The only thing better than going out for Chinese food to me is making ‘home takeout’ when it’s quick and easy! Express Orange Chicken is a sweet, spicy, crunchy recipe you’ll love. You’ll even have enough time to make dinner even more memorable with a fun project too!
This post is brought to you in partnership with Martha Stewart Living and Success® Rice. All opinions and ideas are my own.
My family loves Chinese food though being gluten-free can make it tricky to enjoy dining out, as well as taking the time to go out often isn’t an option. Any recipe I can make quickly gets a gold star but I still want to make the meal fun. I have a delicious homemade Chinese ‘fast food’ recipe to share today, Express Orange Chicken, along with a great timesaver and a fun way to make the meal memorable.
This time of year always feels like a big time hustle. As school gets underway, the extra meetings and after school activities begin to pile on. Getting even the basics done on an average weeknight is a stretch for me. I’ll sheepishly admit there are some days when 4:00 p.m. rolls around and I realize I have been so busy I forgot to plan dinner! Ouch.
Orange Chicken – Take Out at Home
Express Orange Chicken is a combination of broccoli and crispy fried chicken coated in a spicy, tangy, sweet sauce you’ll love. The recipe is easy to pull together quickly, especially with the help of Success®Boil-In-Bag Rice, my new best friend.
Success®Boil-In-Bag Rice comes in multiple varieties of rice, including White, Brown, Jasmine, and Basmati, with portions pre-packaged in tidy colander bags which can be boiled in a flash, drained and are ready to serve.
The consistency and flavor of Success®Boil-In-Bag Rice is superb. I used the Jasmine rice for this recipe which took 8-10 minutes to boil and yields 1 ½ cups per boiling bag (2 bags boiled together and dinner was covered).
Regular prepared rice can also be used!
I surprised my family by making this earlier this week and they were thrilled. Having what felt like restaurant takeout at home, and on a school night, was exciting and they loved the recipe (which can easily be made gluten-free with a few substitutions).
Just because we are dining at home doesn’t mean it has to be boring either. I made these simple place settings to go with the Express Orange Chicken which really made the meal a memorable moment in our hurry-scurry lives.
Small red envelopes stamped with Chinese characters are filled with coins for a fun addition to the table. Unexpected touches, even those that are simple, always excite my dinnertime crew! With just a few supplies these napkin decorations are a cinch to create.
Another thing I love about this Express Orange Chicken recipe is that it’s easy to double the recipe when having people over for dinner. I usually have the ingredients on hand already, making it a great option to serve something fun without it taking too much time to prepare.
I love to send leftovers home with guests too and packing them up in takeout containers labeled with the contents and a personal note puts a cap on a great evening!
Recipe
Express Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 bags Success® White Rice , Success® Brown Rice, Success® Jasmine Rice or Success® Basmati Rice OR 3 cups prepared rice
- 1 cup Orange Marmalade
- 1 tablespoon White Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Asian Hot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce (or Tamari if gluten-free)
- 1 package (10 ounces) Frozen Broccoli Florets
- 1 pound boneless , skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 Egg , lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup Flour regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
- Vegetable Oil for frying
Instructions
- Prepare rice according to package directions.
- In medium bowl, combine marmalade, vinegar, hot sauce, ginger and soy sauce or tamari. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Prepare broccoli according to package directions and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine chicken with egg and coat thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the egg and coat in cornstarch mixture.
- Heat 1 inch of oil in a 4-quart saucepan to 375 degrees F. Fry chicken pieces in batches until light brown on all sides. Remove cooked chicken and place on paper towels. In a large bowl, toss chicken with broccoli and marmalade mixture.
- Serve over hot rice.
Notes
Nutrition
CHINESE ENVELOPE PLACE SETTING
Materials:
- Chinese character rubber stamp
- Gold Ink Pad
- Small Red Envelopes
- Napkins
- Patterned Paper
- Gold Cord
Instructions:
- Rubber stamp a red envelope using a gold ink pad.
- Fill it with change, and then lay it on a folded napkin wrapped with a band of patterned paper.
- Tie in back with gold cord.
Brandy says
That looks delicious! We love going out for Chinese food so I will definitely have to try this!
Chrystal | Nevermore Lane says
Awww the table / food decor is so cute! It has been ages since I have had homemade Asian food. It was the one thing my ex would make for us. One of these days I will get back in the swing of cooking things like this again.
Dawn McAlexander says
I love Chinese food. I have to say that I have not tried orange chicken though. I would love to try this recipe.
Marcie W. says
My kids go crazy for orange chicken and this homemade version sounds easier than expected. I love those adorable DIY takeout containers too!
Meagan says
This would make a great addition to any Fall meal plan.
Pam says
This looks so good! I love finding recipes like this to help me recreate my favorite takeout dizhes at home.
Catherine Sargent says
This looks so yummy and I love the takeout containers. Thanks for sharing the recipe, I can’t wait to try it.
Kecia says
Chicken and broccoli is my favorite Chinese dish at our local take-out restaurant. I will have to try making it at home. And those containers are awesome!
Janell Poulette says
If there is one thing I love, its Chinese food! These ingredients are simple and the directions are as well. I will definitely be trying this recipe to make for my family. Thank you for sharing!
Katie says
Yum! Must try this recipe soon! Love the cute DIY takeout containers too!