Author:
Kevin Curry
Orange Chicken Meal Prep
The only thing better than one of your favorite Chinese orange chicken recipes from panda express is when it’s prepared in a carb-conscious way so you can enjoy it more often. While this version is lower in fat, it definitely does not compromise on flavor! You won’t notice the difference in taste, but you will in how you feel after eating it. With only 311 calories per serving and over 34g protein, your muscles and your taste buds will be begging for more. With this take on a classic Chinese recipe, the answer to the question “Is Kung Pao Chicken healthy?” is a resounding yes!
A lot of takeout orange chicken recipes from Chinese restaurants are loaded in salt and empty carbs, which isn’t great for our health or diet. However, this stir fry is full of vegetables and protein while avoiding using too much soy sauce, and uses brown rice, which is rich in B vitamins and fiber. Add a teaspoon of sesame oil for even more flavor. For this recipe, I used boneless skinless chicken breast that I cooked in a slow cooker, chopped into bite-sized pieces with garlic, but you can also use chicken thigh meat instead. If you don’t have cashews, roasted peanuts are great too for a slightly sweet and nutty flavor.
The few teaspoons cornstarch is replaced by arrowroot starch to thicken the sauce and have it cling to the pieces of tender skinless chicken breast. The sauce ingredients themselves are pretty simple, with coconut sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, minced fresh ginger, and garlic. Keep these in your fridge for whenever to mood strikes you and switch out the chicken for shrimp so it’ll be Kung Pao Shrimp instead. Move on over, Panda Express, this easy Kung Pao Chicken recipe is sure to become a family favorite. You can make individual portions and pack it for weekday lunch or dinner.
If you enjoyed this recipe, give me a shout out by sharing it, or leave a comment to let me know. I love hearing about how these recipes changed the way you thought about healthy food and diet. Just make sure to have lots of paper towels!
Ingredients
Ingredients for 5 servings:
- 1 1/4lb raw chicken breast, chunks
- Crust
- 1/3 cup wheat flour
- 4 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cup (wheat) panko or wheat breadcrumbs
- Orange sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- juice from 3 oranges (~3/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced or paste
- OPTIONAL FOR ADDED FLAVOR – 1 tablespoon of peanut oil or sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger, paste
- 1 tablespoon (or more) Sriracha
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch + 1 tablespoon water
- Note: DO NOT MIX together until you add it to the skillet
- Garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- green onion
- Meal Prep
- 5 cups steamed broccoli (each meal has 1 cup broccoli)
- 2 1/2 cups brown rice or jasmine rice (each meal has 1/2 cup brown rice)
- low sodium soy sauce to taste
Steps
Step 1
Set oven to 420F.
Step 2
Chop chicken breasts into nugget-size chunks (or tenders if desired).
Step 3
Beat the egg whites until somewhat frothy. Then toss the chicken in the whole wheat flour, then egg whites and then the panko crumbs. Place the coated nuggets on a baking sheet or baking rack. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the outside is golden and crispy, and inside is white.
Step 4
While it’s baking, mix together the ingredients for the sauce EXCEPT for the arrowroot starch.
Step 5
Set a nonstick skillet on medium heat, then pour in the orange sauce. Bring it to a light simmer, then mix arrowroot starch with water and then pour it into the skillet. Stir immediately and quickly, then lower the heat and allow the sauce to thicken. Takes about 5 minutes.
Step 6
Add the baked nuggets to a large bowl, then pour in the sauce. Toss the nuggets in the sauce and ensure they are all fully coated.
Step 7
Garnish and enjoy immediately. If you’re making this for meal prep, add about 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice (or jasmine rice) and at least 1 cup of steamed broccoli. Season to taste with low sodium soy sauce.
Reviews
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey, I'm Kevin
My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle.
By experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my meals on Tumblr, I learned healthy eating is not boring! By making a few adjustments to my favorite foods, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my wellness goals while satisfying my desire for BANGIN food! 😅 Now I try to help people around the world realize that same level of freedom in eating regardless of budget. Welcome, let's #DemocratizeWellness together!
May 21 2023
I absolutely suck at cooking, but this was easy to make and tastes delicious. Only downside is that it uses very small amounts of foods you might not have, so you have to buy a big bag just to use a tablespoon
Glad it worked well for you! Not sure which ingredients you may not use frequently but try doing a search on the website for that ingredient(s) to find some other uses! hope that works!