Healthy Orange Chicken

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 This Healthy Orange Chicken and broccoli recipe turns your favorite takeout dish into a wholesome, easy meal. Crispy chicken pieces are coated in a sticky and sweet homemade orange sauce that’s just as delicious as anything you’d order from a restaurant!

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Orange Chicken

  • All-In-One Meal. This orange chicken recipe is the easiest and most delicious all-in-one meal! Thanks to the chicken, veggies, and orange sauce, the dish contains protein, fiber, and numerous vitamins and minerals (same with this Sheet Pan Shrimp and Broccoli). If you want a side dish, Instant Pot Brown Rice is easy and quick.
  • REAL Orange Flavor. As with this classic Orange Chicken, the secret to the best orange chicken is in the sauce! Instead of orange chicken with orange marmalade and brown sugar, this orange chicken sauce is made of a few wholesome ingredients. The most important ingredient is real orange juice and orange zest.
  • Healthy. Just like my Crockpot Orange Chicken, this orange chicken is better tasting, better for you, and less expensive than orange chicken from [insert your Chinese takeout chain here]. Like many of my other healthy fast food makeovers (like Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry), this recipe keeps the spirit of the dish, but delivers it in a more wholesome way.
  • Tastes Like the Real Thing. You’ll find the signature orange chicken sauce and orange chicken crispy coating, but the chicken is baked and not fried.

How to Make Healthy Orange Chicken

The Ingredients

For the Crispy Baked Chicken
  • Chicken Breasts. Because we’re baking the chicken instead of frying it, this orange chicken is good for you. After it’s baked, the chicken becomes the perfect combination of crispy outside and moist and tender inside. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could also try this as an orange chicken thighs recipe.
  • Panko Breadcrumbs. The best way to help crisp up the chicken without frying it. They also absorb the sauce, giving the chicken pieces their hallmark sticky texture.
  • Green Onions. One of my favorite additions to stir fry recipes. They add balance to the sweetness of the sauce and give freshness and color to the dish.
For the Homemade Orange Chicken Sauce
  • Orange Zest + Juice. The key to our fresh, bright orange flavor. The best part: both of these ingredients can come from the same orange (winning!).
  • Honey. As with other sticky, Asian-inspired dishes (like Sesame Chicken), I used honey instead of granulated sugar or brown sugar.
  • Soy Sauce. A star ingredient in almost every stir fry recipe. Soy sauce brings a savory, salty complement to the sweetness of the orange and honey.
  • Ginger + Garlic. The Asian flavor dream team!
  • Cornstarch + Water. Creates a cornstarch slurry to help thicken the sauce.
  • Red Pepper Flakes. Orange chicken is not spicy on its own, so I threw in red pepper flakes for some heat. Add as much or as little as you want to reach your desired level of spiciness.

The Directions

1. Prep the Broccoli. Toss it with oil and spices, then add it to a baking sheet.

2. Prep the Chicken. Toss it with breadcrumbs before adding it to the sheet pan.

3. Bake. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
4. Make the Sauce. Boil until it’s deliciously thick and sticky.
5. Put It All Together. Coat the chicken in the sauce. Serve with broccoli and ENJOY!

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Place leftover orange chicken in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • To Reheat. To help the chicken recrisp, rewarm this recipe on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F until hot. In a pinch, you can also reheat it in the microwave.
  • To Freeze. Store orange chicken in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The chicken may not be as crispy once thawed, but it will still taste delicious.

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