How to make Jamie Oliver’s 20-minute sticky orange chicken
By PA
TV chef Jamie Oliver is set to prove that his new recipes are achievable in the allotted time – with dishes filmed against the clock in an unedited, one-shot take for Jamie’s 20-Minute Meals on Channel 4.
It accompanies a cookbook, 20-Minute Meals: Real Fast Food, aiming to make home cooking quicker and easier than ever.
The 51-year-old says: “Look, I’ve heard people say for years, ‘Jamie, I’m not a professional chef, there’s no way I can make those meals in the time you say…’ And I get it, now more than ever, we’re all up against it. But I want to prove that anyone can do it. I have done my homework on how 20 minutes is the sweet spot – for you to make cooking a happy, lifelong habit. This series and book are living proof.
“And it’s a promise – if it didn’t get done in 20, it didn’t make the cut! I have nowhere to hide, if it burns, it burns, if I don’t plate up in time, then the clock beats me! But I am super-confident that we’ll be just fine…”
Here’s how to make one of Oliver’s brand-new dishes.
Sticky orange chicken
Ingredients
(Serves 2)
500g sweet potatoes
1 onion (160g)
2 x 150g skinless free-range chicken breasts
½ a bunch of rosemary (10g)
2 oranges
1tsp wholegrain mustard
Red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
60g watercress
Olive oil
1 heaped tbsp orange marmalade
50ml brandy
2tbsp Greek yogurt
Method
1. Peel the sweet potatoes, chop into 3cm chunks, place in a heatproof bowl, loosely cover, and microwave on full power (800W) for 7 minutes, or until soft.
2. Put a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Peel the onion, cut into eighths, then break apart into petals, adding them to the pan with 150ml of water. Season the chicken with sea salt and place on top of the onions. Cover and cook for 6 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, strip the rosemary leaves and halve the oranges. Squeeze the juice of one half into a large shallow serving bowl, add the mustard, 1 teaspoon each of red wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, mix together and season to perfection. Pile the watercress on top, ready to dress later.
4. Uncover the chicken and onions, let any excess water cook away, then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and let it all start to fry. Move the chicken and onions to one side of the pan. Add the rosemary and fry until crispy, then remove. Stir in the marmalade, then add the brandy and carefully flame it, if you like. Squeeze in all the remaining orange juice and reduce for 5 minutes on a low heat.
5. Mash the sweet potatoes with 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, season to perfection and divide between plates. Add the sticky chicken and onions, scatter over the crispy rosemary, and serve with the dressed watercress and yogurt.
Energy: 572 kcal
Fat: 9g
Sat fat: 2.3g
Protein: 42.4g
Carbs: 68.4g
Sugars: 25.8g
Salt: 11g
Fibre: 1.2g
20 Minute Meals: Real Fast Food by Jamie Oliver publishes on September 10th (Penguin Michael Joseph © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited). Recipe photography: © David Loftus, 2026. Available for pre-order now. Jamie’s 20 Minute Meals on Channel4 airs this autumn.
