This orange chicken and rice combines lightly cornflour-coated chicken breast with a sweet, tangy sauce made from fresh orange juice, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. It takes around 25 minutes, makes five portions and skips the deep-frying. Served with a side of veggies, it makes a tasty Asian fakeaway meal prep that reheats well.
I really love my Chinese takeaway options but always find that the coating on the chicken doesn't quite hold up on day 2 - despite the flavours staying amazing. I wanted to create a version that was meal prep friendly with texture that lasted beyond the fresh version. The cornflour gives the chicken some colour and helps the sauce cling without turning it into a deep-fried takeaway copy, something that I also do with my Chinese lemon chicken.
TL;DR
- Servings: 5
- Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes
- Meal prep: Balanced with a source of lean protein, carbs and veggies, plus a drinkable Asian-inspired orange soy sauce that keeps things tasting great.
- Fridge storage: 3-4 days
- Freezer storage: 3 months
- Reheating: microwave with splash of water (3 minutes) or stovetop
- Customise: Adjust sauce ratios depending on vibe, add extra veggies or mix them up.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
41g protein. This is a high protein chicken recipe with lots of veg which makes it perfect if you're meal prepping for the week.
Asian fakeaway. With takeaway dishes costing like $30 (not in this cost of living crisis thank you), you need to have a couple of fakeaway options in your back pocket (this orange chicken is one of my faves).
Citrusy. The fresh orange in this homemade sauce brings a bright, zippy flavour that helps balance the soy and sugar.
Ingredients
Chicken breast. I use chicken breast because it cooks quickly and keeps the recipe lean, while the cornflour coating and sauce help it stay moist during reheating. Chicken thighs are a more forgiving option if you prefer richer, juicier pieces.
Soy sauce. Brings that umami punch. Use low-sodium if you're watching salt.
Cornstarch. This creates a light coating around the chicken so it browns more easily and stays moist, and some of that starch also helps the orange sauce thicken once everything comes together in the pan.
Baking soda. This is a popular ingredient in Asian recipes to help tenderise the meat.
Orange juice and rind. Fresh orange juice gives the sauce a brighter flavour, while the zest provides concentrated citrus without adding more liquid. Bottled 100% orange juice works in a pinch, but taste it before adding all the brown sugar because some brands are much sweeter.
Garlic. Because flavor. Always.
Ginger. Highly recommend fresh ginger for the zing. You can use minced or ground, but it won't have the same punch.
Brown sugar. Sweetens things up and balances the citrus. If you're using premade orange juice (especially if it has sugar in it), you may not need as much.
White wine vinegar. You can substitute with any white vinegar, or even white wine. It helps with the balance of the citrus.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
Substitutions and variations
Swap the chicken. You can use boneless thighs for a richer bite or extra-firm tofu for a veggie-friendly version. Prepare the exact same (but with the tofu, you don't have to worry about bringing it up to temperature).
Orange juice. As I recommended above, freshly squeezing your own orange juice gives you a lot more control, while 100% orange juice from the store (with or without pulp depending on your preferences) can also work. Whichever you choose, make sure you taste before adding all the brown sugar as brands and oranges differ in sweetness.
Vinegar. My vinegar element of choice is white wine vinegar as this is what I always have on hand. You can substitute with other white vinegar including rice vinegar or even apple cider vinegar if this is what you have.
Other veg. Other veggies can definitely work but you may have to adjust how you cook it as veggies like broccoli and cauliflower can take a bit longer than the thinly sliced veggies I recommend.
How to make orange chicken
Step 1: Coat chicken in cornstarch, baking soda, soy sauce and orange zest. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Step 2: While you're waiting for the chicken to marinate, mix together sauce ingredients and chop your veggies.
Step 3: Add chicken to the pan over medium heat until the outside is lightly browned and there's no pink bits (it doesn't have to be cooked through as it will continue cooking in the sauce).
Cook in batches if necessary. If the pan is crowded, the chicken releases moisture and steams instead of browning which also dilutes the sauce later.
Step 4: Add sauce to the chicken and allow it to come to a bubble before lowering the heat to low.
Note - it will look like quite a bit of sauce at the beginning. This is intentional as it thickens when lowering the temperature (because of the cornstarch coating the chicken) and extra is then used on the veggies.
Step 5: After about 5 minutes after it bubbles, you'll notice it thickens and begins coating the chicken as pictured. It should be glossy and lightly coat the back of a spoon rather than immediately rolling off. It'll thicken slightly more as it cools.
The chicken will be done when the thickest piece has reached 74C/165F. Remove and set aside to rest.
Step 6: Add vegetables in a single layer to the leftover sauce. Toss gently to coat for approx. 5 minutes or until tender.
Step 7: Serve with rice, spooning over any remaining sauce.
Lauren's Top Tips
Taste and tweak the sauce. Orange chicken sauce should taste sweet, salty and tangy rather than strongly sugary or sharply acidic. Fresh oranges vary in sweetness, so taste the sauce once it has simmered before deciding whether it needs adjusting.
If it is too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If it is too sharp, add a small amount of brown sugar. If it tastes flat, soy sauce or fresh ginger usually brings it back into balance.
Meal prepping orange chicken and rice
This recipe is the perfect 30 minute recipe for meal prepping (especially useful if you don't have time). As the orange chicken isn't deep fried, the texture remains good for a few days as it's not dependent on staying crisp.
Storing
Let the chicken and rice stop steaming (if you put the lid on while still super hot it can impact the texture and leave the rice and veggies soggy), portion into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. Store for up to 3 days.
I recommend keeping the chicken and rice separate to ensure the rice still maintains it's integrity - especially if you're going to eat this a few days later.Keep them side by side rather than spooning all of the orange sauce directly over the rice so it retains more texture.
Reheating
Microwave. Add a splash of water to the rice and orange sauce (this will keep the rice moist and helps loosen the sauce), then reheat on 1 minute bursts until hot, stirring in between. This will take approx. 3 minutes.
Stovetop. You can also reheat on the stove by adding a splash of oil to the pan, some extra liquid to the sauce and stirring for approx. 5 minutes until heated through. You can do the rice and veggies on the same pan, too.
Freezing
You can freeze the chicken either with or without the vegetables for up to 3 months. I recommend spooning in extra sauce to help coat the chicken so it stays more moist on storing and reheating.
I do a single serve of chicken in my 1 cup souper cubes as I prefer my meals to be protein heavy. Pictured is my ginger honey chicken because I've been too lazy to uncube my orange chicken (which as I'm updating this post is currently sitting in my freezer and I'm very tempted to just go eat it hahaha).
After freezing, add a splash of fresh orange juice and a little soy sauce while reheating. It loosens the sauce and brings some of the citrus flavour back.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
Let it simmer uncovered for a few more minutes so the starch and sugar can thicken it. If it still looks thin, mix a small amount of cornstarch with cold water and add gradually.
The pan is probably overcrowded or the chicken surface is too wet. Cook in batches and let the pieces sit long enough to colour before turning.
Fresh oranges and bottled juices vary in sweetness. Add a little more vinegar or soy sauce to bring the sauce back into balance.
Other chicken breast recipes you'll like
Or, you can have a browse through my chicken breast meal preps for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Orange Chicken and Rice
Save Recipe
Equipment
- Rice Cooker, recommended
Ingredients
Chicken, rice and vegetables
- 250 g (1 ⅓ cups) long-grain rice, yields approx.4 cups cooked
- 800 g (1 ¾ lb) chicken breast , cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda, optional, recommended
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, optional, recommended for extra orange flavour
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 capsicum/bell pepper
- 1 zucchini
- 1 carrot, large
Orange Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, see note 1
- 1 teaspoon ginger, see note 1
- ¾ cup orange juice, approx.2 oranges, see note 2
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar, see note 3
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, subs note 3
Instructions
Prepare
- Cook your 250 g (1 ⅓ cups) long-grain rice your way (it'll make approx. 3 ½ cups), or see my post for tips and tricks
- Dice your 800 g (1 ¾ lb) chicken breast into bite-sized chunks and toss with 2 tbsp corn starch, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp baking soda (optional, helps tenderise) 1 tbsp orange zest (optional, it adds to the orange flavour). Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Slice 1 capsicum/bell pepper, 1 zucchini, 1 carrot into even, bite sized pieces
- Mince/grate 3 cloves garlic and 1 tsp ginger, then mix together with ¾ cup orange juice, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar. Taste before adding 2 tbsp brown sugar as the sweetness of orange juice can vary among oranges and between brands.
Cook
- Heat a pan over medium heat with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes each side (it doesn't need to be cooked through yet).Note - this should be done in a single layer without crowding so the chicken browns instead of steams.
- Pour orange sauce into the pan and let it come to a bubble (approx. 3 minutes).Note - it will look like a lot of sauce, but it's designed to have extra after cooking the chicken to coat the veggies.
- Once bubbling, decrease the heat to low and stir to coat the chicken. This will begin to thicken and should coat the chicken within about 5 minutes. The sauce should be glossy and coat the back of a spoon without falling off.
- Once the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes (it'll continue to rise when resting). Note - the orange sauce amount is designed to still have some left in the pan for the vegetables. It will thicken more on cooling.
- If you're cooking vegetables, you can do these in the same pan while the chicken is resting (they'll be coated in the leftover sauce giving them flavour). Do this in a single layer, it'll take about 5 minutes with the veggies I've recommended
- Serve over rice and spoon over extra sauce.
google travel
Very good post! We will be linking to this particularly great
content on our website. Keep up the good writing.