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An overhead shot of stir fry orange chicken inside of a large white double handled skillet that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A wooden spatula rests inside of the skillet and the skillet is surrounded by a small wooden pinch bowl filled with kosher salt, a small ceramic bowl filled with thinly sliced green onion, and a blue linen napkin.

30-Minute Orange Chicken Stir Fry

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4
  • Category: Main Dishes, Chicken Recipes
  • Method: Stovetop, Skillet Recipes, Stir Fry
  • Cuisine: Chinese-American

Description

A quick, easy, & totally feel-good stir fry is one of my favorite ways to recreate our favorite takeout dishes at home. That’s exactly what we’ve done with this Orange Chicken Stir Fry recipe.

Stir frying lightly marinated chicken and loads of veggies in a homemade orange stir fry sauce delivers all the craveable flavor of classic orange chicken, with the benefit of being an easy one-skillet & veggie-loaded dinner that comes together faster than the time it takes to order delivery. (All without the fuss & mess involved with at-home deep frying!)

The star of the show is undoubtedly the orange stir fry sauce, a vibrant & sunshiney sauce with gloriously tangy, sticky, citrusy, & not-too-sweet flavor. Since it comes together quickly with just a couple of pantry staple ingredients, it’s easy to whisk up at dinnertime (be sure to check the Recipe Notes, below, for some meal prep tips, too!).

While we think this orange chicken and vegetable stir fry with Florida Orange Juice strikes all the right notes as-written, it’s a really flexible recipe that you can tweak to your tastes. Feel free to add in extra veggies like broccoli or carrots, serve it over a different grain or cauliflower rice, or scoop it into lettuce cups for a fun, hands-on dinner.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon Florida Orange Juice, divided for the marinade & orange sauce, below
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, sliced into ½-inch strips (see Recipe Notes)
  • 2 large orange, red or yellow bell peppers, sliced into ½-inch strips
  • ½ medium yellow or red onion, peeled & sliced root to stem into ½-inch strips
  • 3 green onions, sliced into 2-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil or high smoke point vegetable oil of choice
  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
  • for serving, as desired: white rice or grain of choice, thinly sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, etc.

for the marinade:

  • 1 tablespoon Florida Orange Juice
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sweet chili sauce
  • ½ teaspoon soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon rice wine
  • kosher salt & ground white pepper, to season

for the orange stir fry sauce: 

  • 1 cup Florida Orange Juice
  • ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
  • 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 overflowing teaspoon soy sauce
  • optional: up to ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • kosher salt & ground white pepper, to season

Instructions

  1. Marinate the chicken: Combine all listed marinade ingredients in a large bowl, seasoning with about ¼ teaspoon kosher salt & ground white pepper as desired. Add the thinly sliced chicken strips, stirring to coat well. Set aside for at least 20 minutes – this is a great time to multitask by slicing the stir fry veggies & preparing the orange sauce (Step 2, below).Thinly sliced chicken thighs marinate in a stir fry orange chicken marinade inside of a large ceramic bowl. The bowl sits atop a creamy white textured surface.
  2. Prepare the orange sauce: Meanwhile, as the chicken marinates, prepare the orange stir fry sauce. Add all listed sauce ingredients to a small bowl, seasoning with about ¼ teaspoon kosher salt & ground white pepper as desired. Whisk to combine well, taking care to break up any lumps & bumps of cornstarch. Set aside for stir frying, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.Orange chicken stir fry sauce made with Florida Orange Juice is mixed inside of a glass measuring cup. The measuring cup sits atop a creamy white textured surface with a gold spoon resting inside.
  3. Stir fry the orange chicken & vegetables: Once the chicken is marinated, add the oil to a large wok or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, carefully add the chicken to the skillet, shaking off & discarding any excess marinade. If needed, work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Stir fry 4-5 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through. Transfer to a large bowl or plate & set aside. Add the bell peppers to the skillet, stir fry for about 1 minute, then add the onions & green onions & stir fry for 1 minute longer or until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Return the cooked chicken to the wok, stirring to combine.Orange chicken and vegetable stir fry fills a large white double handle skillet that sits atop a creamy white textured surface.
  4. Finish the orange chicken stir fry: Reduce to medium-high heat & use a spatula or wooden spoon to push the stir-fried chicken & vegetables to the side of the pan, creating a well in the middle. Give the orange stir fry sauce a quick whisk, then pour it into the well. Cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds – 1 minute. Move the chicken & vegetables into the sauce, stirring to coat well. Finish with a good sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds, then remove from the heat.Orange chicken stir fry tossed in orange stir fry sauce fills a large white double handle skillet that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. The stir fry orange chicken has been finished with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.
  5. Serve immediately, spooning the orange chicken stir fry with Florida Orange Juice over rice or leafy green lettuce for wraps. Finish with thinly sliced green onions & additional toasted sesame seeds as desired. Enjoy!Two portions of orange chicken stir fry over rice are served atop white plates that sit atop a creamy white textured surface. The orange chicken and vegetable stir fry at center is garnished with thinly sliced green onion and has a gold fork resting atop the plate. The plates are surrounded by a small wooden pinch bowl filled with kosher salt, a small ceramic bowl filled with thinly sliced green onion, a large white skillet filled with stir fry orange chicken, and a blue linen napkin.

Notes

  • Ingredient Notes:
    • Chicken thighs vs chicken breasts: We prefer using boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this orange chicken stir fry recipe since they’re flavorful & stay really nice & juicy through cooking, but you can certainly use chicken breasts if you prefer. If so, you may wish to try cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces vs thin strips, which should help prevent drying to some extent. Adjust cook times as necessary to ensure the chicken is cooked through.
    • Florida Orange Juice can be found in lots of different OJ brands, many of which are probably already at your local grocery store! Find Florida OJ at a store near you.
  • Storage: This orange chicken stir fry is best enjoyed fresh, immediately after cooking. Leftovers will keep if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, just until warmed through.
  • 20-Minute Meal Prep: As is the case with any stir fry, there’s a bit of measuring & chopping required with this orange chicken stir fry recipe, which is where all of the active prep time comes from – the cooking process itself is very quick! If you’d like, you can do a little prep ahead of time to cut down on active work required at dinnertime. Pick & choose from the list below, or prep it all beforehand, & all you have to do at dinnertime is get cooking – easy!
    • Slice the chicken: Thinly slice the chicken thighs or breasts & store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (5 minutes active prep)
    • Chop the veggies: Thinly slice 2 large bell peppers & ½ medium onion. Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active prep)
    • Prep the orange stir fry sauce: Mix the stir fry sauce according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (5 minutes active time)

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/orange-chicken-stir-fry/