Clementine Chicken

Flavor-packed sauces are the key to making delicious stir-fry. In this recipe, sweet yet tangy clementine juice and fresh ginger complement the savoriness of sesame oil, garlic, and hoisin. Cooked until thickened and bubbly, the sauce hits all the right sweet, sour, and umami notes.

Since clementine chicken is quick to cook, it makes an excellent choice for a weeknight dinner. There are times when we all need to put a meal on the table fast, but that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice flavor. Prepare for this quick and delicious meal by mixing the sauce ingredients the night before and letting them sit in the refrigerator.

While you are in the process of squeezing the clementines and grating the peeled ginger root, you might get a little burst of energy – and hunger. Both are zesty and stimulating to the appetite. Pop open the bottles of sesame oil and hoisin, and you will get a sense of where this delicious dish is headed.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into ¼-inch strips
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups fresh clementine juice
2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together the clementine juice, hoisin sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and garlic. Reduce by half in a small saucepan over medium heat and set aside.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Cook the chicken strips until they are browned and just cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the reduced clementine mixture and cook until thickened and bubbly, making sure to release the browned bits of chicken from the bottom of the pan. Pour sauce over chicken strips. Serve warm over rice if desired and top with toasted sesame seeds.