After having eaten a similar entree at Applebees, I worked for months trying to get Orange Chicken with Rice just right. Crunchy pieces of breaded chicken breast in a tangy orange sauce with vegetables over a bed or fluffy rice. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do.
Orange Chicken with Rice is a Delicious Weeknight Dinner
I love the orange sauce in this recipe. Much of the wonderful flavor comes from the orange juice, but also the special Hoisin sauce. I can usually find this at our local grocery store, but I don’t always have it in my cupboard. So, I often make my own version of it, which is really quite simple.
See my Homemade Hoisin Sauce Here. Browse more Weeknight Dinner Ideas.
Ingredients for Orange Chicken with Rice
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Instructions For Making This Recipe
Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Rice
In a medium saucepan, prepare rice. Boil water and add salt. Add rice and cook as directed on package, approximately 20 minutes.
Cook rice while you’re preparing the chicken and sauce. Go ahead and steam your stir-fry vegetables in the microwave ahead of time, too. That way when you’re ready to put everything together, all the steps have been taken care of.
Brown the Chicken
While rice is cooking, cut chicken into 2-inch pieces. Heat enough extra virgin olive oil in large skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. In plastic bag, combine flour, seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add chicken pieces to flour and shake until well coated.
Drop chicken into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
I’ve tried cooking the chicken without the breading, but it really adds to the dish, so I encourage you to take the time to brown the chicken with this simple crust. Remember those old commercials for Shake-and-Bake? That’s what this is. Place your flour, black pepper and seasoned salt in a gallon bag and mix together. Then add the pieces of chicken and shake!
Make the Orange Sauce
The orange sauce comes together quickly, so have all of your ingredients on hand. If you’re making your own Hoisin Sauce, have it already prepared. It helps to have the orange sauce ready to go when it’s time to cook.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup whisk together the orange juice, Hoisin sauce, granulated sugar, cornstarch, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
I might mention here that you may add as little or as much of the red pepper flakes as you desire. I like mine a bit spicy, so sometimes I add nearly 1/2 teaspoon to the sauce. It’s your choice.
Sauté garlic for one minute in the skillet with remaining oil and chicken fond. Pour orange mixture into the hot skillet with the garlic. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Assemble the Stir-Fry
Add the fried chicken pieces to the orange sauce and toss with your choice of steamed stir-fry vegetables.
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Orange Chicken with Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 pounds skinless chicken tenders or breasts cut into 2" pieces
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce see Homemade Version Here
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 12 oz Frozen Stir-Fry Vegetables of your choice Steamed in microwave
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds for garnish
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Instructions Click to Start Cooking
- Gather the ingredients so you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
- In a medium saucepan, prepare the rice. Boil 3 cups (7.1 dl) water then add 1/2 teaspoons (2.46 ml) kosher salt. Add 1 1/2 cups (277.5 g) long grain white rice and cook as directed on package, approximately 20 minutes.
- While rice is cooking, cut 2 pounds (907.18 g) skinless chicken tenders or breastsinto 2-inch pieces.
- In a plastic bag, combine 1/2 cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon (14.79 ml) seasoned salt and 1/2 teaspoon (2.46 ml) freshly ground black pepper. Add chicken pieces to flour and shake until well coated.
- Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilin large skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. Drop chicken into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
- In a small bowl whisk together 1 cup (2.37 dl) orange juice, 1/2 cup (137.5 g) Hoisin Sauce, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons (36.97 ml) cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon (2.46 ml) kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon (2.46 ml) freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon (1.23 ml) red pepper flakes. Set aside until ready to use.
- Sauté 2 cloves (2 cloves) minced garlic for one minute in the skillet with remaining oil and chicken fond. Pour orange juice mixture into the hot skillet with garlic. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Add the fried chicken pieces to the orange sauce and toss with steamed 12 oz (340.2 g) Frozen Stir-Fry Vegetables of your choice. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with 1/2 cup (46 g) sliced almonds. Serves 4-6.
This sounds yummy. Thanks for posting. I'm going to try this over the weekend.
Oh, I must add my cookery blog is http://www.chef-on-the-run.blogspot.com
I’ve made this many times and love it! If I don’t have hoisin sauce, I use a little sweet and sour sauce and reduce the sugar.
Thanks for stopping by, Susan. I’m so glad that you are enjoying the Orange Chicken. We really like it. That’s a great idea for a substitution on the hoisin sauce. Thanks for sharing.