Panda Specific needs to be very, very nervous proper now. This Sheet Pan Healthy Orange Chicken and Broccoli simply bested its signature entrée.

Orange rooster is an Americanized Chinese language quick meals basic that consists of cubed items of rooster breasts which are breaded and deep fried, then coated in a candy, sticky orange sauce.

Whereas it has its diehard followers (together with my husband), orange rooster additionally might be cloyingly candy, and the quick meals selection definitely isn’t profitable any dietary awards.

This wholesome orange rooster? It’s higher tasting, higher for you, and cheaper than takeout orange rooster!

It’s additionally fast and straightforward to place collectively; you gained’t remorse ditching the supply and making this selfmade model as a substitute.

Rather than the OMG what did I simply do?? emotions of remorse you will have skilled upon hitting the underside of a white cardboard supply container, you’ll really feel nice consuming a monster portion of this lightened-up recipe tonight and (within the unlikely occasion of leftovers), you’ll need to do it once more tomorrow too.

This wholesome recipe makeover retains the signature orange rooster crispy coating, however the rooster is baked and never fried.

As an alternative of brown sugar and a jar of orange marmalade (which is basically a second spherical of sugar), the orange rooster sauce is product of actual orange juice, soy sauce, and honey. It’s citrusy, candy (however not too candy), and delightfully sticky identical to your quick meals favourite, solely higher. (This Crockpot Orange Chicken makes use of an analogous pure ingredient strategy.)

And since we’re heating up the oven and wish a aspect dish to serve with our selfmade orange rooster anyway, why not take a observe from this Sheet Pan Shrimp and Broccoli and throw a head of broccoli onto the sheet pan alongside the rooster because it bakes? It’s a dynamite thought, and one which this family plans to revisit on many a busy weeknight to return.

Easy methods to Make Healthy Orange Chicken

Prepared for Panda Specific orange rooster style, with fewer energy and with out the mess of a deep fryer? Right here’s what you want.

The Components

For the Crispy Baked Chicken

• Chicken Breasts. After it’s baked, the rooster turns into the proper mixture of crispy exterior and moist and tender inside. I used boneless skinless rooster breasts, however you possibly can additionally do this as an orange rooster thighs recipe.
• Panko Breadcrumbs. Entire wheat Panko crumbs are one of the best ways to assist crisp up the rooster with out frying it. Additionally they soak up the sauce, giving the rooster items their hallmark sticky texture.
• Inexperienced Onions. Certainly one of my favourite additions to stir fry recipes. They add stability the sweetness of the sauce and provides freshness and coloration to the dish.

For the Orange Chicken Sauce

• Orange Zest + Juice. The important thing to our recent, vibrant orange taste. The most effective half: each of those elements can come from the identical orange (profitable!).
• Honey. In lieu of utilizing refined sugar on this recipe, I added honey. It offers the orange sauce its trademark sweetness whereas maintaining the recipe on the wholesome aspect.
• Soy Sauce. A star ingredient in virtually each stir fry recipe. Soy sauce brings a savory, salty complement to the sweetness of the orange and honey.
• Ginger + Garlic. The Asian taste dream group!
• Cornstarch + Water. Creates a cornstarch slurry to assist thicken the sauce.
• Purple Pepper Flakes. Add as a lot or as little as you need to attain your required stage of spiciness.

The Instructions

1. Add the broccoli to a greased baking sheet, topping it with the oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat, then unfold into an excellent layer, shifting it over to 1 aspect of the baking sheet.
   

   

2. Toss the rooster with the breadcrumbs, then add the rooster items in a single layer on the baking sheet subsequent to the broccoli.
   

   

3. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 levels F, then flip over the items of rooster. Return the pan to the oven and bake for five to 10 further minutes, till rooster is cooked via.
4. Because the rooster bakes, put together the sauce: Whisk the sauce elements collectively in a saucepan, then add the slurry. Boil till the sauce has thickened, then stir within the pink pepper flakes.
5. Add the rooster and inexperienced onions to sauce, stirring to coat. Serve scorching with the broccoli and rice. ENJOY!

Extra Sides to Serve with Orange Chicken

• Greens. This recipe features a average portion of broccoli for every serving, so you possibly can additionally embrace further roasted greens for a bigger serving. Purple peppers, sugar snap peas, or mushrooms could be scrumptious.
• Rice. We love serving our orange rooster over a mattress of brown rice or quinoa. For a low-carb choice, cauliflower rice would even be tasty.
• Salad. Strive serving your leftover orange rooster on prime of a inexperienced salad, like this Ramen Salad. 

Make Forward and Storage Suggestions

• To Make Forward. Lower the rooster into items, and chop all greens as much as 1 day upfront. Retailer every in a separate container within the fridge.
  • If you wish to make further broccoli, it may be chopped as much as 2 days upfront or absolutely roasted 1 day upfront; this lightening-fast Roasted Frozen Broccoli is nice to make a day forward then reheat within the oven in direction of the top of the rooster’s baking time.
• To Retailer. Place leftover orange rooster in an hermetic storage container within the fridge for as much as Three days.
• To Reheat. To assist the rooster recrisp, rewarm this recipe on a baking sheet within the oven at 350 levels F till scorching. In a pinch, you can even reheat it within the microwave.
• To Freeze. Retailer orange rooster in an hermetic freezer-safe storage container within the freezer for as much as Three months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating. The rooster might not be as crispy as soon as thawed, however it’s going to nonetheless style scrumptious.

Extra Selfmade Healthy Variations of Takeout Recipes

Beneficial Instruments to Make This Recipe

• Baking Sheets. These are heavy-duty and can final for years to return.
• Small Whisk. Very best for whisking collectively sauce elements with out splashing all around the counter.
• Nonslip Reducing Board. Nice for chopping, and it’s straightforward to wash if you’re chopping meat.

Swap the takeout menu to your trusty sheet pan, choose up your chopsticks (or a fork, I gained’t decide!), and let this wholesome orange rooster and broccoli be your weeknight winner.

When you do this recipe, please go away a remark to let me know the way it goes. Your feedback and 5-star scores actually assist my weblog and are so useful to different readers too!