Description
A delicious and easy recipe for Ground Orange Chicken that combines sweet and savory flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium if preferred)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 green onions, sliced (white and green parts divided)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
- Cooked rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, and water or chicken broth until well combined.
- In a separate small bowl, stir the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cold water to create a smooth slurry and set aside.
- Heat the neutral cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground chicken to the hot skillet, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink and lightly browned in spots, about 5–7 minutes.
- Pour the orange sauce mixture over the cooked chicken, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring so all the chicken is coated in the sauce.
- Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir, then slowly pour it into the skillet while stirring the chicken and sauce.
- Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and turns glossy, about 2–3 minutes. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of water or broth to loosen it.
- Stir in the white parts of the sliced green onions and let them soften in the hot sauce for about 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to low, taste the sauce, and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes if desired.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle the remaining green onion tops and sesame seeds over the Ground Orange Chicken.
- Serve spooned over bowls of hot cooked rice or your favorite grain, adding extra green onions and sesame seeds on top if you like.
Notes
- Feel free to adjust the sweetness by using more or less brown sugar or honey.
- For additional heat, add more red pepper flakes according to your preference.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 90mg