Kumquat Chicken
This Kumquat Chicken is inspired by orange chicken, it’s sweet, tangy with an option to spice things up. It’s got that umami flavor you love without soy sauce and it’s a little healthier because we don’t bread & fry the chicken. And it’s still delicious!
I love coming up with new kumquat recipes every year! And I am very excited for a savory kumquat recipe this year. Hello Kumquat Chicken with a sweet and sour taste that feels like take out but it’s actually quite healthy. Plus, it’s easy to make and it’s DELISH! It’s also soy-free if you want it to be–I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce since I am sensitive to soy–but you can sub in soy sauce if you prefer. And while classic orange chicken is breaded and fried, I skipped that step for ease of preparation and to make it healthier. I think you’ll love it. Let’s make it!
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Kumquats are really quite versatile but if you aren’t familiar with them you might wonder what on earth to do with them. When I first tried them I was so turned off by their intense sour flavor I could imagine why people liked them! When a coworker told me she was looking forward to buying kumquats at a farmers market and roasting them I was so intrigued and knew I had to try it. That changed everything for me. When you cook kumquats, the intense tartness is subdued, and the citrus flavor shines through and it pairs so well with anything sweet! But it can work with savory recipes too, like this kumquat chicken recipe, although we are still going to use some sugar 🙂 I hope you try it if you can get your hands on some kumquats. It’s so tasty!
Ingredients
Kumquat chicken
- Chicken breast
- Kumquats
- Onion
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Coconut aminos
- Brown sugar
- Crushed red pepper
How to make kumquat chicken
As always, I’m going to instruct you to salt your chicken the day before you plan to cook it. This not only has a huge impact on flavor, it perhaps more importantly affects the texture, making it more tender, and gives you a bit of a safety net if it gets cooked a little too long. So salt the chicken first and then do the next steps.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. You can cut the chicken prior to cooking or you can cook the tenderloins whole, then cut. I cut mine before cooking this time. Cook the chicken in a little bit of oil until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Use a meat thermometer to ensure all the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside while you make the kumquat chicken sauce.
Add a little more oil to the pan and keep at medium heat. Add the onions and kumquats, cook these until the onions are tender. Then add the garlic, crushed red pepper and fresh ginger and cook for about 1 minute.
Then add the brown sugar and coconut aminos and cook until bubbling and thickened. Add the chicken back in and cook just until heated through.
Serve with fresh rice and steamed broccoli. I garnished with sesame seeds, but this is mainly for looks so that part is completely up to you! Enjoy 🙂
Tried this recipe?
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More delicious kumquat recipes
Kumquat Chicken (Sweet & Sour Chicken)
Tangy, sweet & savory chicken that’s easy to throw together on a weeknight! Feels like take out but it’s actually quite healthy. Serve it with brown rice and steamed broccoli for a well-rounded, nutritious meal.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: main
- Cuisine: asian-inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 3/4 cup sliced fresh kumquats, seeds removed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp)
- 3/4 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, or more if you want it spicier
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos, sub soy sauce
Serve with:
- White or brown rice
- Steamed broccoli
- Garnish with sesame seeds
Instructions
- The night before you plan to cook the chicken, sprinkle the meat all over with salt.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp oil then add chicken breast. Cook until an internal temperature of 165F is reached. Remove from the skillet and set aside while you make the sauce.
- Keep the skillet over medium heat, add remaining 1 tbsp oil and the onion. Cook for about 3 minutes then add the kumquats. Cook until onions are translucent about 5 more minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, spices and cook for about a minute, then add the brown sugar and coconut aminos.
- Cook until bubbling and thickened. Add the chicken back in and cook just until heated through.
- Serve with fresh rice and steamed broccoli. Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
Prep time: I did not include salting the chicken in prep time.
