This simple but delicious baked Healthy Orange Chicken and broccoli recipe is crisped up in the oven and then coated with a mouthwatering sauce. Made in just 35 minutes at home, you’ll love this non-fried version of a take-out favorite!
This orange chicken recipe is a healthy dinner with chicken or as some might like to call it “skinny orange chicken” that’s made as an option to the traditional orange chicken you get at the restaurant as we don’t fry our chicken in oil and instead, bake it in the oven to get it crispy! Made with just a handful of ingredients, you’ll be wondering why you haven’t been making it at home sooner!
If you’re looking for more healthy chicken meals at home, try my Spicy Cashew Chicken Recipe or my recipe. Both these Asian Chinese ispired recipes are made in less than 35 minutes so it’s even faster than driving out to buy it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is so flavorful! Your kids fall in love with this delicious healthy orange chicken recipe. The simple orange sauce is so good thanks to the orange juice and orange zest!
- It’s an easy recipe. Unlike frying chicken to make it crispy, this baked orange chicken is pretty hands off because it crisps up in the oven and all you have to do is cook the sauce on the stovetop.
- It’s healthier because it’s not deep fried to get crispy!
Healthy Orange Chicken Ingredients
For the Chicken
- Chicken tenderloins — cut into 1 inch cubes
- Panko crumbs-available in most grocery stores
- Almond flour-low carb option to replace flour
- Seasoning: black pepper, salt, Spanish paprika, onion powder
- Eggs-used as a bonding agent
- Olive oil spray– to spray chicken before baking
Simple Orange Chicken Sauce
- Orange juice — fresh is always the best.
- Chicken broth — I recommend using low sodium.
- Soy sauce — I suggest using low sodium soy sauce.
- Orange zest-a must to boost the orange flavor.
- Ginger — freshly grated.
- Vegetable oil
- Rice vinegar— you can also use white vinegar if you don’t have that.
- Honey— a healthier option to sweeten up the sauce.
- Garlic — minced.
- Cornstarch— used to thicken up the sauce. You can use arrowroot powder instead.
How to Make Baked Orange Chicken Recipe
- Prep: Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix the sauce ingredients in a cup or bowl and set aside.
- Bread the chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk two eggs and then add in the cubed chicken. Mix to coat well. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients under the chicken to make the breading mixture.
- Lightly coat the chicken pieces with the breading mixture and set them on a baking sheet pan lined with a baking sheet.
- Bake the chicken: Spray with olive oil spray generously and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping the pieces half way through until crispy browned and cooked through. Use a large pan so you do not over crowd the chicken.
- Make the orange chicken sauce: In a deep frying pan or skillet, bring the sauce mixture to simmer on medium-low heat until the sauce thickens up, whisking occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Combine everything: Once the chicken has cooked through, let it cool for a couple of minutes and then add it into the skillet with the sauce. Carefully toss the chicken with the sauce to coat well.
- Enjoy: Garnish with some sesame seeds and serve with your favorite side dish.
Tips and Notes to make Healthy Chinese Orange Chicken
- Make is spicy by adding some sriracha sauce, cayenne pepper or chili flakes.
- If you don’t have chicken tenderloin, you can swap with chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
- If you’d like to serve this with broccoli like I do in my photo, you can roast it in the oven while you bake your chicken on another sheet pan!
- Want to make this ahead of time and keep the chicken crispy? You can bake the chicken and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready, you can make the sauce and add the chicken to it. Alternatively, you can make the sauce ahead of time as well and reheat it and add the chicken to it when ready to eat.
- Make sure you can cubing the chicken to the same size as you want them to cook evenly and at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make this orange chicken gluten-free with a few simple swaps. Be sure to use gluten-free panko crumbs instead of whole wheat flour/breadcrumbs, use tamari instead of soy sauce, and swap the cornstarch for a gluten-free cornstarch or tapioca flour.
This leftover healthy orange chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Since the sauce is on the chicken, overtime, the chicken will not be as crisp as it was if it was served immediately. Not to worry, the oven baked orange chicken is just as tasty!
You can serve orange chicken with quite a few things! Due to the sauce, serving the orange chicken over a bed of rice or quinoa is always a favorite as it can soak up the sauce. Vegetables are also a great side to orange chicken as well. Try broccoli, asparagus, broccolini, peas, snap peas, green beans, bell peppers, or just whatever is in your fridge.
No they are not the same, but very similar. Both are made with coated, crispy chicken with sweeter sauce, but general tso’s chicken is more of a chili based sauce, while orange chicken is more of an orange based sauce.
It is best to add a little bit of cornstarch to the orange chicken sauce because it works as a thickening agent for the sauce. Opting out will not give you the same thick consistency an orange sauce has. You can use arrowroot powder instead for a healthier option.
In this particular recipe, since it’s healthier, I swapped the original ingredients to make it healthier. These ingredients include, orange juice, chicken broth, soy sauce, orange zest, ginger, vegetable oil, rice vinegar, honey, garlic and corn starch. For a non-healthier orange chicken sauce, check out my Easy Orange Chicken recipe.
Want More Delicious Asian Recipes?
- Spicy Teriyaki Chicken with Broccoli
- Baked Teriyaki Salmon
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Salmon Stir Fry
- Spicy Honey Garlic Salmon
- Crispy Honey Chicken
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Healthy Orange Chicken recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!
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Healthy Baked Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken tenderloins cut into 1 inch cubes
- ¼ tbsps. whole wheat flour or whole wheat panko crumbs
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. Spanish paprika
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 2 whole eggs whisked
- Olive oil Spray
Orange Sauce
- ¾ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup chicken broth low sodium
- ¼ cup light soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tsp. orange zest
- 1 tsp. ginger freshly grated
- 1 tsp. vegetable oil
- 1½ tbsps. rice vinegar
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsps. corn starch
Garnishing
- sesame seeds
- green onions chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Mix the sauce ingredients in a cup or bowl and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk two eggs and then add in the cubed chicken. Mix to coat well. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients under the chicken to make the breading mixture.
- Lightly coat the chicken pieces with the breading mixture and set them on a baking sheet pan lined with a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil spray generously and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping the pieces half way through until crispy browned and cooked through. Use a large pan so you do not over crowd the chicken.
- Meanwhile, cook the sauce. You can to do this about 5 minutes before the chicken is fully cooked through so you don't let it sit for too long.
- In a deep frying pan or skillet, bring the sauce mixture to simmer on medium-low heat until the sauce thickens up, whisking occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Once the chicken has cooked through, let it cool for a couple of minutes and then add it into the skillet with the sauce. Carefully toss the chicken with the sauce to coat well.
- Garnish with some sesame seeds and serve with your favorite side dish.
Notes
- Make is spicy by adding some sriracha sauce, cayenne pepper or chili flakes.
- If you don’t have chicken tenderloin, you can swap with chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
- If you’d like to serve this with broccoli like I do in my photo, you can roast it in the oven while you bake your chicken on another sheet pan!
- Want to make this ahead of time and keep the chicken crispy? You can bake the chicken and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready, you can make the sauce and add the chicken to it. Alternatively, you can make the sauce ahead of time as well and reheat it and add the chicken to it when ready to eat.
- Make sure you can cubing the chicken to the same size as you want them to cook evenly and at the same time.
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