We sometimes get emails and comments wondering why we don’t post more _________ (because that blank is always different for everyone) or that it’s been too long since we’ve posted whatever they’re looking for. I always tell them to hold on for a week or two because we’ll probably transition into whatever phase they’ve got a hankering for. We kind of come and go in waves and phases and apparently right now, Sara and I are in a quick-and-easy-Asian-inspired-healthy-dinner kick. Sara posted this Quick and Easy Chinese Orange Beef last week, probably not knowing I had an orange chicken stir-fry in the works (that would be because I’m reallyreallyreally bad at sticking to our calendar!) But that’s okay–I figure the more quick, easy, delicious meals using fresh ingredients I have in my rotation, the better.
This is another recipe that has become pretty much a weekly staple at our house.
I got this recipe from Kitchen Explorers on the PBS website and it was created by Alice Currah, the sweet genius behind Savory Sweet Life. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s like she created it to be adapted and customized to your personal taste. It was such a great jumping-off point and as I’ve made it again and again, it’s evolved into something a little different from how it was written and one of my very favorite meals. That happens to be good for you. Which means I can have that Reese’s Peanut Butter egg (’tis the season for those devil snacks).
For the sauce, you’re going to need soy sauce, rice vinegar, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, brown sugar, orange juice, and the juice and zest of 1 lime. Yes, I did forget the brown sugar in the picture. I’m a 32-year-old delinquent.
In a large skillet, whisk together the sauce ingredients. You can also blend it up in the blender, but I hate washing my blender (and even kind of hate washing my immersion blender, although not quite as much) and for me, the smooth sauce didn’t make a big enough difference to outweigh the washing of the blender issue. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a heat-safe bowl and set aside. Rinse out the pan and wipe dry.
For the stir-fry, you’re going to need a pound of chicken breasts, cut into 1″ chunks…
1 medium red onion, halved and cut into 1/4″ slices, and then 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, 1 1/2 cups green beans, and a red, yellow, or orange bell pepper cut into strips.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper…
and then sprinkle it with 3 tablespoons of corn starch. Rub it into the chicken.
Over medium-high heat, heat about 1 tablespoon of your favorite high-temperature cooking oil in the skillet you used to heat the sauce. Swirl the hot oil around the pan and then add the seasoned chicken. Stir-fry the chicken until done, then add the onions and other veggies. Stir-fry until the veggies are tender-crisp. Add the sauce, a few tablespoons at a time, to the stir fry, stirring completely and allowing it to bubble before adding more. Serve immediately over hot rice.
Makes 4 servings.
Calories: 242
Fat: 4.8
Carbs: 27.5
Fiber: 2.9
Protein: 26.3
WW Points Plus: 6
Sweet & Sour Citrus Chicken Stir-Fry
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from this recipe by Alice Currah
Ingredients:
Sauce
2/3 cup orange juice
Juice and grated rind of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons juice)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced or grated
Stir-Fry
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen; if frozen, pull them out when you begin cooking)
1 1/2 cups green beans (fresh or frozen; pull these out of the freezer with the broccoli)
1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 small or medium red onion, halved and cut into 1/4″ slices
Instructions:
In a large skillet, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Rinse out the skillet and wipe it dry.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with corn starch and rub the corn starch into the chicken.
Add about 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan to coat it. Add the seasoned chicken and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the onions and other veggies and stir-fry until the beans and broccoli are tender-crisp. Add the sauce, a few tablespoons at a time, allowing the sauce to bubble up after each addition. Serve immediately over hot rice. Makes 4 servings.
Questions & Reviews
Can I just say thank you for posting such awesome recipes with practical ingredients. I hate watching the Food Network and seeing delicious looking food then going online to find the recipe and it calls for some herb only grown in the mountains of the himalayas! Not to mention the fact that they always use like 4 dozen ingredients per dish, with 3 hours of prep time (without little kids needing mom every 15 minutes for something). All I’m trying to say is thanks for the awesome blog with awesome recipes that I use almost on a daily basis! 🙂
I made this and almost doubled the recipe, hoping to freeze some for later. My 5 kiddos loved it so much they ate almost the entire thing. I didn’t have enough to freeze, so I count this as a major success. THANK YOU!
I made this for dinner tonight. It was fabulous! Tonight as I was putting my 5 year old to bed he asked if I could make it again tomorrow night because it was “super yummy.” Thanks for a great recipe that my kids loved!
Made this for supper last evening – completely delicious! Love the tangy citrus flavors!
Question- I made this for dinner last night and TOTALLY loved it. I goofed it up somehow though. My chicken stuck all over the pan and I’ve never had that happen quite like that before, but I’ve never coated it in cornstarch before either. Do you cook it at a lower temp than usual or anything?
My guess is that you probably just need a little bit more oil in your pan, or maybe use a non-stick pan, or maybe a little bit of both. Hope that helps! 🙂
I can always count on OBB to have a yummy dinner idea. I’m excited to try this!
Is the calorie count for the stirfry alone, or does it include a serving of rice? Thanks!
Doesn’t include rice (sadly).
Looks so delicious! I am sick of my same old stir-fries so I’ll definitely have to try this one. Also, I hesitate to say this because I absolutely HATE it when people try to tell bloggers what to do in their comments, but I am sort of a germ-a-phobe when it comes to raw meat, so I’ll say it anyway. May I suggest that you switch your cutting boards, and use plastic for meats and wood for veggies? Those wood ones are not very sanitary for cutting raw meats- the bacteria gets down in the little cracks in the wood, whereas the plastic ones you can just stick in the dishwasher. I use my wood for bread, fruits & veggies. Sorry, I just couldn’t not mention it 😉 Love your blog and your recipes!
I made it tonight. A. Maze. Ing. So yummy (and gf for me!) Thanks again ladies, you are amazing!
I’m on a Mexican food kick now (Asian was last week) so I’m filing this one away. It looks delicious–keep them coming!