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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. Never knew I could make such, but I’m getting to be a PRO. We’ll never order take out again. Thanks for the recipe, Melissa Stadler.
Hi Chuck! I love that you are PRO…awesome job! Thank you so much for trusting my orange chicken recipe. I appreciate the kind comment!
I love this recipe!! We have many it so many times and making it again tonight. Everyone loves it!
Love to hear that, Shelby! Thank you so much for trying out my recipe.
I used this sauce recipe over duck and slow cooked in oven in a covered pan @ 310°for 3 hours. It was the best duck I’ve ever made.
That’s genius, Sharon! I never thought of using duck in place of chicken but I bet it tasted amazing!
Are you using ground or fresh ginger?autrn
I’m not sure what Melissa uses, but I just used fresh grated ginger and it was so good. It seems to me that dry ground ginger wouldn’t be as yummy. 😊.
Hi Lauren! Cynthia is right — I love to use fresh ginger for the fresh burst of tang and flavor. You can use dried ginger powder, if you don’t have fresh ginger on hand.
Hi! Thanks for this recipe-we all love it! I am wondering if you think it would be OK to freeze the sauce. I would like to double the sauce recipe & freeze half of it for the next time.
Thanks in advance!
Pat
The sauce should have no problem being frozen. I’m going to do that as well!
Hi Pat! Yes, Molly is right and you can freeze the sauce for the orange chicken. It can be frozen for up to 2 months in a freezer bag. I hope you love it!
This sauce recipe is perfect. I’ve made it four times already. I use it with air-fried tofu to make it vegan and it totally satisfies the American Chinese takeout craving.
Hi Hannah! That’s a great idea to use air-fried tofu to make it vegan. Super smart! I am so glad you liked it. Thank you!
Absolutely amazing! So flavorful.
My son asked me to keep the recipe on repeat.
This is the best orange chicken I have ever made or had, however it takes a lot longer than 35 minutes. Thanks!
This is the best recipe ever! My only change is that I use 2 chicken breast instead of 4. This is plenty for my husband and I and there’s lots of sauce which is fantastic!
I made this & was so good!! My husband ate the leftovers the next day for lunch & ate it cold. Yuk for me, I don’t eat leftovers cold, but he said it was still so delicious!!
Hi Chris! It is always great when you get a thumbs up from kids. Thank you so much for trying the orange chicken recipe.
Seriously best orange chicken ever! I make this an unhealthy amount now that I’ve found this recipe!
Great recipe and really a nice one. Will surely try this
How sweet is it? Can you dial back the sugar and still get the orange flavor coming through.