Sweet, juicy, and incredibly fragrant! This glazed, bite-sized healthy orange chicken is served with fluffy rice and broccoli for the yummiest made-in-advance lunch! It’s also dairy-free!
Chicken with rice and veggies. Isn’t that the perfect trio for lunch? Packed with protein, fiber, and so many other nutrients, this amazing dish will definitely keep you full until dinner.
Loaded with exciting flavors, this healthy orange chicken recipe takes your chicken and rice lunch to a whole new level.
Glazed in sweet honey and sticky orange sauce, these chicken pieces will have you licking your fingers.
This easy orange chicken recipe is so easy to cook that it is practically foolproof. It makes four generous portions for an easy weeknight dinner every day.
This homemade version is much healthy than the traditional orange chicken you’d get from Chinese takeout. Get more simple meal prep inspiration with these other chicken and rice meal prep ideas!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken
Chicken breasts (2 lbs) – For this delicious recipe, it is best to use boneless skinless chicken breasts. For the juiciest results, opt for free-range chicken breast.
Sesame oil (2 tbsp) – While any vegetable oil will work here for this easy dinner, sesame oil is the best. It has a low smoke point, perfect for stir-frying and sauteeing meat.
Sauce
Orange juice (1 cup) – Use freshly squeezed orange juice only. Bottled (or packaged!) juice will give you that orange flavor, but it is not the same as fresh orange juice.
Chicken broth (1/4 cup) – Whether homemade or store-bought, just a little bit of chicken broth will add so much flavor to the sauce. Plus, it will tie the orange, soy, and honey flavors beautifully.
Soy sauce (1/4 cup) – It is an essential ingredient here. It gives a savory touch to all the sweetness. Plus, it makes the chicken look so irresistibly brown in color.
Garlic powder (1 tsp) – You cannot have soy sauce and chicken without any garlic. But garlic powder works better here, giving the sauce subtle intensity and flavor.
Fresh ginger (1 tbsp, grated) – Ginger is an inevitable flavor in this recipe. While powdered ginger will give you similar results, grating a fresh piece of ginger is best.
Orange zest (1/2 tbsp) – A dash of zestiness is always welcome. Just make sure to wash the orange well before grating.
Honey (3 tbsp)– You need some sweetness to combine the soy sauce and citrusy flavors. And honey is the best choice.
Black pepper (1/2 tsp)– Ground black pepper will work, but it is way better if you grind it yourself. The fragrance is much more intense when the pepper is fresh.
Topping
Green onion – Green onions are perfect as garnish. Make sure you are using both the green and the white parts.
Sesame seeds (2 tbsp) – Use plain sesame seeds to add some texture to the chicken.
Broccoli and Rice
Rice (1 cup) – White rice is perfect for meal prepping because it is versatile. For this recipe, it’s best to use long-grain or jasmine rice.
Water (1.5 cup) – You will need water for the rice and broccoli. Make sure to use cold, tap water.
Salt and black pepper (to taste) – For best results, use sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Broccoli (2 heads)– The fresher, the better. When shopping for broccoli, make sure that the stem is firm.
How to Make Orange Chicken Meal Prep?
Step 1. Heat your sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces to the pan.
Cook the pieces of chicken breast until they turn brown in color. Remember, your chicken is cooked if it is no longer pink in the middle.
Step 2. While the chicken is cooking, dump all of the tangy orange sauce ingredients into a bowl. Mix well until everything is incorporated. When the chicken is ready and cooked, transfer it to a plate.
Step 3. Pour the healthy orange chicken sauce into the frying pan now, and cook it for 5-10 minutes. You will know it’s ready when the sweet sauce becomes thick and bubbly.
Step 4. Return the cooked chicken to the pan. The meat needs to be smothered in sauce to get that orange chicken taste. So stir well to make sure all of the chicken pieces are coated well.
Step 5. Finish it off by sprinkling sesame seeds and sliced green onions on top. You can also use toasted sesame seeds for an even better texture. Remove your hot frying pan from the heat, and set it aside.
Step 6. Add 1 ½ cups of water to a saucepan, and season it with salt. Rinse your rice well, then add it to the saucepan. Place the saucepan over heat, and bring the water to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat without removing the lid, and let it rest for 10 minutes. When it’s fully cooked, fluff it with a fork.
Step 7. To prepare the broccoli, boil a pot of water with a pinch of sea salt. Add the chopped broccoli florets to the boiling water. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.
Step 8. Have four meal-prep containers ready for the leftover orange chicken. It is best to use a glass airtight container, but anything with a lid will work fine.
Divide the orange chicken, rice, and broccoli among the four containers. Place in the fridge for up to four days, or you can freeze and consume the dish later.
Is It OK to Meal Prep Chicken?
Chicken is probably one of the most popular meal prep meats. And for a good reason. It is versatile, inexpensive, and will pair well with any veggie or grain side dish.
Plus, this summer meal prep keeps well both in the fridge and freezer.
How Long Will Chicken Meal Prep Last?
Cooked chicken can last for up to 4 days in the fridge. This means you can prep your dishes on a lazy Sunday and enjoy this classic orange chicken on Thursday at the latest.
You can also freeze meal-prepped chicken. Just warm up on a busy weeknight, and enjoy!
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Easy Orange Chicken Meal Prep
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
Sauce
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 1/2 tbsp orange zest
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Topping
- chopped green onion
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Broccoli and Rice
- 1 cup rice
- 1.5 cup water
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 small heads of broccoli
Instructions
Chicken
- Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.
- In a frying pan, heat up sesame oil and cook the chicken until it's brown. It will take around 12-15 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Remove the cooked chicken and add the sauce to the empty frying pan.
- Cook the sauce until it thickens, stirring throughout. It will take around 5-10 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken back into the frying pan and stir all the ingredients together to coat the chicken.
- Sprinkle with chopped green onion and sesame seeds.
Broccoli and Rice
- While cooking the chicken, cook the rice. Wash the rice and add it to a saucepan, then pour in the water. Add some salt.
- Bring the rice to boil and reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Make sure you cover the saucepan with a lid. Let it sit for another 10 minutes (make sure you cook the rice as per instructions on the packet).
- Fluff your rice and leave it be.
- Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt.
- Wash the broccoli, cut away the stems from the crown, and slice your florets into pieces.
- Add florets into the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender.
- Remove and drain your broccoli.
Assemble Meal Prep Bowls
- Divide rice into 4 meal prep containers, and divide the orange chicken and broccoli. Your meal prep is ready! Keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days and reheat before eating.