Orange Chicken with Simple Salad Recipe

While the phrase “orange chicken” might stir up thoughts of take-out Chinese food, you’ll be surprised to see what we’ve done here with this dish. While your chicken thighs will be sautéed with the orange sauce, we’re also adding a simple salad that includes one of our favorite ingredients – avocado!

The result is a great, Paleo-friendly meal that works well for a light dinner or a satisfying lunch from home. We also love the prep time – for such an impressive and complex dish, this recipe should come together in half an hour or less, making it even more perfect for a busy weeknight.

For lunch, consider prepping your chicken in advance; then, prepare your salad. Once you’re ready for lunch, you can reheat and combine these ingredients for a quick meal.

This one-dish meal packs a healthy dose of nutrients. The avocado provides this dish with a ton of micro-nutrients, including Vitamin K, B, and C… plus over half a dozen others with a ten percent or higher recommended daily intake content. 

Chicken helps add to the protein content, and although the recipe calls for boneless, skinless thighs, you can switch these out for another option based on your budget. Lastly, the salad portion gives you an opportunity to sneak some not-so-common leafy greens in. 

The one thing you may need to watch out for is the sugar content. With the inclusion of OJ, the carb count is higher. Overall, this dish stands out as the perfect choice for the Paleo eater who is especially concerned with nutritional balance but who still likes to enjoy a variety of foods, textures, and flavors.

Orange Chicken with Simple Salad Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep: 15 min Cook: 15 min

Ingredients

• 1 lb. chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
• 4 to 6 cups mixed greens
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Cooking fat

Orange Vinaigrette Ingredients

• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette, season to taste with salt and pepper, and whisk until well emulsified.
2. Melt cooking fat in a skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Season the chicken to taste with sea salt, black pepper, and paprika.
4. Brown in the skillet for 4 to 5 minutes per side, then add the garlic.
5. Pour in the orange juice and cook until the liquid is almost all dissolved, spooning the orange juice over the chicken thighs.
6. Let the chicken rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then slice it into thin strips.
7. Assemble the salad by mixing the mixed greens, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and avocado in a large bowl.
8. Top the salad with the sliced orange chicken and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

📖 Recipe

Orange Chicken with Simple Salad Recipe

Enjoy orange chicken again by preparing this simple and straightforward recipe at home and serving it on a yummy bed of greens.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Calories 613 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb. chicken thighs skinless and boneless
• 4 to 6 cups mixed greens
• 1 bell pepper diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced
• 1 avocado peeled and diced
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• Cooking fat
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove minced
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette, season to taste with salt and pepper, and whisk until well emulsified.
  ¼ cup orange juice, 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 garlic clove
• Melt cooking fat in a skillet over medium-high heat.
  Cooking fat
• Season the chicken to taste with sea salt, black pepper, and paprika.
  1 lb. chicken thighs, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 2 tsp. paprika
• Brown in the skillet for 4 to 5 minutes per side, then add the garlic.
  2 garlic cloves
• Pour in the orange juice and cook until the liquid is almost all dissolved, spooning the orange juice over the chicken thighs.
  1 cup orange juice
• Let the chicken rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then slice it into thin strips.
• Assemble the salad by mixing the mixed greens, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and avocado in a large bowl.
  1 bell pepper, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 avocado, 4 to 6 cups mixed greens
• Top the salad with the sliced orange chicken and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Nutrition

Calories: 613kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 26gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 109mgPotassium: 1303mgFiber: 6gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 3351IUVitamin C: 192mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 3mg

Keyword chicken, orange, salad

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