Easy and Wholesome Baked Orange Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 lbs chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

• 3 cups broccoli florets

• 3 green onions, greens sliced thin

• salt

• fresh cracked black pepper

• sesame seeds, optional, for topping

• crushed red pepper flakes, optional, for topping

• olive oil

• spray oil

For Sauce:

• 2 navel oranges -  zest one orange, juice both oranges
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger, or sub 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• sriracha sauce, optional: mild – 1 tsp; med – 2 tsp; hot – 3+ tsp

Instructions

1. Begin preheating the oven to 425° F and spray a large rimmed baking sheet with oil.

2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and fresh cracked black pepper and pour the panko out onto a wide plate. Working in batches, coat the chicken in the beaten egg then press into the panko to coat. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet as spaced out as possible.

3. Spray the tops of the chicken pieces with oil. Place the chicken into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip each piece and rotate the pan when you place it back into the oven. Bake for another 7-10 minutes until the chicken is crispy and cooked through.

4. Meanwhile, on a separate baking sheet, toss the broccoli with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes, tossing halfway through, until crisp and charred in a few spots. OR, pan fry broccoli in a swirl of olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

5. While the chicken cooks, make the sauce. Combine the soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk until fully combined. Pour into a small saucepan, then add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce and mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until a thick sauce forms, about 5 minutes.

6. Transfer the cooked chicken into a large mixing bowl, drizzle the sauce over the chicken and toss to coat (you may not want to use all of the sauce, so add it in steps until the chicken is coated to your liking). Add in the broccoli and toss to combine. Serve immediately topped with green onion, sesame seeds, and crushed red pepper. Great on a bed of white rice!

*Note- there’s probably enough sauce here to scale up to about 1.5 lbs of chicken if desired!

• Original recipe: Easy and Wholesome Baked Orange Chicken