Ground orange chicken is a simplified, healthier version of your favorite American Chinese takeaway dish. The sticky sweet savory sauce made with fresh orange juice goes so well with rice! Pair with vegetables of your choice and make it into a scrumptious meal.
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This Recipe Works Because...
- It is not fried - this makes it healthier compared to traditional fried version, and easier to make with simple steps.
- It does not have added sugar - it is naturally sweetened with real orange juice and honey
- It's made with accessible ingredients - there is no need to take a trip to an Asian grocery store!
- It cooks fast (yes, very)- there is no need to slice the meat, and the ground chicken cooks fast in the pan. It takes less than 20 minutes from the start to finish.
- It is full of flavors - there is tangy, sweet, savory, umami with refreshing orange flavor
Ingredients For This Recipe
For sauce:
- Fresh orange juice - you will need 2 large oranges
- Water
- Tamari soy sauce
- Honey
For slurry:
- Cornstarch
- Cold water
For chicken:
- Avocado oil - or any neutral tasting oil such as olive oil
- Garlic
- Ground chicken - other ground meat such as pork, beef, turnkey can be used as well
- Salt
- Orange zest - optional but I highly recommend to boost the orange flavor
Optional toppings:
- Orange slices
- Toasted white sesame
- Scallions
How to Make Ground Orange Chicken
1. Prepare the sauce and slurry mix - Mix all sauce ingredients in a cup and set aside.
In a different cup, combine the cornstarch and water for slurry and set aside.
2. Cook the garlic - in a large pan until fragrant.
3. Add in the ground chicken - and salt. Cook fully.
4. Pour in the sauce mix and orange zest - Stir gently for one minute.
5. Thicken the sauce - Pour the water & cornstarch mix over the chicken. Toss gently until the sauce thickens.
6. Serve over rice. Optional: garnish with orange slices, chopped scallions and toasted white sesame.
Tips
Make sure you are mixing cornstarch with cold water. If you mix with hot water, the cornstarch will clump up, becoming impossible to dissolve.
If you are adding orange zest, make sure to zest the orange first before squeezing out the juice.
To work fast once you start cooking, prepare all the ingredients before you begin. The last thing you want is to over cook the sauce, losing all the goodness!
Meal Prep Option
You can cook ground orange chicken ahead of time and pack it in a lunch box(es) with rice and vegetables. They can be refrigerated for up to three days.
Room temperature or slightly warmed oranges are way easier to squeeze than cold ones straight out of the fridge. I like to microwave half cut oranges for 10 seconds or so to soften up. It makes a huge difference.
Yes you can! If your bottled orange juice has added sugar, cut down the amount of honey to just 1 tablespoon instead, or adjust to your preference.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. Microwave or cook over stovetop to reheat.
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Recipe
Ground Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For sauce:
- ½ cup fresh orange juice about 2 large oranges
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
For cornstarch slurry:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons cold water
For chicken
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons orange zest optional but highly recommend
Optional toppings
- orange slices
- toasted white sesame
- chopped scallions
Instructions
- Mix all the sauce ingredients in a cup and set aside.
- In a different cup, combine the cornstarch and water for slurry and set aside.
- In a large pan, heat up the avocado (olive) oil and cook the garlic until fragrant.
- Add in the ground chicken and salt. Cook fully.
- Pour in the sauce mix and orange zest. Stir gently for one minute.
- Give a good stir to the water + cornstarch mix from step 2, and pour over the chicken. Toss gently until the sauce thickens.
- Serve over rice. Optional: garnish with orange slices, chopped scallions and toasted white sesame.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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