Orange Chicken with Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
Cauliflower Rice
- 4 cups cauliflower rice* or 16 ounces crumbled cauliflower
- 1-2 tablespoons clarified butter, ghee, or olive oil
- generous pinch salt
- 4-5 grinds fresh black pepper
Orange Chicken Stir-Fry
- 12 ounces mixed stir-fry veggies*** bite-sized fresh broccoli florests, carrots, and snow peas
- 2 green onions light green and white parts sliced on the diagonal
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest** from about 1 orange
- ¾ cup orange juice freshly squeeze and strained, from about 2 oranges
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or tamari/soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cold water
- 2 ½ teaspoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch or 1 teaspoon tapioca flour
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon clarified butter or ghee
- ¼-3/4 teaspoon chili flakes optional
Instructions
Cauliflower Rice
- Start roasting or sauteing the cauliflower rice. Either spread out on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast at 425 F for 20-25 minutes OR heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium heat, add the cauliflower rice, and cook, stirring infrequently, until lightly browned.
Prep Work
- If not using pre-prepped stir-fry veggies, chop about 12 ounces worth of veggies you like in a stir-fry into even, bite-sized pieces. You can use a mix or just use all broccoli, or snow peas, whatever you like. Set aside for later. Slice the green onions on the bias and set aside as a serving garnish.
- Zest the orange, avoiding the white pith. Then slice in half and juice two oranges to produce ¾ cup juice. Mince the garlic and fresh ginger. In a small bowl, mix together the orange zest and juice, garlic, ginger, coconut aminos/soy sauce, rice vinegar, and salt.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk 2 teaspoons of cold water together with the arrowroot or cornstarch until smooth.
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces.
Stir-Fry
- In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium/medium-high heat. Add the sliced chicken pieces in a single layer and cook, flipping/stirring occasionally, until fully cooked, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate and cover with another plate or foil to keep warm.
- Pour the orange juice sauce into that same large skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then while whisking the sauce with one hand, pour in the arrowroot-water mixture. Continue whisking until fully incorporated - work quickly to avoid the sauce gelling inconsistently.
- Add the stir-fry vegetables and cook them in the sauce, stirring frequently, until they are just tender, still with a little crunch, about 4-6 minutes. At this point, the sauce should have thickened quite a bit. Add the chicken and stir to reheat it, about 1 minutes.
- Serve the chicken and vegetables spooned on top of the cauliflower rice, sprinkle with the sliced green onions (and chili flakes, if using), and dig in.
Notes
*It's easy to turn a head of cauliflower into "rice" by trimming the stem and any leaves, roughly chopping the head, and giving it a blitz in the food processor or a blender (with a little water if necessary to help the machine process the food) until the cauliflower resembles rice.
**Avoid getting any of the white pith, otherwise you will risk a bitter sauce.
***Part of what makes this recipe so "fast and easy" is the assumption that you'll buy a bag of stir-fry vegetables and a bag of cauliflower rice. The dish will take longer if you are starting with your own fresh veggies.