Orange Chicken - Absolutely AMAZING!!

We eat a lot of chicken in our house. My grocery store has packages of 3-4 chicken breasts for dirt cheap. Like 2 lbs of chicken breasts for $3.00. So, I'm always looking to try new chicken recipes. My grandmother gave me this recipe FOREVER ago and I'd never tried it. It took a little time but it was well worth it. Thanks, Oma!!

Marinade:
1/2 c. orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt

Sauce:
3/4 c. orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth
5 tsp sugar
4 tsp honey
1 tbl soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp corn starch
pinch red pepper flakes

1 lb chicken breast tenders, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 cup corn starch

Marinade:
In medium bowl, combine orange juice, zest, soy sauce, sesame oil and salt. Mix well. I used fresh oranges for the juice and for 1/2 a cup it took a whole large orange plus another half. I'm sure using bottled orange juice works just as great.

Add chicken and stir to coat. Allow to marinate for about 25-30 minutes.

Sauce:
In small saucepan combine orange juice, zest, chicken broth, sugar, honey, soy sauce, vegetable oil, garlic, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, simmer and cook until it reduces a little bit. Maybe by 1/4. Season with salt to taste.

Stir 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with a small amount of cold water and add to the sauce. Bring back to a boil and cook 1 - 2 more minutes while stirring to thicken sauce a tad more. Set aside and keep warm

In a large zip lock bag, add 1/2 cup of corn starch. Drain chicken and toss with cornstarch, shaking off any excess powder.

In a large skillet, head 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden and cooked through. I did this in two batches.

Gently toss chicken with sauce and serve over rice.

I garnished with a bit more red pepper flakes since my Hubby and I like heat!!

Happy Eating Y'all!! xoxo