Asian-Inspired
Orange Ginger Chicken
Bite-size chicken cooks in a skillet, then gets coated in a fresh orange and ginger sauce. The result is sticky, bright, and balanced rather than overly sweet.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 33 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Fresh orange juice tastes cleaner than bottled sauces.
- Ginger and garlic keep the glaze from tasting flat.
- Cornstarch thickens the sauce in under a minute.
- Small chicken pieces cook fast and grab more glaze.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Toss chicken with cornstarch and salt until lightly coated.
- 2
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken in a single layer 6 to 8 minutes, turning, until browned and cooked through. Transfer out.
- 3
Lower heat to medium. Add garlic and ginger; cook 30 seconds.
- 4
Stir in orange juice, soy sauce, honey, and zest. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thick.
- 5
Return chicken and toss to coat for 1 minute.
- 6
Top with green onions and serve over rice or vegetables.
Pro tips
- Zest the orange before juicing it.
- Do not overcrowd when browning or the coating turns soggy.
- If sauce tightens too much, loosen with a spoon of water.
Easy substitutions
- honey
- brown sugar
- chicken breasts
- boneless thighs
- soy sauce
- tamari
Storage and reheating
Storage
Keep refrigerated up to 3 days in a sealed container.
Reheating
Warm in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 360
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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