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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!
This was great! Unfortunately I didn’t have cornstarch but it still worked out! I also added bell peppers and pineapple chucnks.
We had this last night and my goodness! It was so good. Everyone enjoyed it. It smelled wonderful while cooking. It’s not too spicy, so my son could enjoy it.
I didn’t have green onions or orange zest. I really liked the batter for the chicken. It comes out nice and crispy. I may use something like it for other recipes.
Pretty good batter for sweet and sour chicken. Any recipe that has battered meat and sauce works with the batter in this recipe.
This recipe is great! However, here’s a couple tips to really elevate the flavor! If you are short on time, simply buy a frozen bag of chicken nuggets, tenders, or popcorn style. I think popcorn works great, but anything is fine, as long as it’s plain. I’ve used the recipe to bread and fry the chicken. Either is fine!🙂
Next, don’t be afraid to really allow the flavors to simmer, when you are making the orange sauce. I let mine simmer for probably 3/4 of an hour, on very low heat. Allowing the sa9uce to sit overnight really married the flavors together! 😋
Also, I added fish sauce (about 1 tsp per recipe, I’ve quadrupled the recipe, and did 4 tsp fish sauce) also, a dash of Chinese 5 spice is great. Now my BIGGEST recommendation, above all, is to find some sun dried chilies! Your local health store, Hispanic or Asian market will carry these. That adds the most flavor. You will need to experiment based on your taste. Start with 2 chili, or work your way to 3. 3 is spicy!
Hi, looks delicious can’t wait to try this recipe. One question, do you use light or dark soy sauce? Thanks.
I use a darker one balances out the sugar better.
Hello , what a delicious looking meal , have not made it yet, I will soon . Had a question tho, what kind of orange juice is it, regular orange juice or frozen orange juice concentrate ?
Regular or fresh squeezed.
I made it last night and it was delicious
I’ve now made this recipe twice. The first time, I followed the recipe to the letter. While absolutely delicious, it lacked the kick that I like in my foods. The second time, I added about 1/8 tsp of cayenne and about 1/4 tsp of Chinese five spice. Loved it. Next time I’ll bump the quantities of both spices up a little more.
TRIED THIS TODAY FOR OUR GIRLS DINNER IT WAS DELICIOUS…WILL DEF MAKE IT AGAIN..THANK YOU FOR SHARING ..OH BY THE WAY THE LADIES LOVED IT TOO…
Just I made! I love the sauce ful of orange flavour!
I made extra sauce how long will this last in the fridge and can it be frozen?