20 Minute Light Orange Chicken

A quick, easy, light and tasty Chinese orange chicken dish that is way better than takeout!

The Chinese or lunar New Year is quickly approaching and I have been thinking about Chinese cuisine a lot. The word for oranges in Chinese is similar to the word for wealth and thus oranges are considered lucky for the New Year, which is great since orange chicken is one of my favourite dishes. Normally takeout orange chicken is battered and fried in a lot of oil but I prefer this lighter and healthier version where the chicken is simply sauteed and then tossed in a super tasty orange sauce! One of the best things about this recipe is that it takes less time to make than it takes to steam the rice, less than 20 minutes!

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chill sauce such as sambal oelek or sriracha
• 1 tablespoon orange zest, grated
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup green onion, sliced (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the chicken and cook until cooked through, about 2-4 minutes per side.
2. Add the mixture of the orange juice, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chill sauce, garlic, ginger and the mixture of the water and the corn starch, toss to coat and cook until the sauce thickens, about a minute.
3. Remove from heat and serve garnished with sliced green onions.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 288, Fat 7g (Saturated 1g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 100mg, Sodium 874mg, Carbs 19g (Fiber 0.5g, Sugars 15g), Protein 34g