We sometimes get emails and comments wondering why we don’t post more _________ (because that blank is always different for everyone) or that it’s been too long since we’ve posted whatever they’re looking for. I always tell them to hold on for a week or two because we’ll probably transition into whatever phase they’ve got a hankering for. We kind of come and go in waves and phases and apparently right now, Sara and I are in a quick-and-easy-Asian-inspired-healthy-dinner kick. Sara posted this Quick and Easy Chinese Orange Beef last week, probably not knowing I had an orange chicken stir-fry in the works (that would be because I’m reallyreallyreally bad at sticking to our calendar!) But that’s okay–I figure the more quick, easy, delicious meals using fresh ingredients I have in my rotation, the better.
This is another recipe that has become pretty much a weekly staple at our house.
I got this recipe from Kitchen Explorers on the PBS website and it was created by Alice Currah, the sweet genius behind Savory Sweet Life. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s like she created it to be adapted and customized to your personal taste. It was such a great jumping-off point and as I’ve made it again and again, it’s evolved into something a little different from how it was written and one of my very favorite meals. That happens to be good for you. Which means I can have that Reese’s Peanut Butter egg (’tis the season for those devil snacks).
For the sauce, you’re going to need soy sauce, rice vinegar, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, brown sugar, orange juice, and the juice and zest of 1 lime. Yes, I did forget the brown sugar in the picture. I’m a 32-year-old delinquent.
In a large skillet, whisk together the sauce ingredients. You can also blend it up in the blender, but I hate washing my blender (and even kind of hate washing my immersion blender, although not quite as much) and for me, the smooth sauce didn’t make a big enough difference to outweigh the washing of the blender issue. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a heat-safe bowl and set aside. Rinse out the pan and wipe dry.
For the stir-fry, you’re going to need a pound of chicken breasts, cut into 1″ chunks…
1 medium red onion, halved and cut into 1/4″ slices, and then 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, 1 1/2 cups green beans, and a red, yellow, or orange bell pepper cut into strips.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper…
and then sprinkle it with 3 tablespoons of corn starch. Rub it into the chicken.
Over medium-high heat, heat about 1 tablespoon of your favorite high-temperature cooking oil in the skillet you used to heat the sauce. Swirl the hot oil around the pan and then add the seasoned chicken. Stir-fry the chicken until done, then add the onions and other veggies. Stir-fry until the veggies are tender-crisp. Add the sauce, a few tablespoons at a time, to the stir fry, stirring completely and allowing it to bubble before adding more. Serve immediately over hot rice.
Makes 4 servings.
Calories: 242
Fat: 4.8
Carbs: 27.5
Fiber: 2.9
Protein: 26.3
WW Points Plus: 6
Sweet & Sour Citrus Chicken Stir-Fry
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from this recipe by Alice Currah
Ingredients:
Sauce
2/3 cup orange juice
Juice and grated rind of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons juice)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced or grated
Stir-Fry
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen; if frozen, pull them out when you begin cooking)
1 1/2 cups green beans (fresh or frozen; pull these out of the freezer with the broccoli)
1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 small or medium red onion, halved and cut into 1/4″ slices
Instructions:
In a large skillet, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Rinse out the skillet and wipe it dry.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with corn starch and rub the corn starch into the chicken.
Add about 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan to coat it. Add the seasoned chicken and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the onions and other veggies and stir-fry until the beans and broccoli are tender-crisp. Add the sauce, a few tablespoons at a time, allowing the sauce to bubble up after each addition. Serve immediately over hot rice. Makes 4 servings.
Questions & Reviews
Doing a freezer meal swap on Saturday and I know you have a whole list of freezer meal recipes but this really sounds like the one I want to make…but what would be the best way to freeze it? Put everything in a bag raw or are fry it all up and then freeze? And then would you have to add water or anything when reheating or could you just stick it all in crock pot or frying pan?
is rice vinegar the same as rice wine vinegar?
Yep! 🙂
We loved this! Thank you.
Interestingly, I read Lauren’s comment and I had always used a plastic cutting board because it seemed so much more sanitary. However, my sister recently read a book about organic cleaning and had me read the section on cutting boards. Wood boards are actually more sanitary…based on research. The wood ones have some kind of self cleaning property and the cuts that are made in them actually somehow allow them to rid themselves of bacteria and other germs. But the plastic boards also get cuts and bacteria grows in them. The scientists who did the study found significantly more bacteria on plastic boards even after they were run through a dishwasher. The study really surprised me. I wish I knew the references for the study, but I don’t. But we now use wood esp for meat.
Thanks for this recipe! I’m always looking for new stir-fries, and this one came out really well. I love the complexity of the sauce’s flavors, and how peppery the chicken tasted. I made it last night with broccoli, carrots, and water chestnuts, and liked it so much that tonight I made it again for guests with snow peas, yellow pepper, and cashews. The guests loved it and said it was rich and varied enough that it didn’t need rice, which is always a plus when dealing with people on low-carb diets.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight. My family sat around the table afterwards chanting “best bites! Best bites! Best bites!!!” It was delicious!!!
Thanks for posting this! I had a plan for casserole with chicken and broccoli, but I’m out of cheese and we’re in the middle of a blizzard. This is the perfect substitution!
Loved this and so did my 10 month old! HE couldn’t get enough of the chicken and rice with the sauce on it! I think next time I’d double the sauce but I like having extra juice/sauce to seep into the rice. 🙂
Oh my! I made this the other day and we LOVED it. I was so sad when there were no leftovers to eat the next day…
This looks amazing! Thank you so much for posting the Weight Watchers Points Plus Values!!! I am always looking to expand my recipe repertoire!
I made both this and the orange beef and loved both. Thanks!
Can I just say thank you for posting such awesome recipes with practical ingredients. I hate watching the Food Network and seeing delicious looking food then going online to find the recipe and it calls for some herb only grown in the mountains of the himalayas! Not to mention the fact that they always use like 4 dozen ingredients per dish, with 3 hours of prep time (without little kids needing mom every 15 minutes for something). All I’m trying to say is thanks for the awesome blog with awesome recipes that I use almost on a daily basis! 🙂
I made this and almost doubled the recipe, hoping to freeze some for later. My 5 kiddos loved it so much they ate almost the entire thing. I didn’t have enough to freeze, so I count this as a major success. THANK YOU!
I made this for dinner tonight. It was fabulous! Tonight as I was putting my 5 year old to bed he asked if I could make it again tomorrow night because it was “super yummy.” Thanks for a great recipe that my kids loved!
Made this for supper last evening – completely delicious! Love the tangy citrus flavors!
Question- I made this for dinner last night and TOTALLY loved it. I goofed it up somehow though. My chicken stuck all over the pan and I’ve never had that happen quite like that before, but I’ve never coated it in cornstarch before either. Do you cook it at a lower temp than usual or anything?
My guess is that you probably just need a little bit more oil in your pan, or maybe use a non-stick pan, or maybe a little bit of both. Hope that helps! 🙂
I can always count on OBB to have a yummy dinner idea. I’m excited to try this!
Is the calorie count for the stirfry alone, or does it include a serving of rice? Thanks!
Doesn’t include rice (sadly).
Looks so delicious! I am sick of my same old stir-fries so I’ll definitely have to try this one. Also, I hesitate to say this because I absolutely HATE it when people try to tell bloggers what to do in their comments, but I am sort of a germ-a-phobe when it comes to raw meat, so I’ll say it anyway. May I suggest that you switch your cutting boards, and use plastic for meats and wood for veggies? Those wood ones are not very sanitary for cutting raw meats- the bacteria gets down in the little cracks in the wood, whereas the plastic ones you can just stick in the dishwasher. I use my wood for bread, fruits & veggies. Sorry, I just couldn’t not mention it 😉 Love your blog and your recipes!
I made it tonight. A. Maze. Ing. So yummy (and gf for me!) Thanks again ladies, you are amazing!
I’m on a Mexican food kick now (Asian was last week) so I’m filing this one away. It looks delicious–keep them coming!
I have noticed that several of your recipes lately have been using ginger paste but the ingredients in the printout for the recipe call for fresh ginger. What is the difference really? I am a college student and LOVE making your recipes with my husband for dinner but being on a college budget we like to buy fresh ginger root since it tends to be cheaper. Is one better than the other and should we just invest in ginger paste? Thanks! We love your recipes! Even my husband (who has never cooked before we started dating) can make them with your simple instructions and pictures. He feels like a pro! Thank you so much!
The tube and fresh ginger are totally interchangeable in every way–you won’t notice a difference taste wise, I just use it out of convenience. I live kind of in the boonies and Asian cuisine isn’t huge here, so a lot of the Greg ginger is withered and stringy, so I always know I’m getting a good product this way. 🙂
That looks so great! Just a quick question- how is the best way to store those beautiful bags of colorful peppers you buy at SAMs or Costco? I got a bag and just used three for your delicious fajitas I have cooking right now, ( with your brazilian lemonade!) but want to use the other three for this later. Should they be kept on the counter or in the fridge?
I’m not Kate, but I would recommend the fridge (for several days or so) or freezer for longer. They won’t have that super crunchy texture whenn you use them from the freezer, but will do fine for things like stir fries. We freeze our whole (if I’m too lazy to cut them up) or sliced (if you’re feeling extra motivated to be productive). 🙂
Great timing! I just opened my “Savoring the Seasons” cookbook this morning and since it is March, after all, I decided to go straight to the Spring section. I picked Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry to make tonight! This one looks tasty too!
Where did you get the tube of ginger?
I get mine near the herbs in the produce section–they have garlic, cilantro, lemongrass, basil, etc. I usually only get the other herbs if I can’t find them or if they’re in a sad state, but I actually prefer the ginger like this–the flavor isn’t impacted at all and when I buy fresh ginger, it often winds up being stringy and dry, so this stuff is always consistent. It’s awesome! 🙂
Awesome! I will have to look for it.
I agree with Kate! I buy this same exact tube of ginger love it better than fresh because you avoid that woodiness sometimes ginger has. You can totally pop this in the freezer and pull it out when you need it (just stick it on the counter for a few minutes while you prep).
I am sure this will be a hit in our house! I needed something else to spice up the menu this week and this sounds like the perfect addition! Thanks!
Thanks for getting me excited about dinner tonight! I was not excited about the chicken broccoli rice casserole I had planned on making.
My kids didn’t go for the orange beef, but I have rice vinegar to use up, so I think they’ll be trying this soon. By the by, how do you two get your kids to eat “weird” stuff like stir-fry? Mine automatically assume such things are gross, even though we’ve been giving them a wide variety of foods, including stir-fries and such, ever since they could chew. (That whole thing the parenting magazines say about needing to introduce foods 10-12 times before they’ll accept them? Try 40-50 (or more) and they still hate it.)
Ummmmm, yeah, those Parenting people have obviously never met my kids. There is literally not a meal that isn’t a) pancakes/waffles or b) Domino’s that everyone in my house will happily eat. There is always SOMEONE who hates dinner. The catch with us is that there is no rhyme or reason to it; my super picky kid loves seafood and chili but hates chicken nuggets and hamburgers (well, in all honesty, I’m not sure he’s ever eaten a hamburger). My daughter hates chili and seafood, but loves hummus and all sorts of funky cheeses. They both hate stir-fry. The night we had this was an epically bad dinner night at the Jones house. So we just keep truckin’ and I hope that someday it will click that I am not indeed trying to poison them.
Oh, yay! Glad I’m not the only one whose list of meals everyone is happy with is shorter than a crew cut!
Several years ago we had a “food appreciation week” and I made all the favorite dinners for a week and we practiced eating without complaining about the food. The next week I did something new every other night, with old favorites in between and we practiced eating without complaining even when we were trying new things. Dinners still aren’t perfect at our house, but they are a lot better than they used to be.
Oh, we also have “fact” dinners. When dinner conversation starts heading down that “why are you trying to poison us” direction we come up with some interesting topic and tell the kids we’ll tell them facts about it each time everyone has a bite. The first time we did it was with Red Beans and Rice and we did facts about New Orleans and by the end of dinner everyone at least “kind of” liked the red beans. We have done fact dinners with lots of places and with some other topics, too. Again, it’s not a perfect solution, but it often works.
This stir fry looks fantastic!
When my kids were little and got whiny about their food, I would simply take their plate away and tell them they didn’t have to eat it. They would quickly figure out that they weren’t being offered an alternative and ask for their plate back. After an apology to the cook, they would get it. When my daughter was really little, she developed the habit of gagging on food she didn’t like – until the day I threatened to make her eat it if she threw up on it. Fortunately, she didn’t take me up on my bluff, but she never did it again!
They are 19 and 21 now. One still can’t stand mushrooms, and the other can’t stand anything squash, but they eat without complaining. (They’re allowed to dislike food, as long as they’re respectful about it.)
Looks delish! Thursdays my cooking night, hmmmm….:)
I love that you’re posting real-life healthy recipes!
Just wanted to be 1st to leave a comment! Looks good, I will try it this week!