We love Chinese food, so I was super excited when I saw this Orange Chicken recipe on Pinterest. It looked so good! Usually the words 'low fat' can deter me from making a recipe. A lot of low fat recipes taste flavorless, and I've had to force myself to eat them. This one was different. Very different. This Orange Chicken was anything but boring.... it was totally delicious!
It's pretty easy to throw together. I had it on the table and ready to eat within 30 minutes. When I finished my plate, it had me wanting more! Kale went back for thirds I believe (which is a big indicator to me he loved it, because he never says he does) He also took it to work for lunch the next day. I'll definitely be making this again in the near future :)
Low-Fat Orange Chicken
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup orange marmalade or jam
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground ginger (fresh is best)
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons oil ( I used olive oil)
5 cloves garlic minced, divided
DIRECTIONS: Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes. Lightly dredge the chicken in flour for a quick breading. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour oil in hot skillet and then add 3 cloves of garlic. Add the cut chicken cubes and cook chicken until no longer pink. (about 10-15 minutes)
Remove chicken from pan and place on a plate. Set aside.
Deglaze pan with a splash of the vinegar. Saute remaining garlic, and then add orange marmalade, soy sauce, water, ginger, red pepper flakes and the rest of the vinegar. Stir.
Cook sauce on medium-high heat until sauce begins to thicken slightly. (Initially sauce will seem very liquidy, but it will thicken. You can always add 1/4 cup of cornstarch to help it thicken)
Reduce the heat to low and then add chicken to sauce. Sauce will continue to thicken with the chicken in it. Continue to cook another 5 minutes or so until everything is heated through and sauce is at desired thickness. Serve with rice, veggies, etc!
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