Winter Wonders: Cranberry Orange Chicken Stir Fry

A winter inspired stir-fry that's a little sweet, a little tart, and a little spicy.  Done in under 30 minutes this Cranberry Orange Chicken Stir Fry will tingle your taste buds!

Cranberry Orange Chicken Stir Fry

I know how you all love stir frys so I'm bringing you a new and unique one I adapted from the Half Baked Harvest blog today.  Aren't they the best for easy go-to weeknight meals?  You can literally whip them up in under 30 minutes.  This winter flavor inspired dish stars tart cranberries and sweet oranges.  We typically combine oranges and cranberries when we bake so why not in savory dishes too?  They are the perfect combination of sweet and tart to go along with a stir fry chicken dish.  

Juicy chicken breasts are cut into bite sized pieces and cooked along with tender broccolini, mandarin oranges, and fresh cranberries.  Add in some spices and cashews then douse everything with a sweet/spicy Thai chili sauce mixture and you have a scrumptious, yet easy, weeknight meal!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• boneless skinless chicken breasts
• broccolini
• fresh or frozen cranberries
• mandarin oranges
• fresh ginger
• powdered ginger
• Thai sweet chili sauce
• soy sauce
• whole cashews
• sesame seeds (optional)
• hot cooked rice (optional)

Substitutions and Variations

• Switch out the broccolini with broccoli, green beans, snap peas, or bok choy

• Use peeled oranges or tangerines (seedless) 

• Serve over lo mien noodles or rice

• Leave out the cashews or use whole peanuts

• If you use dried cranberries: 

1. use unsweetened

2.  reconstitute them in hot water before adding them to the dish.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• I whisk up the sauce first so that is ready to go when needed.

• It's best to have all your ingredients prepped before you begin to cook because stir fry come together very quickly.

• I would try to use fresh cranberries (or frozen)  If you must use dried see my tip above in the Substitutions and Variations section.

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Cranberry Orange Chicken Stir Fry

serves 4

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
10 oz. (1/2 lb.) broccolini 
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 11 oz can of mandarin oranges, drained
1/3 cup whole cashews 

optional topping:  sesame seeds 

Sauce:

1 1/4 cups sweet Thai chili sauce
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ginger paste (or ground ginger)

Optional side dish:  hot cooked rice

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a measuring cup and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently until browned all over and cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.  

Add the remaining oil and the broccolini, cook for 4 minutes.  Add the minced ginger and the cashews, stirring to combine.  Cook until the cashews start to roast and turn brown, 1-2 minutes.   Add the sauce to the vegetables along with the cranberries.  Return the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the skillet and allow the mixture to come to a boil.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and stir in the mandarin oranges.  

Serve the stir-fry over a bed of rice and garnish with sesame seeds. 

adapted from:  Half Baked Harvest