Easy Orange Chicken

This orange chicken is the lazy weeknight kind, not the deep-fried takeout kind. The sauce comes together on the stovetop in about 5 minutes (orange juice, brown sugar, zest, and a spoonful of cornstarch cooked until thick and glossy), then gets poured over chicken breasts (frozen straight from the package works) and baked until the meat is cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a sticky, sweet-tart glaze.

The fresh orange zest is what saves it from tasting like jarred sauce. Real zest brings the floral, slightly bitter citrus oil that orange juice alone can’t deliver.

Serve over steamed rice with broccoli or snap peas to soak up every last drop.

Kitchen Tips

• Zest the orange before juicing, even if you’re using bottled OJ for the rest of the sauce. The zest is doing the heavy work on flavor.
• Cook the cornstarch sauce until it visibly thickens and turns glossy. Underthickened sauce will run off the chicken instead of clinging to it.
• If using fresh chicken instead of frozen, drop the bake time to about 25 minutes and check for an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
• Spoon the pan sauce back over the chicken halfway through baking to deepen the glaze.

Variations

• Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and a teaspoon of grated ginger for a takeout-style profile.
• Stir in a teaspoon of sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes for sweet-spicy heat.
• Use boneless thighs instead of breasts for juicier meat that handles longer baking better.