Orange Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry is a one pan dinner recipe that features tender bites of chicken and a medley of fresh veggies. It’s all tossed together in a vibrant, tangy orange sauce that always delights!
What’s in orange sesame chicken stir fry?
The beauty of a good stir fry recipe is that you can easily adjust it as needed. Here’s a quick look at some of our favorite ingredients that go into it:
- Veggies: Bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli and snap peas create the best medley of varying textures and fresh flavors.
- Sauce: Freshly squeezed orange juice (and zest) serve as the signature base of the sauce while soy sauce, sesame oil and more create some savory depth.
- Chicken: We love using chicken thighs, but breasts also work well if preferred.
What other vegetables can I add?
The sky’s the limit! Feel free to toss in some bean sprouts, water chestnuts, cauliflower, baby corn, green beans, green onions or whatever else sounds good to you. Stir fry recipes are great for cleaning out your fridge!
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How to Store and Reheat
Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until warmed all the way through.
How to Freeze
Let the chicken stir fry fully cool to room temperature prior to storing in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge prior to reheating.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
- Have everything prepped. This is especially important when stir-frying because this cooking technique moves fast.
- Cut everything properly. Cut chicken pieces the same size so they cook evenly. When chopping vegetables, make tougher veggies, like broccoli and carrots smaller than, say, snow peas, so they can be added at the same time and cooked at the same rate.
- While chicken breast works as well, thighs are more flavorful and tend to stay juicier longer, leaving you less room for error.
- Dry your ingredients. Wet food releases steam and prevents browning so pat your ingredients dry with paper towels before adding them to the pan.
More Asian Chicken Recipes We Love
- Chicken Fried Rice
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Hunan Chicken
- Asian Chicken Meatballs
- Mandarin Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken Foil Packets
Orange Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup white onion chopped small
- 1 cup carrots peeled and sliced thin
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and cut into chunks
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and cut into chunks
- 4 ounces portobello mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
For the Sauce
- 1 large orange zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 large cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- salt
For the Chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Serving Suggestions
- Sesame seeds
- White or brown rice
Instructions
For the Vegetables
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the onions and carrots, sauté 2-3 minutes.1 cup white onion, 1 cup carrots
- Add the broccoli and bell peppers, sauté 3-4 minutes.2 cups broccoli florets, 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper
- Add the mushrooms and sugar snap peas, sauté 3-4 minutes.4 ounces portobello mushrooms, 1 cup sugar snap peas
- Transfer vegetables to a bowl, set aside.
For the Sauce
- Add the orange juice and zest to a small bowl.1 large orange
- Pour in the sesame oil and soy sauce, whisk.1 teaspoon sesame oil, ¼ cup soy sauce
- Add the garlic, mix.2 large cloves garlic
- Add the cornstarch to another small bowl.1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Pour in the cold water, whisk.3 tablespoons cold water
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the sauce mixture, whisk.
- Season with salt, set aside.salt
For the Chicken
- Return the skillet to the burner and heat the oil.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pat the chicken dry and slice it into bite-sized pieces.2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Add the chicken to the skillet.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Return the vegetables to the skillet, toss.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables, sauté about 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to simmer, allow to simmer about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds.Sesame seeds
- Serve over plain white or brown rice.White or brown rice
Notes
How to Make Orange Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry Step by Step
Cook the veggies: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup white onions and 1 cup carrots, sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cups broccoli, 1 red bell pepper and 1 green bell pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add 4oz mushrooms and 1 cup sugar snap peas and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Transfer veggies to a bowl and set aside.
Make the sauce: Add the juice and zest of 1 orange to a bowl. Pour in 1 tsp sesame oil and 1/4 cup soy sauce and whisk. Mix in 2 garlic cloves. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp cornstarch and 3 tbsp cold water. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the sauce bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt (to taste) and set aside.
Cook the chicken: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet. Pat 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry and slice into bite sized pieces. Add chicken to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add veggies back to the pan: Return the vegetables back to the pan with the chicken and toss to combine.
Add sauce: Pour the sauce into the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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