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Chinese Orange Chicken made with crispy fried chicken covered in an authentic orange sauce. The ultimate Chinese Orange Chicken Recipe which is way better than take-out.
My kids are always begging me to take them to grab Chinese food. They are obsessed with orange chicken but I am never really sure what’s in it….especially if they get it from a drive-thru. I wanted to create a version at home, made from scratch, with all-natural ingredients. It still has the same incredible flavor they love. It’s definitely a win-win in our home.
It is wintertime in Arizona which means that the citrus is ripe for the picking. I am surrounded by neighbors who have a plethora of fresh oranges and lemons hanging from their trees. This is the perfect time of year to whip up orange and lemon dishes especially this Chinese Orange Chicken.
This Chinese Orange Chicken is made with boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces, dredged, and then fried until golden and crispy. The orange sauce is divine! It is a sweet orange sauce made with orange juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, red chili flakes, and orange zest. It is both sweet and spicy and full of flavor.
How to make Chinese Orange Chicken at home:
- Start with boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs. Cut into bite-size pieces. Dredge the chicken in whisked eggs and cornstarch/flour mixture until nice and coated. Get these chicken pieces ready for the oil.
- To make your homemade orange sauce, place orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes in a small pot and cook over medium-high heat. Add cornstarch and water and cook until thickened. Stir in orange zest.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When frying foods, it is so helpful to use a thermometer. Let the oil heat up to 350 degrees. Once the oil is ready, in batches, cook chicken for about 2 minutes until light golden brown. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Toss fried chicken with the sweet orange sauce. Top with grated orange zest and green onions. Serve immediately.
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Chinese Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 Eggs whisked
- 1/3 cup Cornstarch
- 1/3 cup Flour
- Salt
- Oil for frying
Orange Chicken Sauce:
- 1 cup Orange Juice
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar or White Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce use tamari for a gluten-free dish
- 1/4 teaspoon Ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder or 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
- Orange Zest from 1 orange
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Garnish:
- Green Onions
- Orange Zest
Instructions
- To make orange sauce:
- In a medium pot, add orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red chili flakes. Heat for 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of water to form a paste. Add to orange sauce and whisk together. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Once the sauce is thickened, remove from heat and add orange zest.
- To make chicken:
- Place flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish or pie plate. Add a generous pinch of salt. Stir.
- Whisk eggs in shallow dish.
- Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then flour mixture. Place on plate.
- Heat 2 -3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Using a thermometer, watch for it to reach 350 degrees.
- Working in batches, cook several chicken pieces at a time. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, turning often until golden brown. Place chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat.
- Toss chicken with orange sauce. You may reserve some of the sauce to place on rice. Serve it with a sprinkling of green onion and orange zest, if so desired.
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Orange Chicken is going to make you forget take-out. Let me know how it turns out by reaching out on instagram at @modern_honey. Have a great night, my friends!
Made for my wife. She was ‘Over the moon’. She stated it was the best. Now in my cooking plans to repeat often.
This recipe was excellent. The sauce was so vibrant! I made it for a special occasion dinner as the guest of honor’s favorite dish is orange chicken and he gave it a chef’s kiss. Everyone loved it and kept getting more.
This was so so good! Seems like leftovers the next day was even better! I’ll be making this again.
Hi, thanks so much for posting such a popular recipe. One note – for the sauce you mention “use tamari for a gluten free dish”. But note first, you’re already calling for flour in the dredge, so you might mention that folks can use a KA or Bob’s 1:1 gluten free instead.
But more importantly, note that the biggest single US seller of soy sauce products (Kikkoman) labels a wheat-containing product as “Tamari”. So the name alone does not guarantee gluten free. With Kikkoman, you have you specifically look for their “gluten free Tamari”, else it’s not actually gluten free.
Thanks again and your recipes are all great.
Great recipe, my whole family loved it! My only tweak was seasoning the raw chicken with a bit of salt, pepper, and garlic before dipping and cooking. Saving this one to do again.
I make this all the time for my 13 year old son. It’s absolutely delicious!!!! I make it at least once a week. Sooooo good thank you.
Probably faster at it the second go round, but the family loved it! Great flavor!
Make chicken first then the sauce, you have it backwards
I just tried this recipe and it was delicious. Even my husband, a food snob, said the recipie is a “keeper.” I wonder if I can fry the chicken and freeze it. If so, how do I reheat it so that it stays crispy?
Reheat. It in an air fryer or convection oven
I made this for the first time last night. My husband, a food snob, said this recipe is a “keeper.” I was wondering if I can freeze the cooked chicken and freeze it. If so, how would I reheat it? We have a family reunion soon and I thought this could be the meal I supply.