Orange Chicken and Rice

a square image of orange chicken with rice

This orange chicken and rice is an easy fakeaway made with lightly coated chicken breast in a sweet, tangy orange sauce with garlic, ginger and soy. It makes five meal-prep-friendly servings and reheats well without relying on a deep-fried coating to stay crispy.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings

Calories 471 kcal

Equipment

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.

Video

Notes

Note 1 - Garlic and ginger

I highly recommend using fresh garlic cloves and freshly grated ginger for the best flavour. You can opt for pre-minced or even powder in a pinch, but you won't have the same intensity.

Note 2 - Orange Juice

I recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice for the best flavour, but you can use store-bought if this is all you have access too. I recommend getting juice that is 100% juice without added fillers or sugar.

Note 3 - Brown sugar

Taste the sauce before adding the brown sugar as oranges and orange juice can vary in sweetness.

Note 4 - White wine vinegar

Substitute with other white vinegars (apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, rice vinegar)

Storing

Keep the orange chicken separate from the rice if possible to prevent the rice going soggy. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Reheating

Microwave. Add a splash of water to the rice and orange sauce, then reheat on 1 minute bursts, stirring in between.

Stovetop. Add a splash of oil to the pan, some extra liquid to the sauce then heat on the pan for approx. 5 minutes. Stirring regularly.

Freezing

Store in the freezer for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 41gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 1209mgPotassium: 975mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 2994IUVitamin C: 63mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 2mg

Keyword chicken meal prep, chicken recipe, Meal Prep Recipe

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