Orange Chicken and Rice Bowls
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups jasmine white rice
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 4 cups chopped veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, mushroom, etc…)
- ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 tsp tapioca starch or cornstarch
For the sauce:
- Zest from 1 orange + ½ cup orange juice (about 2-3 oranges)*
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 tsp tapioca starch or cornstarch
Toppings:
- fresh herbs, sriracha, toasted cashews/almonds or sesame seeds
- *I used fresh squeezed, but store-bought just also works and saves time.
- Spice it up: ~ to make it spicy, add 1 tbsp sriracha or ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes to the sauce.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 2 cups jasmine white rice
- Chop 4 cups veggies
- Cube 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- Make the sauce
Instructions
- Cook the rice (instructions here).
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, veggies, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until veggies are tender, 3-5 minutes. Transfer the veggies to a bowl. Carefully wipe out any veggie debris from the skillet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients.
- Sprinkle the tapioca starch and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt over the chicken and toss to coat.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and spread out into an even layer. Let cook for 3 minutes undisturbed, or until golden brown. Give the chicken a stir/flip them over and cook for 2 more minutes or until cooked through.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add veggies back to the skillet along with the sauce (give the sauce a stir before pouring in). Give it a stir and let the sauce simmer for about 2-3 minutes, or until it thickens up (it will thicken as it cools as well).
- Serve the chicken/veg over rice, making sure to drizzle some of that sauce over top. Top with herbs, nuts or sesame, and sriracha (if desired).
Notes
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian/vegan, use tofu (pressed and torn into bite-sized pieces) in place of the chicken (follow the same instructions).
- For vegan, use maple syrup or coconut sugar in place of honey.
- Use apple cider vinegar in place of rice vinegar.
- Use short grain brown rice in place of jasmine white rice.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftovers chicken/veg and rice in the microwave.
- The sauce may seem a little watery (water from the broccoli can water it down), but it is still delicious!
- Top with all the toppings!
- Make fried rice.