Description
This Healthy Orange Chicken Stir Fry with Coconut Cauliflower Rice is a vibrant, nutritious dish perfect for a wholesome weeknight dinner. Featuring tender chicken breast cooked with fresh vegetables like bell pepper and green beans, tossed in a zesty orange sauce, and served atop fragrant coconut-infused cauliflower rice, this recipe offers a flavorful, low-carb alternative to traditional stir fry meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Cauliflower Rice
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 head of cauliflower
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Sauce
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar)
- 3 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Zest from 1 large orange
Stir-Fry
- 1 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into large bite-sized pieces
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- ½ white onion, cut into chunks
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
- ½ cup raw cashews
To Garnish
- Green onion, for garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare cauliflower rice: Remove all greens and break cauliflower into florets. Using a food processor, pulse half the florets until rice-like, then add remaining florets and pulse again. Transfer to a clean dish towel and squeeze out moisture. Set aside.
- Make the sauce: In a large bowl, whisk together orange juice, honey, soy sauce, grated ginger, cornstarch or arrowroot starch, red pepper flakes, and orange zest until cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside.
- Cook chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5-6 minutes until fully cooked and no pink remains. Transfer chicken to a bowl and set aside, keeping heat on the pan.
- Sauté vegetables: Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil to the pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Then add garlic, red bell pepper, green beans, and cashews, and sauté for 4-6 minutes ensuring green beans retain some crunch.
- Cook cauliflower rice: In a separate large skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil over medium heat. Add cauliflower rice and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine and finish stir-fry: Pour the prepared orange sauce over the vegetables in the original pan. Stir frequently as sauce thickens. Add cooked chicken back in, stir well, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce further thickens.
- Serve: Serve the orange chicken stir fry immediately over the coconut cauliflower rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onion. Optionally add fresh cilantro.
Notes
- To make gluten free, ensure all ingredients including soy sauce and cornstarch are certified gluten free.
- To make it vegetarian, substitute 1 can of chickpeas in place of the chicken.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (including chicken stir-fry and cauliflower rice)
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
