Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins | Total Time: 30 mins | Servings: 8

Ingredients:

4 large chicken breasts

Salt & pepper to taste

6 tbsp cornstarch

6 tbsp olive oil, divided

Chopped scallions, optional, for serving

Sauce:

1 1/2 cups orange juice see note

4 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tbsp cornstarch

Zest from 1 orange, see Notes

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions:

  1. With this recipe, it’s important to prep everything ahead of time, as the cooking part goes fast. Cut the chicken into  bite-size pieces and place it in a medium bowl. Season with some salt & pepper and sprinkle thew cornstarch over it. Toss until coated.
  2. Add the sauce ingredients to another bowl and whisk together.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes.
  4. Once the pan is HOT, add half of the chicken to the skillet and ensure each piece isn’t crowded so it browns better. Cook for 4 minutes and then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes or so using cooking tongs. Chicken should be browned and cooked through (165F). For the second batch, add another tablespoon or so of olive oil to the pan. Transfer the chicken to a plate once it’s done.
  5. Turn the burner off, and pour the sauce into the skillet. The pan should still be screaming hot, so the sauce will thicken in about a minute. As the sauce bubbles, stir/scrape it to loosen any browned bit on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken back in and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Notes:

For the orange juice, I use a Simply Orange brand variety with no pulp. You can use freshly squeezed orange juice if you prefer.

For the orange zest, I would not go over 1 tbsp unless you want it very orangey. 1/2-3/4 tbsp or so will be fine (one medium orange). Oranges vary in size, so you don’t need to be too precise.

I love to serve this recipe with rice, but that’s totally optional! I typically measure out 1 cup of uncooked rice to serve 4, but feel free to make as much rice as you normally do. Start the rice before the chicken so that it’s ready at the same time.