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5 from 1 vote

Zesty Orange Chicken

Zesty Orange Sauce coats the air fried or baked chicken for an easy, healthier version of a take out classic.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Keyword: Air Fryer, Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 499kcal
Author: Belly Laugh Living

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 Pounds Chicken Breast
  • 1 Cup Orange Juice

Spice Mix for Chicken

  • 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric

Sauce (Glaze)

  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 2 Cloves Garlic Finely chopped or minced
  • 2 Tablespoons Ginger Finely chopped or minced
  • 2 Orange peels Cut into strips
  • 1 Tablespoon Habanero Optional
  • 1 1/2 Cups Orange Juice
  • 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch Optional

Instructions

Prepare Chicken

  • Cut chicken breast into bite size pieces
    2 Pounds Chicken Breast
  • Marinate the Chicken in one cup of orange juice for at least 30 minutes No more than one hour
    1 Cup Orange Juice
  • Drain the chicken and discard the orange juice marinade. Toss the chicken in seasoning (cornstarch, cumin, garlic, salt, turmeric)
    2 Tablespoons Cornstarch, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Sea Salt, 1 teaspoon Turmeric
  • To prepare the cooking surface, spray the air fryer with cooking spray (olive oil spray was used in this case). If baking, apply cooking spray to a baking sheet. If stir-frying, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan.
    For air frying, put the chicken in the air fryer basket and cook it at 400 degrees for 18 minutes. If baking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the chicken for 25 minutes until done. When stir-frying, cook the chicken in a sauté pan with oil until it is fully cooked.

Orange Glaze

  • Peel the oranges and remove as much of the white part of the orange as possible. Cut the orange peel into thin strips.
    2 Orange peels
  • In a large sauté pan, heat some olive oil and add finely chopped ginger and garlic. Ensure that the pan is big enough to accommodate the cooked chicken later. 
    2 Cloves Garlic, 2 Tablespoons Ginger, 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • If you're using habanero, add it to the pan with the orange peel. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes. 
    1 Tablespoon Habanero
  • In a separate bowl, combine the orange juice, maple syrup, and soy sauce to create the sauce.
    1 1/2 Cups Orange Juice, 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup, 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Simmer the sauce, stirring often, until it has reduced by half. This should take around 10 minutes.
  • Once the sauce has reduced, add the cooked chicken, whether it's air fried, baked, or stir-fried. Stir the chicken in the sauce and cook until the sauce coats the chicken in a glaze.
    If the sauce needs to thicken, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the pan and stir until the sauce thickens.
    1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
  • Serve with rice or cauliflower rice. Or enjoy on its own.

Nutrition

Calories: 499kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1103mg | Potassium: 1466mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 631IU | Vitamin C: 141mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg