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.
Chinese Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 Eggs whisked
- ⅓ cup Cornstarch
- ⅓ cup Flour
- Salt
- Oil for frying
Orange Chicken Sauce:
- 1 cup Orange Juice
- ½ cup Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar or White Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce use tamari for a gluten-free dish
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder or 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- ½ 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
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!
Jim
I don't normally bother rating recipes, but this was so good you really should try it. I recommend doubling the sauce like many other reviewers suggest - it was that tasty and could be used for other dishes. It is a little on the sweet side, so I'll probably reduce the sugar the next time I make this - and I will be making it again. Much better than my local Chinese takeout place.
Sunny
This was so good and really simple. My husband is now requesting that I make this often. It was nice that there are minimal ingredients and I had all f them in my panty so it was super simple. Thanks for the delicious meal.
Kristen
Should you use fresh ginger root, ground ginger, or dried ginger?
Lenna Nabulsi
Very yummy and was a hit at my family dinner
Aditya
What weight do you have in mind when you say 4 chicken breasts, since chicken breast sizes vary widely? I’m trying to figure out the amount of chicken thigh meat to put in as a substitute.
Christina
I haven't tried this recipe but I'm very excited to! Is it possible to make the chicken beforehand and possibly freeze it? Just trying to think of ways to speed up the dinner making process yet still having this in the regular rotation. Looking forward to trying this regardless. Thank you!
Alison Schorr
So good! Coronavirus means Trader’s is all out of our favorite quick meal. We have extra time at home now so we made this and now we will never make the frozen alternative! So good!! My kids loved it!
Julie
How many people does this recipe serve? I have between 15 and 25 people to serve
Elle
It was delicious, thank you. But a bit too sweet, we will cut down some of the sugar as it was too sweet for my family but the taste is superb. Thank you.
Cristal
Thank you much for this recipe! We’ve been craving orange chicken for some time now. It was so easy to make, and delicious! My husband loved it so we’re adding it to our list of fave recipes. ❤️
Hunter
How many serving would you say this recipe makes?
Glenn
Great recipe. Substited Banquet Chicken nuggets and ginger powder. Kids loved it. Easy to make, fast and easy cleanup. Thanks.
Lindsey
Came out looking great, only thing was that I might have added a bit too much orange zest, making it a little bit more orange-y than I would’ve liked.
Sharra
This is amazing
Wondering if you ever jarred the sauce and if so how long would it last? Thanks
April
The flavors are perfect! The ginger, orange, and a little kick - I was absolutely pleasantly surprised at how well this turned out. My teenager loved it also! Definitely keeping this in my aresenal. Love it love it love!
Modern Honey
Hi April! I always find if my teenagers like a dish, I am doing something right! They can be picky for sure. Thank you for trying my recipe and taking the time to comment.
isa
Do you cook the chicken before frying it?
Cindy Gordon
Best orange sauce recipe ever! I used fresh squeezed orange juice and didn't have cornstarch so I used flour. I had some frozen popcorn chicken that I cook in the oven and then coated with the orange sauce. It was a hit, everyone loved it. Thanks!
Danielle Rayoum
This was a hit with my whole family! I have seen people write that on other recipes and would try them in hopes it would be the same for us, but it never was... Until this recipe. Everyone loved it! I made a few adjustments. I left out the red pepper flakes for the sake of my two youngest who don’t like spicy food. But I should have added it to mine and hubbies as I know we would have liked it. I replaced coconut aminos for soy sauce and coconut flour for corn starch and flour. I also used small pieces of pork chops instead of chicken because I didn’t have any chicken and didn’t want to run to the store. Also, I added sautéed broccoli. Everyone loved it! My kids were going bonkers over the fried pork chops before I could even finish the meal. Now going to see if I can find a honey chicken recipe on your site. Thanks!
Kathy E
Basically, you made a totally different meal!
Yours sounds pretty good as well. ????
Jan C.
Excellent! I cut the sugar in half & the sauce was perfect. I also sauteed some sliced carrots & mushrooms in some oil, soy sauce & orange juice, then added them to the chicken at the end. My husband said it's one of his favorite meals!
Sadie
This is an excellent sauce! I'm making it again tonight - thank you for such tasty recipes.
Tammy McDowell
This is amazing. I had never been a fan of orange chicken til I tried this recipe. It will be a regular meal around here! Thank you!