – I’m going to make this tomorrow
[Reply]
Working on my menu for next week right now, so I’m adding this in! Thanks for the inspiration!
[Reply]
He, he – I had to chuckle at your comments of your friend giving you the recipe and then not mentioning amounts – and then I looked at your recipe and chuckled again when I read “1/3 soy sauce” and “1/2 water.” Torture us too! 😉
[Reply]
Jen Reply:
March 4th, 2012 at 7:09 pm
OH NO!! Thanks for noticing my typo. Those are CUPS. 🙂
[Reply]
I made this tonight for the first time. Hubby says it’s a keeper! (I love it, too). Thanks for a quick, delicious recipe!
[Reply]
This recipe is not only good but really fast and easy. I make this at least once a week. I use two of the really big Costco chicken breasts. I don’t need to double the amount of sauce – it serves four and comes out perfect.
[Reply]
The link to make the orange sauce does not work for me. I have no idea how to make it!
[Reply]
Jen Reply:
March 13th, 2013 at 9:41 pm
Jessica – the ingredients needed and directions are located in the recipe box portion of the post. If you scroll down, you hopefully should see it.
[Reply]
Thank you for this recipe. I have a tried and true recipe but it takes soooo much longer, so I haven’t made it in a while.
I did have to add cornstarch. I let the mixture boil for about 10 minutes and it never thickened up.
[Reply]
Could I substitute apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar?
[Reply]
Jen Reply:
March 15th, 2015 at 10:05 pm
Yes, you can. It will have a bit more of an acidic taste, but will still be good. 🙂
[Reply]