Orange Chicken with Broccoli and Peppers

Stir-fry dinners are great. They are so versatile and fairly quick to throw together. My husband loves any kind of stir fry so he's always pleased when I make it. I really like stir-fry because it is a great dairy-free option for our family and my kids are pretty good about eating it. I usually like to go heavier on the veggies and lighter on the meat, with a little extra sauce that I can pour over my rice.

This orange chicken was quite a hit in our house! Both my girls ate up everything on their plate and my oldest daughter even asked for more. We all loved how tender the chicken turned out and the sauce went with it perfectly.

Using freshly squeezed orange juice was just delicious, and for me is a must in this dish, although you could use store-bought in a pinch. You'll love the little bit of heat from the cayenne, even if you don't like your food spicy. I'm not huge on spice and this was perfect and not overpowering, which balanced out the light sweetness of the rest of dish. For the veggies in this stir-fry, I used broccoli and red pepper because they add great color and complimented the flavors well, but they are also easily substituted to your own tastes.

You're going to want to make this soon, your family will thank you for it!

Orange Chicken
For the marinade and sauce:
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3-4 oranges)
1 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
6 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 lbs. chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold water

1-2 red peppers, julienned
1 bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
hot cooked rice
Sesame seeds, for garnish (if desired)


To make the marinade and sauce, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper in a bowl; whisk to blend well. Measure out 3/4 cup of the mixture and transfer it either to a zip lock plastic bag or a small, shallow baking dish. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat evenly. Leave on the counter to marinate 30-60 minutes, prepping the veggies in the meantime.

Heat a large fry pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and add the broccoli and peppers and cook until crisp-tender. Remove veggies to a plate and set aside. Increase the heat to medium-high heat and add another drizzle of oil to the pan. Drain the chicken from the marinade and add it to the hot pan. Let it sit for a minute or two, then flip it as it turns a golden brown color. When chicken is just about done cooking, add the reserved sauce (not what you used for marinating) and bring to a boil. Combine water and cornstarch and add to the sauce to thicken. Boil about a minute or so. Turn off heat and add reserved veggies.

Serve over hot cooked rice and garnish with sesame seeds.


SOURCE: Sauce from Annie's Eats

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