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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!
Delicious! I did have to double the dredge amount and I added extra salt and pepper into it. Also the sauce should be cooked longer or add more corn starch! All in all solid recipe and way better than that garbage filled takeout. Very simple and quick recipe!
So I had some prebreaded popcorn chicken, baked them, made the sauce and tossed the chicken in… I don’t think I’ve ever been so shocked at a recipe tasting so good. Super simple and somehow one of the best meals I’ve made in months. All the stars lol.
I’m so glad you loved this recipe Jason! The prebreaded chicken is such a great time saving hack. Thank you for your comment!
This came out amazing! I jad a bit less chicken, so there was a decent amount of the orange sauce left.
When I went into the kitchen my boyfriend and his friend had dumped the white rice into the pot and were eating out of it like cavemen!
I have been begged to add this to our recipie rotation (by both my boyfriend and his friend).
That is hilarious, I love it! Thanks so much for your comment, Daisy!
Let me tell you something, I’m throwing this in rotation! Who needs carry out when I can make the sauce just as good!? Delicious! Didn’t have ginger and used garlic powder and white vinegar this time, so I’m sure it’s even tastier with those! A weeknight win.
Thanks so much for making this recipe Adrianne!
Hi! This looks great! I will try it this week. Was curious, do you fresh squeeze the orange for juice or use store bought? Thank you.
Hi Tom! I always think fresh squeezed Orange Juice tastes the best and the freshest. However you can use a high-quality store bought orange juice as well. Happy New Year!
My son is going blessed with orange chicken and he loves this. We just made the sauce for the second time, and poured over all natural “chicken bites” (frozen that we baked in the oven), as a quick way to fulfill his orange chicken craving. He told me we are making a double batch of the sauce next time because he wants to use it on broccoli, stir fry, etc.
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks so much for making this recipe!
Love this! I love Costco and Panda Express orange sauces but haven’t really found another brand. I had to make a quick meal for myself and made some sauce with this recipe. Had all the ingredients at hand, and it was so quick and easy. Never gonna buy orange sauce again.
I’m so happy you loved this recipe Angel!
Very tasty. Good blend of flavors
best one we’ve ever made and beats store-bought easily. Thanks!
This sounds amazing!!!! Do you think it would work in the air fryer instead of frying in oil?
Hi Michele! I have not tested this recipe out in the air fryer yet. I do believe it will turn out! Let me know if you try it out!
I was wondering the same! Going to try it out.
I’ve made chicken like this in the air fryer. Place an air fryer liner in the air fryer so the chicken isn’t directly on holes. You have to coat the air fryer liner with oil. Then spray the chicken on one side with oil thoroughly, place the chicken oil side down in the air fryer liner. Then spray the top of the chicken with oil throughly. Do one layer of chicken at a time and make sure the chicken does not touch in the air fryer.