Made with lean ground chicken and piled into nourishing rice bowls, this orange ground chicken is an easy, budget-friendly version of classic orange chicken that comes together in only 30 minutes.
Happy New Year! Big old rice bowls packed with all the works is my mood going into 2026 and I’m gonna strongly recommend you join me on this one.
While I love a good mess of orange chicken from my favorite local Chinese place as much as the next gal, lately I’ve been all in on the homemade versions. This ground chicken is reminiscent of the real deal only it’s much lighter on the calories + sodium and heavier on the fresh orange flavor.
Pair it with a mess of steamed rice + tender broccoli and you can pass me the largest bowl there is.
This is especially a great dinner option if you’re looking for a budget-friendly meal that makes a ton of food and can be prepped ahead of time. I include all the meal prep instructions further down in the blog post.
Get ready to kiss that takeout goodbye with zero regrets.
These Rice Bowls feature…
- Juicy browned ground chicken tossed in a fresh orange sauce
- Tender broccoli and fluffy steamed rice
- Fresh green onions and sesame seeds sprinkled on top
Making the Rice Bowls
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Orange
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Rice wine vinegar
- Cornstarch
- Ground chicken
- Vegetable oil
- Broccoli
- Rice
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
Tips for Perfect Rice Bowls
- Use fresh orange in sauce – fresh orange juice and zest adds an unmatchable strong orange flavor to the sauce.
- Brown ground chicken – break up the ground chicken over medium-high heat until no longer pink.
- Steam broccoli – this is a super fast way to cook the broccoli. You can also roast or blanche it.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these bowls.
- Try another protein – try ground beef, turkey, or pork in place of the chicken.
- Make sauce spicy – add red pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce to the orange sauce.
- Use another bowl base – try quinoa, cauliflower rice, farro, or rice noodles.
- Add more veggies – try adding a sautéed sweet pepper, baby spinach, mushrooms, or kale.
Meal Prep Instructions
These bowls are perfect for meal prepping. Arrange steamed rice and broccoli between 4 meal prep containers, top with orange ground chicken, and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Store rice bowls in refrigerator up to 6 days and reheat individual servings in microwave 2-3 minutes on high for serving.
I’ll tell you what, these bowls really do give classic orange chicken a run for its money! The sauce smothers every inch of the ground chicken and is just singing with fresh citrus flavor. A little rice + broccoli action and we’ve got ourselves a winning weeknight bowl.
Add this one to your meal prep plans! You won’t regret it.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Try these other rice bowls next!
Orange Ground Chicken Rice Bowls
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb broccoli, chopped into 1-inch florets
- 4 cups cooked white or brown rice
- Sliced green onions and sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
- In small bowl, whisk orange juice, zest, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and cornstarch-water mixture. Set aside for a moment.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken and break up with a wooden spoon over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink.
- Pour sauce mixture over chicken and cook 2-3 minutes until sauce is bubbly and coating chicken. Remove chicken from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm.
- Steam broccoli over medium-high heat in a steamer basket set over a few inches of water until broccoli is tender.
- Divide rice between bowls and divide orange ground chicken and broccoli between bowls. Top bowls with green onions and sesame seeds for serving and serve warm. Enjoy!
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