Recipe
How to Turn Your Leftover Orange Chicken Into a Healthy Meal
Spoon UIUC teamed up with Food & Wine magazine to increase awareness about the problem of food waste on our campus. With a microgrant of just under $100, we created 10 original recipes to show you how you can transform leftover late-night eats into something equally amazing the next day.
Orange chicken is a staple of takeout Asian food. But the citrus dish is also thick and heavy with a sauce that could stand in for glue if you leave it too long in its container.
That’s why we opted for this recipe that transforms sticky orange chicken into a refreshingly lighter lettuce wrap finished with toasted cashews and ginger.
Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Citrus Ginger Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Servings: 4-6
- Easy
Ingredients
- 1 head of lettuce
- 1 carton of leftover orange chicken
- 1 bottle Asian ginger dipping sauce
- 1 package broccoli slaw mix
- 1 cup cashews
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cashews on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and toast for about 5 minutes. Crush with the bottom of a cup or back of a spoon when finished.
Photo by Julia Marks
Step 2
Coat a sauté pan with Asian ginger dipping sauce and add in broccoli slaw. Let cook until vegetables are slightly soft.
Photo by Julia Marks
Step 3
Chop orange chicken leftovers into pieces and add to slaw.
#SpoonTip: Microwave orange chicken for a minute first, if leftovers are sticking to their container.
Photo by Julia Marks
Step 4
Fill lettuce cups and garnish with crushed, toasted cashews.
Photo by Julia Marks
Hungry for more? Check out these articles for some more inspiration: