Satisfy your takeout cravings with a healthy orange chicken stir-fry recipe. It delivers all of the sweet and tangy flavors of a classic orange chicken, with extra veggies and without deep-frying or excess sugar.
If you’ve never had orange chicken, it’s an American-Chinese dish of bite-sized pieces of fried chicken in a sweet, orange-flavored chili-sauce glaze. It’s said to have gained popularity as a signature menu item for the Panda Express fast-food chain and is typically served over a bed of rice, garnished with green onions or sesame seeds.
For this recipe, I wanted to create a healthier take on classic orange chicken that offers just as much, if not more, orange flavor with juicy chicken, but with better macros. So, this healthy orange chicken stir-fry is my upgraded take on the popular dish.
Why You’ll Love It
- Ready in 30 Minutes – It’s quick and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
- High in Protein – This healthy orange chicken is loaded with 33 grams of protein per serving.
- Made in One Pan – This one-pan recipe keeps cleanup to a minimum.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Chicken -To add some protein and make the orange chicken. The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs would also work well. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Orange Juice – To make the orange stir-fry sauce. You can use freshly squeezed orange juice or store-bought.
- Orange Zest – To enhance the orange flavor.
- Sesame Oil – To cook the chicken and add some flavor and healthy fats. Avocado oil and olive oil would also work well.
- Honey – To add a hit of sweetness. You can use brown sugar if preffered.
- Rice Vinegar – To balance the acidity in the sauce.
- Soy Sauce – To add some saltiness to the sauce. You can use regular or low-sodium soy sauce.
- Red Pepper Flakes – To add a bit of heat, although optional. Sriracha would also work well. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Cornstarch – To thicken the orange sauce.
- Garlic + Ginger – To flavor the sauce. The recipe calls for fresh garlic and ginger, but you can use garlic powder and ground ginger if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Veggies – To add some color, fiber, and micronutrients. The recipe calls for red bell peppers and green beans, but snap peas, snow peas, carrots, and/or broccoli would also work well. You can also use frozen stir-fry vegetables if needed. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Rice – To add some complex carbohydrates. The recipe calls for white rice, but you can use brown rice if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos.
To Make it Dairy-Free: No adaptations are needed; this recipe is dairy-free.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
This recipe is naturally gluten-free except for the soy sauce. To make it safe for anyone with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, simply swap standard soy sauce for a gluten-free alternative, tamari, or coconut aminos.
Serving Suggestions
When served with rice, this orange chicken stir-fry is a balanced meal with protien, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat. It can be enjoyed as is or adapted to suit your personal calorie or macro needs. For example:
- To make it higher in protein, add an additional 1/2 pound of chicken to the recipe.
- To make it higher in fiber, add some broccoli and/or swap the white rice for brown rice.
- To make it low carb, swap the white rice for cauliflower rice.
- To add extra flavor, add a spoonful of orange marmalade to the sauce.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the orange chicken beef stir-fry and rice to cool completely, then add them to containers, combined or separately, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: Once cooled completely, transfer the stir-fry and rice to airtight containers, combined or separately, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Once thawed, reheat rice and chicken stir-fry in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until warm.
More Stir Fry Recipes:
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Orange Chicken Stir Fry
Ready in 30 minutes, this healthy orange stir-fry is perfect for busy weeknight dinner. It’s also full of color, flavor, protein, and fiber, and leftovers keep well in the fridge and freezer.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Total Time: 30 minutes
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Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Category: Dinner
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Method: Stovetop
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:Ingredients
Orange Sauce:
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (about 1 orange)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1-inch ginger root, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Stir-Fry:
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 1 cup green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 bell peppers, any color, seeded and thinly sliced
To Serve:
- 1 1/2 cups white rice
- Sesame seeds (optional)
- Orange, sliced (optional)
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a pot, combine the rice with 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 15 minutes, or as per package directions, until it can be fluffed with a fork.
- In a small bowl, add the orange juice, orange zest, garlic, ginger, honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes, and whisk until combined. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or pan, on medium-high heat, warm the sesame oil, then add the sliced chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway, until mostly cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the sliced green onion (white parts only), bell peppers, and green beans; stir to combine with the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 2-3 minutes until the veggies are tender.
- Reduce the heat to medium, return the chicken to the pan, then pour the orange sauce into the pan, stir to coat the chicken and vegetables, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened and everything is well coated.
- The orange chicken stir-fry can be serve immediately over cooked rice with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onion (green parts) on top and fresh orange slices on the side, or cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Brown Rice: Swap the white rice for 1 1/2 cups of brown rice in step #1 and increase the cooking time to 40 minutes.
To Use Chicken Thighs: Swap the chicken breasts for 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs in step #3.
To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the green onion for 1 teaspoon of onion powder in step 2#.
To Use Ground Ginger: Swap the fresh ginger for 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger in step #2.
To Use Brown Sugar: Swap the honey for 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in step #2.
To Use Sriracha: Swap the red pepper flakes for 1 teaspoon of sriracha in step #2.
To Use Frozen Vegetables: Swap the bell peppers and green beans for 3 cups of frozen stir-fry vegetables in step #4 and increase the cooking time by 3-4 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 509 calories
- Sugar: 14 grams
- Fat: 7 grams
- Carbohydrates: 76 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 33 grams
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