By Wendy
Orange Flavored Chicken is one of my all time favorite Chinese foods. But given that it’s dish that is usually breaded, deep fried chicken in a thick, sweet and sticky sauce, it’s not really the best choice if you are following the Weight Watchers plan.
So in order to have my orange chicken and eat it too, I put together a much healthier and lighter version that has a LOT less fat and calories than the traditional restaurant version.
Plus, it is an incredibly easy recipe, taking less than 30 minutes to prepare.
By sautéing instead of deep frying, and creating a lighter sauce, you still get fantastic flavor but for a LOT less fat, calories and carbs. It’s surprisingly quick and easy to make, and works wonderfully served over steamed brown rice and broccoli.
Admittedly, this Light Orange Chicken was so good that one serving just wasn’t enough for me, so I ate two servings with no rice. Still way less than what I’d eat at a restaurant, so overall, Id say that’s pretty awesome.
LIGHT ORANGE CHICKEN RECIPE
This delightful Orange Chicken is a much healthier version than the kind you’d find at your favorite Chinese food restaurant. Sautéing it instead of frying it really helps to cut the fat and calories. But it’s just as incredibly flavorful and satisfying as you’d want it to be.
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Calories 211 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast - (cut into bite sized pieces)
- ¼ cup fat free chicken broth
- 2 cloves garlic - (minced)
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Spray a large, nonstick skillet with an olive oil mister or non-fat cooking spray, and set over medium high heat.
Generously season chicken with salt and pepper, and place in skillet. Brown chicken evenly on both sides, adding the broth, tbsp by tbsp to keep the chicken from sticking to the pan. Cook until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, and pour over the chicken. Bring sauce to a boil, and then let simmer for another minute or two until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and serve.
Notes
Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is about 1 cup
Each serving = 3 Points*
*based only on ingredients that have an SP Freestyle value
Nutrition
Calories: 211 kcal (11%)Carbohydrates: 15 g (5%)Protein: 25.5 g (51%)Fat: 4.1 g (6%)Saturated Fat: 0.2 g (1%)Cholesterol: 73 mg (24%)Sodium: 638 mg (28%)Potassium: 519 mg (15%)Fiber: 0.4 g (2%)Sugar: 10.7 g (12%)Calcium: 10 mg (1%)Iron: 1.1 mg (6%)
Main Ingredient: Chicken Recipes
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
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8 Comments
Kelsey8 years ago
Calculated the points for SP – comes out to 6 SPs per serving! :)
Sara10 years ago
Thanks for this recipe! I’m trying this tonight. I wonder how it re-heats. Any ideas/suggestions?
Thanks again!Bobbi10 years ago
I made this tonight and it is really good. I don’t see how it is only 4 points though. I plugged it into the ww recipe builder and it came up with 6 points. Maybe I’m missing something?
Stephanie10 years ago
I also plugged this into the WW recipe builder and it came out to 6 points.
Nicki10 years ago
I made this the other night and it was delightful! Very fresh and citrussy! Served it over rice and added broccoli at the end while the sauce was thickening. Will definitely make again!
liz10 years ago
Made tonight and enjoyed it very much. I did feel it could use a pinch a hot pepper flakes, as it is kind of sweet, and some veggies like onion, broccoli, bell pepper. Thanks for the good recipe and will make it again!
Julie10 years ago
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I served it over quinoa for 1 additional point. I was wondering if you could also do this in a lemon version?
amanda10 years ago
making this tonight!
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