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Sheet Pan Chili Ginger Orange Chicken and Broccoli. A new go-to meal. Easy homemade crispy chicken tossed in a spicy-sweet sesame chili ginger orange sauce. Serve this dish with broccoli cooked up right alongside the chicken. It’s the easiest sheet pan dinner. Add a side of rice for a main, or serve it on its own as an appetizer. This fun take-out-style dinner is great any night of the week!
Above all, this is up there with some of my top most-loved recipes to date. We absolutely adore this orange ginger chicken!
I mentioned this in my Sunday post, but only my brothers, Kai and Red, and Red’s girlfriend, Hailey, were here in Colorado last week. The rest of the family went back to their daily lives. So last week was special with just those three here.
I was finally able to make them all the foods they love. Lots of ramen, coconut shrimp, and now, this chicken recipe, which they said was “so good”.
Red sent me a text message saying this, “That chicken last night was so good. Really awesome flavor!”. Woohoo! Red doesn’t send many messages, ever, so I knew this recipe was GOOD.
And what’s even better, aside from the yumminess of this dish, is just how easy it is to prepare. Meaning we can ALL make and enjoy this take-out-style dinner.
I know you will all love this one!
The details
Step 1: start the chicken
Start with the chicken. I use cubed raw skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, or use a mix of the two as I do. Toss the cubed chicken with a mix of fresh orange zest and black pepper. Then add flour and toss again.
The flour allows the chicken to get crispy in the oven. It’s a small amount, so just a very light coating. It’s not a fully bready chicken but breaded just enough so the sauce can stick nicely to the chicken.
Place chicken up with a side of broccoli on a baking sheet to bake. It takes maybe 20 minutes to cook.
Step 2: the orange sauce
This really is the heart of the recipe. The sauce brings all the flavor. Start with lots of fresh orange zest and juice. Yes, you can use pre-squeezed orange juice, but with citrus now in season, I would highly recommend fresh juice. Nothing can compare!
I used clementines, which made the sauce so yummy. Use whatever oranges you have on hand or whatever looks best at the grocery store.
In a small bowl, mix the orange juice with tamari (or soy sauce), vinegar, and honey. Then, fresh ginger, garlic, chili paste, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. The honey replaces the sugar usually found in orange chicken. It works perfectly, and I love the small amount of flavor it adds to the sauce.
For heat, chili paste is the secret. I use gochujang, a Korean chili paste. The Mother in Law’s brand is my favorite, I get the original flavor from Whole Foods.
Lastly, mix in a small amount of cornstarch or flour, then simmer the sauce on the stove to help it thicken.
Step 3: toss the chicken and the sauce
Pour the sauce over the baked crispy chicken and cook the chicken in the sauce. What happens is that the coating soaks up all the sauce. It’s so delish.
Step 4: add rice and enjoy
I always serve the chicken, sauce, and broccoli over steamed rice (I make mine with bone broth for extra protein). Top with lots of green onions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
The boys (and Hail’s) all agreed that this dish is “fire.” In their language, which in their language means REALLY GOOD.
That should tell you what you need to know right there. This is certainly a must-try recipe.
Looking for other busy weeknight-night recipes? Try these!
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Salmon with Caesar Roasted Potatoes
One Skillet Cheesy Green Chile Chicken
Lastly, if you make this Sheet Pan Chili Ginger Orange Chicken and Broccoli, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sheet Pan Chili Orange Chicken and Broccoli
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 624 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- black pepper
- 1/4 cup flour or gluten-free flour
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- green onions + sesame seeds, for serving
Chili Ginger Orange Sauce
- 1 cup fresh orange juice + 2 tablespoons zest
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 3-4 tablespoons chili paste (gochjang) (gochujang)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or rub with oil.2. On the sheet pan, mix the chicken, orange zest, and pepper. Add the flour and toss again. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, tossing to coat. Arrange the chicken to one side of the baking sheet. Add the broccoli to the other side. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients, then set over medium heat. Bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and begins to thicken. Remove from the heat. 4. Remove the broccoli from the sheet pan. Then pour the orange sauce over the chicken and toss the chicken up in the sauce. Bake for another 5 minutes, until the sauce is baked onto the chicken.5. Serve the chicken, broccoli, and orange sauce with green onions and toasted sesame seeds. I love this over rice, but it's also great as an appetizer too!
I adore orange and ginger together and the flavor of this recipe was really great. I didn’t get any “crispy” with the chicken however which was disappointing but perhaps my oven didn’t get hot enough? My husband whipped up a cauliflower fried “rice” to go with it and it made for a fantastic meal!
Hi Lucas,
Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear you enjoyed the flavors! Sorry about the crispy chicken, was your baking sheet too crowded by chance? Let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Great recipe, but seems like too much chili paste. Made it with three tablespoons the first time and it was flaming hot! Cut down to two tablespoons the second time and it was better, but still pretty hot. And we like hot dishes.
Have others felt the same?
Hey Steve,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and your comment, love to hear that it turned out nicely for you! So sorry about the spice! Xx
Made this tonight and it was fantastic! Wish I had reread the comments first about the chili paste, it was fine for me, but my husband could only eat about half of his plate as it was too spicy for him. I used 3 tablespoons so I guess next time I will cut it down to 1-2 T. thank you for another winner, Tieghan!
Hey Margaret,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Loved all the flavors. Definitely taste the orange, which I love. I will make again but with only 1 tbsp of the chili paste. As one person said, you have to be superhuman to eat it with 3-4 tbsp of the chili paste.
Hey Lisa,
Thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it and your comment:) xx
The flavor is brilliant and cooking the whole dish together on a sheet pan was a huge plus. My only knock was adding cornstarch along with all other ingredients for the sauce. I hesitated because a cornstarch slurry is standard; however I make it a point to follow a recipe as written the 1st time I make it. I wish I would have made an orange juice/cornstarch slurry first *then* added it. I really did not enjoy trying to whisk out all the resulting seized cornstarch globs.
Hey there,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So sorry about the cornstarch, I hope it turns out better for you next time! xT
This is seriously the BEST orange chicken recipe I’ve tried. I’m basically making it weekly at this point. Thank you so much! Love how quick, easy, and healthy it is as well!
Hey Nicole,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for making this recipe so often and your feedback! xT
Very good but waaaay too much chili paste. Would only do 1/2 or less of what it calls for. And I love spice!
Hi Kelsey,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so very sorry about the spice! xT
This does not taste like orange chicken at all, but it’s still a yummy recipe. Unless you are superhuman, only add 1 tablespoon of the red pepper chili paste. I balked at the 3-4tbsp suggestion, sampled the paste and it is hotter than habanero. Sample it first, and decide for yourself. Docked a star because this isn’t what it is marketed as, although I really appreciate that it is baked and not fried
Hey Jillian,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear this didn’t taste like orange chicken for you! xx