The Briny Lemon: Chicken and Mushroom Stir-Fry with Mandarin Orange Sauce

Stir-fry is a go-to meal when you want a fast, fresh, flavorful, and, yes, even good-for-you dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. With soy sauce included, you don’t need additional salt. (If you must add a little, make it just that—a little.)

I didn’t use much chicken in this recipe—just a bit over half a pound. Meaty mushrooms carry the dish in place of actual meat. If you don’t like crimini or shiitake, choose your favorite and thinly slice. For less heat, use only two or three Thai chiles.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 11-oz can mandarin oranges in light syrup
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp peanut oil, divided
9-oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 red Thai chiles, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 stalk baby bok choy, coarsely chopped (stalks and leaves)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
8 oz crimini mushrooms, stems removed, caps cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
steamed white rice, for serving

Prepared Vegetables

Preparation

Strain the oranges over a medium bowl, reserving the syrup. Place the oranges in another bowl and set aside.

Drained Mandarin Oranges

Whisk the chicken broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch into the reserved syrup, stirring well to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch. Set aside. (Re-whisk just before using.)
Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry until browned and just cooked through, 6-7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut oil to the wok and add the chiles, garlic, shallot, bok choy, and bell pepper. Stir-fry 2 minutes.
Add the crimini and shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry 4 minutes, until beginning to soften.
Return the chicken to the wok and add the re-whisked sauce. Stir until the sauce is slightly thickened and the mushrooms are soft, 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved mandarin oranges.