Healthy Orange Chicken

Ingredients 

• 2 tsp freshly grated orange zest
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, approximately 2 medium oranges
• ⅓ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
• 2 TB Asian white rice vinegar
• 3 TB Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp Sriracha
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp cornstarch, fully dissolved in 1 TB water
• 2 tsp olive or canola oil
• 1 ½ lbs boneless/skinless chicken thighs, chicken breast can be used, though dark meat yields more tender results
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced
• Optional: Cooked rice for serving

Instructions

• Prep the Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, Sriracha, ginger, garlic powder, and dissolved cornstarch. Whisk until there are no white streaks left from the cornstarch.
• Cook Chicken: Towel dry the pieces of chicken, as it's important to remove excess moisture for even browning. Cut into bite-size pieces. In a large nonstick pan, heat oil over high heat until hot. Add chicken and kosher salt. Cook and stir until chicken is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
• Heat Sauce: In now-empty pan, add the orange sauce mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, 30 seconds. Return the cooked chicken back to pan, along with any accumulated juices. Toss to coat chicken.
• Serve: Serve immediately over cooked rice. Sprinkle with scallions for garnish and extra Sriracha sauce on the side, if desired. Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for several days. 

FROM:  Chew Out Loud