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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Orange Chicken Stir Fry

I love, love, love the orange chicken at Panda Express.  What I do not love is all those fat and calories.  So when I thought about how I could bring that yummy orange flavor to my table with a ton less of those fat and/or calories I hate so much, I knew all I really had to do was not fry the chicken.  Don't get me wrong, I love that fried crispy chicken that you get at restaurants, but with this recipe, I don't have to run an extra mile in the morning!

I did a search for orange chicken recipes and came up with this conglomeration of those ingredients used.  This was the perfect dish to satisfy any craving you might have for orange chicken.

Orange Chicken Stir Fry
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange pepper, thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup water, plus 1 Tablespoon; divided
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Place on plate or cookie sheet in a single layer.  Put in freezer for 30 minutes.  Remove from freezer and slice the chicken into thin slices or bite size chunks.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the orange juice, lemon juice, 1/3 cup water, vinegar, soy, garlic, sugar, pepper flakes, and ginger until well blended.  In another bowl, mix together the cornstarch and the remaining 1 tablespoon water; stir until smooth.  Set both aside.

In a wok or a large, deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil on medium high heat.  Add the chicken and quickly stir fry until just cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the peppers and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.  Now, whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce, then immediately pour the sauce into the wok/skillet.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook until the sauce thickens.  Add the green onions and toss to combine.  Immediately remove from heat.  Serve over rice.  Enjoy! 

One Year Ago:  Honey and Spiced Glazed Pork Chops

17 comments:

Unknown said...

Mmmmmmm orange and ginger. Heavenly! I'd have fried it and to hell with the consequences!

Yenta Mary said...

Bright colors, bright flavor, all in a healthier version! Looks absolutely fabulous!!!

Big Dude said...

It looks perfect Jenn.

StephenC said...

A great compromise to get the flavor you want without the guilt you don't.

Unknown said...

I love trying to recreate restaurnat meals at home - healthy versions! Looks GO GOOD! I'm thinking about doing some type of orange chicken today too!

Cranberry Morning said...

That sounds like a fantastic variation on a stir fry theme. I make lots of stirfries, so it's nice to get some new ideas. Love the citrus in this recipe!

Andrea the Kitchen Witch said...

Oh yum! I love orange chicken - and I love the stir fried version even more than the deep fried one :) SO bright & colorful you KNOW its gonna taste good :)

But I have to ask...where's the velveting on this one Missy? LOL just kidding...well kinda... :)

My Medifast said...

Great looking recipe, look forward to trying this orange chicken, thanks for posting.

Victor said...

As a Chinese, we love to make stir-fry and it is very quick to make them. We also add some oyster sauce for extra flavor.

Mary Bergfeld said...

It really looks delicious and you have indeed found a healthy version of the original. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Pam said...

I love Panda Express orange chicken too but never get it because it is so unhealthy! This dish looks FANTASTIC.

Miss Meat and Potatoes said...

Yum!!!!! Thanks for figuring this out sister! All the same flavors and none of the guilt. Perfect!

Cheeseboy said...

I thought that Panda Express orange chicken was made from panda? At least it's as chewy as panda. I love the flavor but the chicken itself is awful I bet yours is way better.

Unknown said...

I love the orange chicken at panda express too. I always have the same thing. My order is half boiled rice, half chow mein, orange chicken and mandarin chicken.
This is a wonderful healthier version.

Unknown said...

Dont talk to me about those calories - I LOVE that place, and Taco Bell...could you make me a healthy version of the Cheesy Gordita Crunch??? OH pretty please, you have the skills!

Debbie said...

This looks like a delicious dish from a 5 star restaurant....But I'm sure a lot healthier!!

Chris said...

Oh my, this looks delicious, Jenn! Great alternative to the deep frying. I just made my best ever stir fry last night, Alexis kept moaning as she ate it. Sure enough I didn't take a single picture, lol. That's okay, I wrote it down afterwards. I how this would be if I grilled the chicken pieces (kabobs) first and then tossed them in the stir fry at the point the peppers are done. You'd lose something from NOT having the chicken cooked in the pan but you'd gain that smoky chariness. Hmmmmmm.