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Sweet and crunchy, this easy Orange Chicken Stir-Fry recipe has the most delicious orange sauce. This tasty dish with chicken, crunchy cashews, sugar snap peas, and sweet mandarin oranges is quickly stir-fried in a homemade soy-honey sauce.

Easy Orange Cashew Chicken in a white bowl with chopsticks

Orange Chicken Stir Fry is fresh, delicious, and even healthier than batter-fried take-out orange chicken.

The fact that it can be ready in just 20 minutes, means it’s even quicker than ordering take out or delivery!

Serve Orange Chicken Stir Fry over a bowl of steamed white rice and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions for a weeknight dinner that rivals any restaurant meal.

Easy Orange Chicken Stir Fry

When it comes to quick and easy weeknight dinners, you can’t miss with today’s Orange Chicken Stir Fry recipe. Not only is it extremely tasty, but it’s also a healthier alternative to the batter-fried sticky orange chicken at places like Panda Express.

This recipe has a few shortcuts that make it even easier than some stir-fry recipes. For example, chopping up a package of chicken tenders takes less time than prepping chicken breasts or thighs.

Also, the only veggie to chop is a single onion. This dinner requires minimal prep work, yet results in maximum flavor. It’s always a family pleaser—that’s a big win!

Easy Orange Cashew Chicken in a white bowl

Ingredients

  • Chicken breast tenders — or any boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs
  • Canned mandarin oranges — you can always use fresh; save some of the orange liquid for the sauce
  • Chicken broth
  • Soy sauce — use lower sodium soy sauce as a healthier alternative
  • Honey — for sweetness
  • Cornstarch — to thicken the sauce
  • Sesame oil — adds umami flavor to the sauce
  • Canola oil — for frying
  • Cashews — lightly salted
  • Garlic — a jar of minced garlic is a time saver!
  • Sugar snap peas — or snow peas
  • Sweet onion — the only vegetable to chop!
  • Scallions or sesame seeds — optional, for garnish

Variations

Another reason why I love making chicken stir fry recipes is because it’s a great way to use leftover veggies in the fridge. Here are a few ingredients you may like adding to the basic recipe:

  • Red bell pepper
  • Broccoli florets
  • Asparagus
  • Frozen stir fry veggies
  • Add some fresh orange zest for more intense flavor
  • Substitute brown rice for the white rice
  • Or skip the rice all together and serve over udon noodles!
Easy Orange Cashew Chicken with a bowl of rice

Must-Have Cuisinart Stir-Fry Pan

  • Sloped sides maximize the cooking surface
  • Non-stick surface for easy cleanup
  • Drip-free pouring and cool grip handles
Non-stick Wok

How to make Orange Chicken Stir Fry

  1. Chop an onion and drain a can of mandarin oranges, reserving some of the liquid for the sauce.
  2. Whisk together the orange liquid with chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and sesame oil.
  3. In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat.
  4. Season and stir fry the chicken, cashews, and garlic until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove to a bowl.
  5. Add another tablespoon of canola oil to the wok and stir-fry the snow peas and onion until crisp-tender.
  6. Add the chicken and cashews to the wok along with the sauce. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, then remove from the heat and gently stir in the mandarin oranges.

More stir fry recipes

Easy Orange Cashew Chicken with a bowl of rice

Let’s cook

It’s doubtful you’ll have any leftovers once you make this EASY Orange Chicken Stir Fry, but if you do, make quesadillas!

How to make quesadillas with leftover orange chicken

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread one side of a large tortilla with butter and place it butter side down in the skillet.
  2. Top one half of the tortilla with a slice of brie cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of the leftover chicken (minus the sugar snap peas).
  3. Cook 1 minute, then fold the tortilla in half. Cook a couple minutes on each side until the tortilla is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Easy Orange Cashew Chicken with a bowl of rice

Orange Chicken Stir Fry

This tasty dish with chicken, crunchy cashews, sugar snap peas, and sweet mandarin oranges is quickly stir fried in a homemade soy-honey sauce. 
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course 30-Minute Meals
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 servings
Calories 657 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice rinsed
  • 1 11-oz. can mandarin oranges
  • ¼ cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil divided
  • 1 pound chicken breast tenders cut into bite-size pieces
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup roasted lightly salted cashews
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 8 ounces sugar snap peas or snow peas
  • 1 medium sweet onion thinly sliced
  • 3 scallions both white and green parts, thinly sliced, for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the rice per the package directions.
  • Drain the mandarin oranges, reserving 2 tablespoons of liquid, and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved liquid with the chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and sesame oil, until smooth.
  • In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper, then add to the wok with the cashews and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink. Transfer the chicken and cashews to a bowl.
  • Add the remaining tablespoon of canola oil to the wok. Stir-fry the sugar snap peas and sweet onion for 3 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
  • Return the chicken and cashews to the wok and stir in the sauce mixture. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
  • Remove from the heat and add the mandarin oranges. Serve immediately with the cooked rice and garnish with the scallions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Notes

Leftovers Tip — quesadillas:
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread one side of a large tortilla with butter and place it butter side down in the skillet.
  2. Top one half of the tortilla with a slice of brie cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of the leftover chicken (minus the sugar snap peas).
  3. Cook 1 minute, then fold the tortilla in half. Cook a couple minutes on each side until the tortilla is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 657kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 29gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 1900mgFiber: 6gSugar: 19g

Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Keyword 20-minute recipe, Chinese food, easy dinner, stir fry recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was.
Sheila Thigpen, blogger

About Sheila Thigpen

Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer

Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.

2 Comments

  1. The chicken called for no seasoning, was very bland and detracted from the finished recipe. The sauce was good but in my opinion did not make up for the neglected chicken.

    1. Claudia, I’m sorry for the disappointing experience. Indeed, the chicken should have been seasoned and that was left out of the recipe and instructions! I am editing it now to correct the omission. Thank you for the feedback! Sheila

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