Liven up chicken with this simple, yet flavorful sauce- these honey-orange chicken tenders are what’s for dinner tonight.
For many years, orange chicken has been my Chinese takeout go-to. Savory. Sweet. And always absolutely delicious. Though, it doesn’t often come with many vegetables…
Every single time I go to PF Chang’s, my friend and I split the orange chicken and an order of the crab won-tons. Without fail. Sometimes, I feels as though I may be missing out by not trying a new dish, but I also don’t want to be disappointed. And this never disappoints. Thank goodness we shared, because it’s listed at more than 1,000 calories. Yow-za!
Fortunately, the gluten no longer agrees with me. But, breading chicken does have some advantages. It helps to keep the chicken moist and prevents the outer edges from becoming tough. Though, we don’t need to start with 1/2 up to 1 cup of flour and/or breadcrumbs. I started with 1/4 cup of corn starch, but I had at least half left. For a light coating, 2-3 tablespoons should be plenty. Then, these tenders were lightly “fried” in a small amount of olive oil. There’s still SO much flavor!
Next, with just 7 simple ingredients, you can create the most glorious honey-orange glaze! It always thickens to perfection!
Ingredients in Honey-Orange Chicken Tenders
Chicken Tenderloin
Corn Starch
Olive Oil
Orange Zest
Orange Juice
Honey
Coconut Aminos or Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil
Ginger
Garlic
What is the difference between chicken tenderloin and chicken breast?
Chicken tenderloin is NOT chicken breast cut into smaller pieces. Tenderloin comes from a small muscle that sits just beside the breast. It is not used very often (by the chicken) which accounts for its size and tenderness. Tenderloins are about half the size of a breast. Chicken breasts have less flavor and are more dry.
How do I thicken the honey-orange glaze?
With this recipes, there’s no need. Heating the honey and remaining corn starch in the pan will already do the trick. In general, you can thicken a sauce or glaze by adding a little corn starch and water mixture.
25 minutes
Honey-Orange Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. corn starch
- 1 lb. chicken tenderloin (about 8 pieces)
- Salt and pepper
Honey-Orange Glaze
- Zest of 1/2 orange
- 1/2 c. orange juice
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 1/4 inch fresh ginger, minced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
Instructions
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Place the corn starch in a shallow bowl. Then, lightly coat the chicken with the corn starch. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Next, brown the chicken for about 4-6 minutes on the first side, until golden brown.
- In a small bowl, whisk the orange zest, orange juice, honey, coconut aminos, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.
- Turn the chicken over. Then, add the honey-orange glaze to the skillet. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and glaze thickens.