Low Carb High Protein Orange Chicken

I love orange chicken, but I don’t love all the fried, sugary stuff that goes into it. I thought I’d try a simpler, healthier version and I’m happy to say it turned out just fine. Wonderful orange flavor, not too sweet and syrupy. Would love to know what you think of it, if you try it.

 

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs chicken tenders
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 4-5 dried red chilis
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil

For the Sauce

• 2 tsp orange zest
• Juice of 1 fresh orange (zest it before you juice it, otherwise it’s no bueno, mess everywhere)
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or Sherry
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar or artificial sweetner of choice
• 1 tablespoon corn starch (substitute arrowroot or cassava root powder for Paleo)
• 1 tablespoon water

Method

1. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and mix in the baking soda. This will tenderize the meat. Do not skip this step since we want the chicken to cook quickly and the more tender it is, the better it will taste. Set aside until you get the sauce ingredients together, or about 15 minutes.
2. Mix together all the sauce ingredients and stir well, dissolving any clumps with a whisk.
3. Rinse out the chicken and pat somewhat dry with a paper towel.
4. In a wok or sauce pan, heat the oil until shimmering on medium-high heat, and put in the garlic and the red chiles. Saute quickly for a minute or two, and then add in the chicken.
5. Let the chicken form a light brown coat and then flip over and let it cook on the other side. I flipped back and forth for about 5-8 minutes until the chicken was cooked through.
6. Pour in the sauce ingredients and immediately take it off the burner to mix it well. If needed, you can put it back on for a few minutes for the sauce to thicken.

We served over steamed quinoa but it would taste great on cucumber “noodles’ or shirataki noodles as well.