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After two months of heavy western food around the holidays, I usually crave a bit of the fresh zest Thai food brings to my palette. Incorporating bok choy, and crisp tri-colored carrots, this Thai orange chicken recipe is as simple as boiling some pad Thai noodles, and sautéing chicken and vegetables. 30 minutes to a delicious dinner!

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Is Thai Food Good For You?

I feel like this question is often pondered, and could be answered two different ways. The answer being that it really just depends on how it is cooked, plus the seasoning and sauces that are used in various dishes. 

Overall, I feel Thai food is generally healthier then traditional Western food.

It is largely based on vegetables, lean proteins, and fresh spices and herbs. However, keep in mind that certain dishes can be high in salt, or added sugars and refined carbs.

Thai dishes in America have been greatly Westernized, and feature more deep fried meats, sugary sauces, and large servings. 

So if you are trying to stay health conscious, I would steer clear of the fried elements. You can also limit your portion sizes for some of the sweeter sauces, such as the orange chicken sauce in this Thai orange chicken recipe. 

What is the Orange Chicken Sauce Made of?

It has been requested to bring some additional quick and easy recipes to the blog, and I think this one will be a crowd pleaser!

Even more so, because I used store-bought Thai orange sauce, making this a simple dish to prepare. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t still make your own homemade orange sauce!

If you have the time, and decide to forgo the pre-made orange chicken sauce from the store, you can make your own Thai orange chicken sauce.

Orange chicken sauce is a simple sauce using orange juice, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and orange zest. If you’re looking to add some extra spice, you could also add some red chili flakes. 

But for those busy weeknights, I’d keep a jar of orange sauce in the pantry just in case!

If you are using a store-bought orange chicken sauce, and you have certain food sensitivities, please look to the back of the bottle for the list of ingredients. 

Of course, fresh is always best from a health perspective, as jarred sauces typically have preservatives and additional sugars. But it is the trade off for convenience, and still tastes great.

I love how the orange chicken sauce packs a punch of both sweet and sour flavors!

For this easy Thai orange chicken recipe I used Frederik’s by Meijer Orange Sauce, and according to their label, it had fewer calories than some other orange sauce brands. 

How to Make Homemade Orange Sauce

Making your own homemade orange chicken sauce is relatively easy as well, and may only add 10 minutes to your meal prep.

The key is just having all the required ingredients on hand, which isn’t always the case at my house! But if you prepare ahead of time, you can make sure you picked up all your ingredients at the store prior to cooking this delicious Thai orange chicken stir fry.

Orange Sauce INGREDIENTS

Orange Sauce DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan add the orange juice, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, and red chili flakes. Heat for 5 minutes over medium heat. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk the tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to form a paste. 
3. Add the paste to the orange sauce and whisk together to blend. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken. 
4. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from heat and stir in the orange zest shavings. 
5. Pour your orange sauce over the cooked chicken, vegetables and noodles and mix all together until everything is evenly coated, and serve.

How to Make Thai Orange Chicken Stir Fry

So how do you make Thai Orange Chicken Stir Fry? It’s super simple!

Here is what you will need:

Thai Orange Chicken INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 2 Bunches of Baby Bok Choy Stalks (Chopped)
• 4 Full Tri-Colored Carrots (Peeled or Washed and Chopped)
• 1 Package of Pad Thai/Stir Fry Noodles
• 1 Tbsp Black Sesame Seed Oil
• 1 12 oz Bottle Orange Chicken Sauce (or use homemade recipe above)
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Pepper

Easy Orange Chicken Recipe DIRECTIONS

1. Wash the bok choy stalks and tri colored carrots and pat dry.
2. Slice the carrots thinly into rounds, and chop up the bok choy into ½ slices. Set aside.
3. Wash your chicken breasts using cold water, and slice into strips or cubes. 
4. In a large skillet pan, drizzle the black sesame seed oil and turn on medium-low heat.
5. Add your chicken to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook through until no longer pink. 
6. Once your chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove from the pan and set aside in a glass bowl, but leave any remaining juices in the pan.
7. Add your bok choy and carrots to the pan to start sautéing. Heat through until the carrots start to get tender. 
8. While the vegetables are sautéing, bring a small sauce pot half-way full of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the package of pad Thai noodles and let boil for 1 minute. 
9. The noodles should begin to separate as you use a fork to pull them up and apart. Remove from heat and let sit, still breaking them apart in the hot water until they are fully separated.
10. Drain the water from the noodles and add the noodles to the pan with the vegetables. Pour the cooked chicken back in the large pan too. 
11. Pour the orange chicken sauce into the pan and stir to mix it all in with the chicken, noodles, and vegetables. 
12. Serve and enjoy!

Free Printable Recipe Cards

You’ll Also Enjoy…

I really hope you enjoy this recipe! I’d love to know if you tried making your own sauce, or if you’ve tried both!  

If you are looking for more quick and easy recipes, check out these next: 

• Tomato Cucumber Quinoa Salad
• Simple Thai Turkey Salad with Peanut Lime Sauce
• Moist Turkey Burger Recipe

You can also visit my recipe archives here.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today!

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~Sarah