In our house, going out to eat or ordering takeout is pretty much unheard of. For the Gerard family, heading out to dinner is a big deal. Even when I was a kid—back when things were always chaotic and busy—I hardly remember getting takeout (and on the rare times we did, it was only ever pizza). Actually going to a restaurant? Never happened! So if we wanted Chinese food, I had to make it myself.

Turns out, there are tons of Chinese chicken sauce recipes out there! Orange chicken, sesame chicken, honey sesame chicken, sweet and sour chicken, honey chili chicken… and that’s just the ones I’ve stumbled upon lately!

Now, I know traditional Chinese-style chicken is usually fried, but I really don’t like frying food. So I made this way healthier by oven-frying the chicken—and it worked perfectly! I actually use this oven method for most recipes that call for fried chicken. You still get that crispy, crunchy coating without the mess of deep-frying.

Once the chicken’s in the oven, the sauce comes together super quick. Just mix all the ingredients and let it simmer until it thickens up a bit.

While the sauce was cooking, I threw some asparagus in the pan to sauté. It adds a nice pop of color to the dish. But if your family’s as picky as mine, you might want to keep the asparagus separate—just toss it with a little sauce on the side.

I love serving this over steamed rice. Rice is a major staple in this house. When I was younger, I swear we had chicken and rice at least four or five times a week!