These ground orange chicken bowls are a fast, flavor-packed dinner made with ground chicken, a sticky orange sauce, crisp sugar snap peas and crunchy water chestnuts. If you want the flavor of orange chicken in an easier, weeknight-friendly bowl recipe, this version skips the breading and frying but still delivers that sweet-savory takeout-style payoff.
What Makes Them Unique
These ground orange chicken bowls are not only delicious, but also unique- and here’s why.
- Orange Marmalade– While most recipes use orange juice and maybe orange zest, this recipe gives you amped up orange flavors with zest built right in, serving up oodles of flavor but saving time.
- Ground Chicken – Instead of fiddling with chopping up chicken breasts, ground chicken is the ticket. Lean, tasty and a blank slate to soak up all of the flavors of the sweet orange sauce. Ground turkey can also be used.
- One Skillet– The whole recipe takes place in just one skillet, minus the rice, greens or quinoa, of course. But if you are short on time, consider buying a 90-second packet of grains for the base.
Ingredients for Ground Orange Chicken Bowls
You can find all of the ingredients needed to make these bowls at your local grocery store. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Ground chicken – Using ground chicken instead of chicken breasts takes out all the work of chopping chicken, but still gives you the texture and flavor that you love in orange chicken.
- Vegetable oil – We use this simply to prevent the ground chicken from sticking while browning it.
- Sugar snap peas – These add freshness, color, and a slight bite that balances the sweet sauce.
- White onion, fresh garlic, fresh ginger – These build a savory aromatic base and keep the sauce from tasting too sweet.
- Water chestnuts – Water chestnuts are commonly seen in asian cuisine. They add crunch, which helps the texture of the bowl feel more interesting.
- Sesame seeds, scallions – These act as garnishes and give the finished bowls extra texture and freshness.
- Orange marmalade, orange juice – This is orange chicken after all! These give us both sweetness and that orange flavor we all know and love.
- Soy sauce – We add this to our sauce for an umami flavor- I prefer to use low sodium soy sauce to not make the dish overly salty.
- Cornstarch – This is used to thicken our orange chicken sauce.
How to Make Ground Orange Chicken Bowls (Step-by-Step)
When you’re craving takeout, these bowls will hit the spot. Just follow these simple steps.
- Brown the ground chicken. In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, breaking into pieces and browning all over. Use a slotted spoon, place onto a plate. Set aside.
- Add sugar snap peas. Add the sugar snap peas to the hot skillet, stirring for 3-4 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger. In the same skillet, add the white onion, cooking until it starts to soften. Add the fresh garlic and fresh ginger, cooking for another few minutes.
- Make the sauce. Stir in the marmalade, orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and seasoned rice vinegar. Bring it to a low simmer until the sugar dissolves.
- Add cornstarch slurry to sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water, pour into the sauce and continue to heat.
- Add water chestnuts. Return the cooked ground chicken, sugar snap peas and drained and chopped water chestnuts to the skillet, tossing to combine.
- Serve hot over a bowl of leafy greens, rice or quinoa. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds or chopped scallions. Sriracha is optional if you like sweet and spicy.
Variations
We love these ground orange chicken bowls exactly as they are, but there are plenty of ways to change things up!
- Toppings – Add sliced or slivered almonds or peanuts. Top with crushed red chili flakes or Sriracha for heat.
- Tame down the sweetness – If you don’t like a sweet orange sauce, you can omit the brown sugar.
- Extra veggies – Other veggies include broccoli, cauliflower, green peas or carrots. I like to made a grain and salad bowl using baby spinach, quinoa and then topping with the chicken mixture.
- Swap the protein – Instead of ground chicken, you can swap it for ground turkey or even ground beef.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Store the cooked orange chicken mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If possible, store the rice or other base separately so the bowls reheat more evenly.
Freezing: The orange chicken mixture freezes well. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently. For the best texture, I would make the rice or greens fresh when serving rather than freezing the fully assembled bowls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ground chicken cooks faster, makes the recipe more weeknight-friendly, and still absorbs the orange sauce really well. It also skips the extra steps of breading and frying.
Yes. Ground turkey is an easy substitute and works very well in this recipe. You could even use ground beef if you’d like.
Rice, quinoa, greens, and cauliflower rice all work well. The best choice depends on whether you want something more classic, lighter or higher in protein.
More Takeout Favorites
When you’re craving takeout, make these copycat asian recipes instead to save money- plus, they taste better!
Ground Orange Chicken Bowls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground chicken , or turkey
- 1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas , trimmed
- 1/3 cup white onion , chopped
- 2-3 cloves fresh garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger , grated or minced
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- 1/3 cup no pulp orange juice
- 1/4 low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cold water
- 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts , drained and chopped
- 1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 2-3 tablespoons scallions
- Sriracha , if desired
- Leafy greens, cooked quinoa, sticky rice or cauliflower rice
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the 1 pound ground chicken, breaking into pieces and browning all over. Use a slotted spoon, place onto a plate. Set aside.
- Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas to the hot skillet, stirring for 3-4 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped 1/3 cup white onion, cooking for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to soften. Add the minced 2-3 cloves fresh garlic and grated or minced 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, cooking for another 2 minutes.
- Stir in the 1 cup orange marmalade, 1/3 cup no pulp orange juice, 1/4 low sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar and 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar. Bring it to a low simmer until the sugar dissolves.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cold water, pour into the sauce and continue to heat for 4 minutes.
- Return the cooked ground chicken, sugar snap peas and drained and chopped 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts to the skillet, tossing to combine.
- Serve hot over a bowl of leafy greens, rice or quinoa. Sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds or chopped 2-3 tablespoons scallions. Sriracha is optional if you like sweet and spicy.
- If you tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
