You know those days when you think you can get a lot of stuff done around the house, and then you realize it’s summer? I mean seriously! Every 5 minutes my kids are either hungry, bored, fighting or trying to get device time. And while I do love it when everyone is happy and I get to spend time with them, it is very hard to get anything on my to-do list done. Ha!
Well, at least I’ve got a stack of freezer meals in my freezer…it’s my summer life-saving secret. So today I wanted to share one recipe my kids adore. My simple & easy make ahead orange chicken freezer meal. Mmmmm! Mmmmmm!
This recipe is truly delicious. Sweet and packed full of just the right amount of ginger and orange!
Just follow the directions below to make this amazing orange chicken freezer meal.
Orange Chicken Freezer Meal Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- fresh green onion, sliced optional
Orange Sauce
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger pureed or minced
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine cornstarch and egg whites. Stir and add chicken to bowl. Turn to coat chicken until all are well combined.
- Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat, and when hot, add coated chicken in small batches. Cook, stirring often until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel as you cook remaining batches.
- In another small bowl make the orange sauce by whisking together orange juice, water, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch.
Make It Now
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add orange sauce mix. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, then reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce thickens up. Pour sauce over chicken and serve with chopped green onions if using.
Freeze It For Later
- Place uncooked sauce into labeled gallon sized bag. Seal, removing air. Place cooked and cooled chicken into another labeled gallon size freezer bag. You can add the sauce bag into this bag to prevent them getting separated. Place in freezer and freeze.
Reheating
- Place frozen orange sauce mix into a bowl of hot water to thaw quickly. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place frozen chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until chicken is fully heated through. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, then reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce thickens up. Pour sauce over chicken and serve with chopped green onions if using.
Nutrition
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Can you coat and freeze the chicken raw and then cook it the day of?
When I made it, the egg white
Mixture was not thick enough to coat the chicken… I basically fried naked chicken 😩any tips?
Hmmm… very strange. You may have had some watery eggs… I’m not sure! Strange!
Well !!! I tried this recipe last night and it is Delicious !!!! Bravo, Bravo !!! The chicken (I ended up using boneless skinless thighs) is so very tender but I’m sure the breast meat would have been delectable also. And the sauce…. super yummy !! Just a couple things, though…perhaps i am misreading the quantities, but I ended up needing to triple the egg whites/cornstarch amount to make enough to coat the chicken chunks. (although i DID discover that with more brisk whisking, the frothiness builds and seems to increase the volume.) Also, we didn’t think the sauce ingredients made enough sauce for all the chicken. But all is well; I will tweak it a little next time. Everyone LOVED the flavor ! And I love how clearly you explained the preparation processes for making it to cook “now” vs making it to freeze. Love your site, girl !!!! keep it up !! I am learning so much .:)
So happy you liked it!!!
Can you tell me why you don’t freeze the sauce with the chicken in one bag
Thank-you
It will make it soggy if it’s together.
Sounds yummy, can’t wait to try this. I am on a sugar free menu.
This looks easy and delicious. I will try this next week for sure. Thanks. Look forward to your videos!