Description
Whipping up three ingredient orange chicken delivers a quick, delicious dinner that brings restaurant-style flavor straight to your kitchen. This simple recipe turns ordinary chicken into a zesty meal your family will devour in minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 pound chicken breast or thighs
Sauce Ingredients:
- ½ cup orange marmalade
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
Seasoning and Coating:
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or sriracha
Instructions
- Grab 1 pound of chicken and slice into 1-inch cubes, ensuring uniform size for even cooking.
- Coat each chicken piece completely in ½ cup cornstarch, shaking off excess to create a light, crispy exterior.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering and hot.
- Carefully place coated chicken pieces into hot skillet, cooking for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Mix ½ cup orange marmalade and ¼ cup BBQ sauce in a separate bowl until well combined.
- Pour sauce mixture over crispy chicken in skillet, tossing gently to coat each piece evenly.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, allowing sauce to slightly thicken and caramelize around chicken.
- Transfer chicken to serving plate and sprinkle ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes for optional spicy kick if desired.
- Serve immediately while chicken remains crisp and sauce is warm.
Notes
- Shake the basket or pan halfway through cooking to ensure even browning and crispy texture on all sides of the chicken.
- Check internal temperature with a meat thermometer to confirm chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) for safe consumption.
- Select your favorite orange marmalade or preserve brand for the sauce to customize the flavor profile of the dish.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free popcorn chicken and verify all sauce ingredients are certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg