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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!
We just finished eating this for supper and we will be making it regularly FOR SURE. Hubby loves orange chicken, but has been disappointed with take-out versions and the recipes that use jarred orange marmalade didn’t cut it either. Your recipe has solved our problem and we can use oranges from our backyard. Thanks.
So good! I made this a few months ago and had to come back to your recipe to make it again.
Sauce is banging. Will def make again
OMG! Made it last night when I had nothing in the fridge and the snow was falling. Found chicken in the freezer, had fresh broccoli and actually one orange so I was good to go. I doubled the sauce and so glad I did as it is delicious! Nice and hot the way I like it! Added a small handful of peanuts to my dish but son and husband love it just the way it was. Husband even didn’t complain about the jasmine rice (he’s Irish!). Will make again and again. Thanks, Melissa!
I’m going to be making it today can’t wait to try it.
We don’t eat at Chinese restaurants for the fear of not knowing what’s in the food, we had a taste for orange chicken tonight, found your recipe and so happy that I did!! My children who are very picky loved it will definitely be making again
I am still giving you five stars but I think I did something wrong. It turned out way too sweet. I also wish I would have seasoned the chicken as it was bland. I am not giving up and will give it another try some day.
We thought it was a little sweet also i added soy sauce to the orange sauce fixed it and now i make this once a week as requested. I also keep extra sauce made up in the fridge for really quick dinner nights. Live love love this.
You can always sprinkle garlic, salt, or any other type of Chinese based spices on your chicken as it frying. That’s what I did. Turned out GREAT!!! (& full of flavor!) Good luck!!! 🙂
I prepared this delicious recipe with oranges from the tree in our backyard. Will definitely make it again!
This was fantastic! Adding this to the arsenal ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It was pretty straightforward to make and was a hit at the dinner table. The cornstarch/flour mix gave the chicken a good crisp. The sauce had a good balance of tang and sweetness. Will definitely make this again!
Thank you, Michelle! I am so happy that you loved it and it was a hit. I really appreciate you trying my recipe!
I and my family LOVED this. I ended up doubling the sauce to go over rice. So happy to have found your site and look forward to seeing more great recipes!
Just made this last night! It was a HUGE hit with all 5 of my kids! They said it was way better than take out Orange Chicken. They have requested it be put in our permanent rotation. Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes. So happy to have stumbled upon your Instagram page. Thanks so much!
Hi Amanda! I love to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to share that with me. It makes me so happy to hear that your kids loved it too.
Do I use boxed orange juice or fresh squeezed?
Sounds delicious. Were the leftovers good or would you not recommend based on frying?
This was super easy to follow! We added more red chili flakes for spice and lessened the sugar by less than 1/4 cup.
Yumm … This recipe is wonderful! I will make it for a family Sunday dinner. Thanks so much!
Hi Kim! Thank you! It is perfect for Sunday dinner, for sure.
For our family of 5, I found that I should have double the recipe.
You may still want to consider doing extra sauce by at least 1/2. When I doubled the sauce, I had sauce left over – even after drizzling it over our jasmine rice.
I’m an amateur cooker because I’m 12. Me and my sister made this recipe and my family absolutely loved it. This is an easy, awesome recipe for really anybody. Thank you modern honey for this amazing recipe!
I just made this tonight and it was delicious