Tangerine Chicken
Tangy and a little sweet, this tangerine chicken recipe is super easy to make at home for a cheaper alternative to take-out. It’s made in a single skillet and combines tender chicken with fresh tangerine juice, spicy ginger, rich brown sugar, and the umami of soy sauce. Serve it with white or brown rice and you’ve got a restaurant-style dinner in no time!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Unlike orange chicken which is more sweet-and-sour, tangerine chicken has a tangy, spicy flavor thanks to the fresh tangerine juice and grated ginger. The chicken isn’t breaded or fried like you might expect with orange chicken, either.
- This is a super easy dish to make, and it comes together in virtually no time at all! A few minutes in a skillet to brown the chicken, then stir in the sauce and simmer it until thick. You’ll be sitting down to eat in 15-20 minutes, easy!
Chef’s Tips
- Cut the chicken breasts into cubes that are all the same size and thickness. If they vary wildly, some pieces will cook much faster than others.
- Be careful not to overcook the chicken once you add the tangerine sauce to the skillet.
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts if you want! You’ll just need to cook them a little longer to make sure they’re cooked through.
- If you’ve got time, consider marinating the cubed chicken in the prepared tangerine sauce for at least 30 minutes (no more than 8 hours, though!). That’ll give the chicken plenty of time to absorb all of that delicious flavor, plus it’ll be extra tender.
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Tangerine Chicken
Equipment
- small mixing bowl
- whisk
- Large skillet
- large wooden spoon (or silicone spatula)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon tangerine zest (zest from 2 medium tangerines)
- ¼ cup tangerine juice (juice from 2 medium tangerines)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium if desired)
- 3 packed tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (approximately 2 large cloves)
- 1 1-inch-long piece fresh ginger (grated, approximately 1 tablespoon)
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized cubes)
Instructions
- Add 1 teaspoon tangerine zest, ¼ cup tangerine juice, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 packed tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 1-inch-long piece fresh ginger, and ½ tablespoon cornstarch to small mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together until fully incorporated. Set aside.
- Place large skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons avocado oil and continue heating pan until oil is hot and shimmery.
- When oil is hot, add 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized cubes) to skillet.
- Cook chicken 1 to 2 minutes, then flip chicken over and cook 1 to 2 minutes more or until lightly browned on both sides.
- When chicken is lightly browned, pour prepared sauce into skillet. Stir to incorporate sauce and chicken.
- Cook chicken in sauce until sauce begins to bubble, then immediately reduce heat under skillet to low. Simmer mixture on low heat until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 5 to 8 minutes.
- When sauce has thickened, transfer chicken to serving bowls. Spoon plenty of sauce over chicken and serve with white rice or other preferred sides.
Notes
- Chicken: Chicken thighs will work instead of chicken breasts – you’ll just need to cook them a little longer.
Recipe costs provided are approximate. Actual cost per recipe & serving will vary by location, store, brand, etc. Approximate cost shown does not include costs for any optional ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used. To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
