Remember my clean-ish eating goal? Well, it is totally still happening and I am doing {surprisingly} well with it despite all of the yummy things like chocolate eclair cake and s’mores in a jar coming from my kitchen. I think it helps that so many things can be “cleaned” up but still taste delicious. Take this orange chicken stir fry recipe for example…generally orange chicken evokes images of fried pieces of chicken covered in a thick, goopy orange sauce. This one, on the other hand, is full of fresh vegetables and packed with flavor.
Before we get into the actual recipe, I want to warn you. The ingredient list may look a little long but the dish comes together so easily and is really delicious. So, don’t be deterred.
What You’ll Need:
Inspired by Clean Eating Magazine
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground fresh ginger
1 orange
2 green onions, sliced
2 cups cooked brown rice
Let’s Make It:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet lined with foil, place drained chick peas. Bake, shaking every 5 minutes, for 20 minutes or until chickpeas are dry and slightly crispy. Let cool for 2-3 minutes and then toss with sea salt and cayenne pepper.
2) While the chickpeas cook, steam broccoli for 2-3 minutes or until crisp/tender. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
3) In a large skillet, add 1 tsp oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and put in a bowl. Add 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
4) Return skillet to stove and add remaining oil to the pan. Brown chicken over medium heat.
5) Reduce heat and add zucchini, squash, soy sauce and ginger. Saute for another 5-7 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add broccoli and garlic vinegar mixture; stirring well. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and squeeze 1/2 of the orange over the chicken mixture.
6) Serve with brown rice. Top with chickpeas, sliced green onions and orange wedges.
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- 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 bunch broccoli, trimmed into florets
- 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 yellow squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp ground fresh ginger
- 1 orange
- 2 green onions, sliced
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet lined with foil, place drained chick peas. Bake, shaking every 5 minutes, for 20 minutes or until chickpeas are dry and slightly crispy. Let cool for 2-3 minutes and then toss with sea salt and cayenne pepper.
- While the chickpeas cook, steam broccoli for 2-3 minutes or until crisp/tender. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, add 1 tsp oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and put in a bowl. Add 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
- Return skillet to stove and add remaining oil to the pan. Brown chicken over medium heat.
- Reduce heat and add zucchini, squash, soy sauce and ginger. Saute for another 5-7 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add broccoli and garlic vinegar mixture; stirring well. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and squeeze ½ of the orange over the chicken mixture.
- Serve with brown rice. Top with chickpeas, sliced green onions and orange wedges.
Ashley B. says
Yes, yes, yes! I love the freshness of this recipe. Orange chicken can be so heavy and chock full of calories-it’s nice to see this recipe upgraded to a healthier version!
Ashley B. recently posted…What’s for Dinner?-A Trigger Question.
Marlys @Thisand That says
This sounds absolutely yummy…. I am going to pin it so I can try it.
Marlys @Thisand That recently posted…Belight Tea Review
amy @ one artsy mama says
Yum! I love orange chicken and so does the hubs!
Allyson says
Yum, this looks really tasty! Do you think I would be able to sub out the chicken with tofu? I just love the orange sauce flavor!
Allyson recently posted…Staying Organized Through the Holidays
Tina Ashburn says
I love this! My late-husband told me he married me because I knew how to make a chicken dish like this one!! This one is definitely for my “keeper” file!
Tina Ashburn recently posted…A Little Different
Amy Desrosiers says
I love this recipe and really want to make something like this for dinner. I’m so sick of fried and processed!
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brett says
i love orange chicken. some wonderful flavors mixing in my mouth!!
brett recently posted…The Perfect Pairing for Dinner- or, My Favorite Side Dishes
Jessica Harlow says
This looks and sounds delicious! I’m not a fan of the orange goopey sauce either! I tend to gravitate toward Thai dishes because they are lighter. This is on my list to try!
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Francine @ Teresa's Family Cleaning says
One of my fave dishes! Cannot wait to try!
Shauna says
Ahh, I love Orange Chicken, though I have never thought of adding chickpeas… This recipe might just be on our table soon!
Angela says
This looks fantastic! You sound just like me with your “ish” goal. 🙂
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Elizabeth@ Food Ramblings says
Wow- this stir fry looks so delicious! I love all the colors!
Elizabeth@ Food Ramblings recently posted…Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
Jessica @Bkeepsushonest says
This looks good. I love the addition of the chickpeas.
Jessica @Bkeepsushonest recently posted…Helzberg Diamonds Infinity X Infinity Series
Debbie Lamb says
I Pinned this recipe…once the holidays are over I plan to try making some stir fry. This looks delicious and it also looks fairly easy to make. Thanks
Jennifer B says
This looks so beautiful and delicious too!
Pam says
My family loves orange chicken. This looks like a healthier version that I should try!
Pam recently posted…I’m Owning the Mantel this Season. #MC
Mommy2Jam says
My boys and I were just talking about doing a theme night for family dinners during the week. this looks so good and we will be incorporating this for one of our meals. Thanks for sharing
Mommy2Jam recently posted…A fresh start
Amber Edwards says
Oh my goodness, this looks absolutely amazing! I love stir fry and this is one that will top my “must eat” lists!
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Carmen's Life says
This looks so yummy I love stir fry
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Shanna says
My family LOVES stir fry (basically anything that can be served with rice!). Definitely making this!
Shanna recently posted…Say Yes to Less with Little Remedies (#SayYes2Less #MC)
trisha says
You know I am always looking for ways to eat chickpeas so this is great. I pinned it!
trisha
trisha recently posted…Simple Sloppy Joes + Win!
Cynthia L. says
This looks really good. I love Clean Eating magazine and think they have some really great recipes.
Cynthia L. recently posted…Cinnamon Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
As soon as I saw the chickpeas, I was hooked. Man oh man, I love those things!
Deborah says
This looks very tasty. I like all the colors and textures and it looks pretty straightforward to make (thanks to your directions and pics). 🙂
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Shannah Coe says
Thanks! This is really easy to make. It just looks like it has a lot of ingredients 🙂
Lisa says
I can’t wait to try this!
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Shannah Coe says
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it.
Chrishelle @ Cheer MamaDrama says
We love Chinese food in this house. I will have to give Orange Chicken Stir Fry a try. It looks a little lighter than our normal dishes. That’s good since we are all trying to shed a few pounds.
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Shannah Coe says
Chinese food is one of our favorites too.
Danielle @ We Have It All says
I had no idea that you could make this in a healthier version, very cool!
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Shannah Coe says
I was definitely searching for a way to make this dish way lighter than the original. Hope you try this version.
Wendy @ ABCs and Garden Peas says
How pretty and fresh! A great meal for these dreary winter months.
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Shannah Coe says
Thanks. We really enjoy this one because it is lighter than most typical “winter” meals.
katherine says
This looks so beautiful and delicious!
Shannah Coe says
Thanks! It is one of our new favorite dishes for sure.
Mama to 5 BLessings says
this looks nice and healthy offering protein and veggies – thank you for sharing!
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Lori Hart says
This looks amazing and I’m always looking for new chicken ideas!! Found you at Artsy Fartsy Mama. I am now a permanent hostess of Tasty Tuesdays and would love you to stop by and link up this recipe if you have not yet already. Here is the link http://bit.ly/1htHZV7
Lori
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Ashlyn says
This looks delicious!!! I found your post at the Nifty Thrifty Things link party and just wanted to say I can’t wait to give this a try! I’m pinning it to save for later. 🙂
Ashlyn @ belleofthekitchen.com