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Sheet Pan Chili Ginger Orange Chicken and Broccoli. A new go-to meal. Easy homemade crispy chicken tossed in a spicy-sweet sesame chili ginger orange sauce. Serve this dish with broccoli cooked up right alongside the chicken. It’s the easiest sheet pan dinner. Add a side of rice for a main, or serve it on its own as an appetizer. This fun take-out-style dinner is great any night of the week!
Above all, this is up there with some of my top most-loved recipes to date. We absolutely adore this orange ginger chicken!
I mentioned this in my Sunday post, but only my brothers, Kai and Red, and Red’s girlfriend, Hailey, were here in Colorado last week. The rest of the family went back to their daily lives. So last week was special with just those three here.
I was finally able to make them all the foods they love. Lots of ramen, coconut shrimp, and now, this chicken recipe, which they said was “so good”.
Red sent me a text message saying this, “That chicken last night was so good. Really awesome flavor!”. Woohoo! Red doesn’t send many messages, ever, so I knew this recipe was GOOD.
And what’s even better, aside from the yumminess of this dish, is just how easy it is to prepare. Meaning we can ALL make and enjoy this take-out-style dinner.
I know you will all love this one!
The details
Step 1: start the chicken
Start with the chicken. I use cubed raw skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, or use a mix of the two as I do. Toss the cubed chicken with a mix of fresh orange zest and black pepper. Then add flour and toss again.
The flour allows the chicken to get crispy in the oven. It’s a small amount, so just a very light coating. It’s not a fully bready chicken but breaded just enough so the sauce can stick nicely to the chicken.
Place chicken up with a side of broccoli on a baking sheet to bake. It takes maybe 20 minutes to cook.
Step 2: the orange sauce
This really is the heart of the recipe. The sauce brings all the flavor. Start with lots of fresh orange zest and juice. Yes, you can use pre-squeezed orange juice, but with citrus now in season, I would highly recommend fresh juice. Nothing can compare!
I used clementines, which made the sauce so yummy. Use whatever oranges you have on hand or whatever looks best at the grocery store.
In a small bowl, mix the orange juice with tamari (or soy sauce), vinegar, and honey. Then, fresh ginger, garlic, chili paste, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. The honey replaces the sugar usually found in orange chicken. It works perfectly, and I love the small amount of flavor it adds to the sauce.
For heat, chili paste is the secret. I use gochujang, a Korean chili paste. The Mother in Law’s brand is my favorite, I get the original flavor from Whole Foods.
Lastly, mix in a small amount of cornstarch or flour, then simmer the sauce on the stove to help it thicken.
Step 3: toss the chicken and the sauce
Pour the sauce over the baked crispy chicken and cook the chicken in the sauce. What happens is that the coating soaks up all the sauce. It’s so delish.
Step 4: add rice and enjoy
I always serve the chicken, sauce, and broccoli over steamed rice (I make mine with bone broth for extra protein). Top with lots of green onions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
The boys (and Hail’s) all agreed that this dish is “fire.” In their language, which in their language means REALLY GOOD.
That should tell you what you need to know right there. This is certainly a must-try recipe.
Looking for other busy weeknight-night recipes? Try these!
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Salmon with Caesar Roasted Potatoes
One Skillet Cheesy Green Chile Chicken
Lastly, if you make this Sheet Pan Chili Ginger Orange Chicken and Broccoli, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sheet Pan Chili Orange Chicken and Broccoli
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 624 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- black pepper
- 1/4 cup flour or gluten-free flour
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- green onions + sesame seeds, for serving
Chili Ginger Orange Sauce
- 1 cup fresh orange juice + 2 tablespoons zest
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 3-4 tablespoons chili paste (gochjang) (gochujang)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or rub with oil.2. On the sheet pan, mix the chicken, orange zest, and pepper. Add the flour and toss again. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, tossing to coat. Arrange the chicken to one side of the baking sheet. Add the broccoli to the other side. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients, then set over medium heat. Bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and begins to thicken. Remove from the heat. 4. Remove the broccoli from the sheet pan. Then pour the orange sauce over the chicken and toss the chicken up in the sauce. Bake for another 5 minutes, until the sauce is baked onto the chicken.5. Serve the chicken, broccoli, and orange sauce with green onions and toasted sesame seeds. I love this over rice, but it's also great as an appetizer too!
This post was originally published on January 17, 2024
The first time I made this recipe it came out beautifully crispy. Any attempt after this, the chicken is not crispy. Ive tried corn starch, smaller pieces, spreading them out, parchment vs no parchment. Any ideas on what could make it soggy vs crispy. More flour, less oil? More oil?
Hi Samantha,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe! Was there anything you did differently the second time around? You can always pop the broiler on at the end, that will definitely help to crisp the chicken:) xT
This is so easy and delicious!! My family loved it. I used 4 cups of a broccoli and cauliflower mix. That was the only change I made to the recipe. Will definitely be making this again!
Hi Patricia,
Fantastic! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have the best week:) xxT
We had this for supper, and it was delish! The chicken was cooked perfectly! Nice and juicy. My husband can’t eat spice ( rosacea) so I left out the chili paste and did not use red pepper flakes. It was great! Put this into your rotation!
Hey Alane,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
Followed the recipe as written and it was perfect. Easy to put together, too. Will definitely be making again! Another great recipe from HBH.
Hey Angie,
Amazing!! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Have the best weekend:) xx
Very easy & delicious
Hey Nancy,
Happy Friday! Thanks for making this dish and your comment, love to hear it turned out well for you! XxT
Loved this recipe, delicious, made it twice. Followed recipe except took note of others’ comments about taking down the level of spice. Highly recommend adding only one T or less of gochjang / chili paste.
I was glad I saw that in reviews before making the recipe.
I like spicy 🌶️ And 1 T is spicy!
Thank you Tieghan for sharing your awesome recipes! You are the best- my favorite recipes are all from you!
Thanks so much, Stacey! So glad to hear this dish was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! XxT
totally agree with Lisa! Delicious but holy crap is this spicy. Would recommend only 1 tablespoon chili paste…maybe 1 1/2 if you like spice. 3 tablespoons overpowers the sauce and we LOVE spicy! Have tissue box near by! 😘
Hi Danielle,
Thanks so much! So sorry this was so spicy! I appreciate you making the recipe and sharing your feedback! xT
This recipe recommend using way too much chili paste and it ruins the sauce. Highly recommend adjusting the baseline amount and suggesting to add more for a spicier dish.
It’s a bummer because I make this periodically and sometimes forget this adjustment is required to at all enjoy the dish.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. So sorry to hear it was not the best due to the chili paste. xx
I love me some Half Baked Harvest recipes! Always simple and delicious. I wanted so badly to love this dish. I followed the recipe as written. It came out beautifully! But the amount of fresh orange zest was so overpowering, it almost had a chemical taste. We couldn’t taste any of the other delicious notes, just overly strong orange zest. I used 2TBS on the chicken and 2TBS in the sauce as instructed (plus the other ingredients). I want to make this again and experience what everyone else has! Where did I go wrong?
Still love HBH!!! 🧡
Hi Shana,
Thanks so much for your kind message and trying this recipe! So sorry about the orange flavor. Next time, I would just reduce the zest to 1T or even less than that. Also, it is really important to make sure you aren’t getting any of the white part of the peel when zesting, that part is super bitter. I hope this helps! xT
Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! That last five minutes in the oven is key…makes the orange sauce nice and sticky. I personally find it easier to toss the broccoli in a bowl, then use the same bowl for the chicken…but that’s just me! I had some “This Little Goat” sauce from Stephanie Izard which was exactly the right hit of spice for the dish. Served over rice and it was a great, nutritious and easy meal. I think it would work equally well with chicken thighs, and probably would be great with shrimp too (obviously a far shorter cooking time).
Hey Julie,
Thanks so much! So glad to hear this recipe was a hit, I appreciate you making it! Have a great Friday! xxT
The sauce was so good!
Hey Jay,
Thanks so much! So glad to hear this recipe was a hit, I appreciate you making it! Have a great Friday! xxT
So, SO delicious! Followed the recipe as written and it was muy bien!! Your recipes are great!
Hey there,
Fantastic! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback! XxT
Made your Double Chocolate Muffins for a late morning snack and this for dinner yesterday and I have to tell you, they were both a huge hit! Your recipes always evoke compliments bc they are so delicious and I am NOT a good cook, but, they are reasonably easy to make for someone of my ‘skill set’.
Thank you for your wonderful, detailed recipes- will keep trying them!
Thanks so much, Stephanie:) I appreciate you trying so many recipes! Love to hear this was enjoyed! xT
This was delicious, I am confused about the orange zest. The recipe calls for 2 T but the instructions say 2 T zest mixed in with the chicken and 2 T zest in the sauce?
Hi Paula,
Yes, that is correct. The recipe calls for 2T in step 2 and then 2T in step 3. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This was really good. I used 3T of chili paste. As a family we still like the honey buffalo better but this is still awesome just a little sweet.
Hi Carla,
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for trying this dish and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well! Have a beautiful Sunday! xx