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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!
Everyone loved it and I really thought it raised the bar on the orange flavor. I added fresh ginger and extra garlic to suit our tastes but your recipe is perfect as is! Thank you ,definitely a keeper
I made this recipe tonight and it was soooo good. I air-fried the chicken instead of frying it in oil. Fiancé definitely approved. Thank you for this great recipe. Much better than Panda Express in my opinion.
I have never rated a recipe before, but the Chinese Orange Chicken is a delicious dinner and very simple to make. I loved it. Thank you!!
I never leave comments on recipes, but this is an exception! Amazing chicken-much better than most takeout orange chicken in NYC. Definitely give this a try. Thank you so much!
I Dont do orange chicken take out anymore. This is delicious! A keeper. Thank you.
I don’t know what I did wrong but my sauce came out brownish, but the flavor was amazing. I was craving it and had run out of the Trader Joe’s one and decided to give it a go. Now I can eat it whenever I want without wondering if I have it in the freezer. I will definitely be making it again, brown or orange. ????
Mine turns out brown too. But it’s still really good!
Can you substitute the flour for rice flour?
I chose this recipe (over other orange chicken recipes) a few days ago looking for a way to use my leftover OJ in the fridge and HOLY CRAP this was an awesome recipe!
The only difference is that I cooked the chicken first and *then* made the sauce. I also left the orange zest for last, throwing it in after I started mixing the chicken and sauce together.
The orange flavor is really distinguishable here and in my opinion… this is so much better, and healthier, than even Panda Express’s Orange Chicken!
Thank you so much for sharing!
Because I now have one…..I air fried my coated chicken thighs.. LOVED, LOVED LOVED the sauce. Kept it on the side so each person can determine their own sauce level preference.
Does anyone think one orange juice works better than another ? I cant wait to make this ! I made the sesame chicken and subbed catsup for sweet chili sauce and was amazing! Tasted like take out. I’ve perfected my home made fried rice that my husband and our friend prefers to take out lol