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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!
WOW. It was so good my family loved it.
This was really good. The only thing I don’t like about it is the batch cooking. I wish I could just put it all in at once. If you have the time and patience, it is really worth making it rather than ordering. We have so many oranges in our tree, I don’t know why I didn’t think about freshly squeezing it. Next time, I will.
Thank you for such a good recipe!
I made this tonight. Everyone loved it.
I recommend this recipe to everybody. It is worth the little extra time it takes to make! Better than takeout.
Love the sound of this. But what kind of oil should I use. I always cook with extra virgin olive oil.
Hi Nancy! I love EVOO as well. You can fry this orange chicken is less expensive oils like canola or vegetable. I hope you love it!
Thank you!
Olive oil can burn at the temps needed to fry chicken to fully cooked. Use a neutral oil like canola, corn, vegetable or peanut oil, they can survive high temp frying.
Sooo THAT’s been my problem! I always burn things! I’ll try a different oil. Thank you!
Avocado oil is a great healthier frying option that can’t take very high temps. 😃
I have made this in the past and it has become one of my wife’s favorites. She requested it for her birthday dinner this year, but I didn’t have eggs. A half cup of cream worked just as well, maybe even slightly better. Still awesome, and made my wife very happy, and very full.
Hi John! I love that you improvised and it turned out amazing. Thank you for sharing the great tip and for trying my recipe. Hope your wife had a wonderful birthday!
Made this with pork for my kids lunchboxes as I thawed the wrong meat (oops). Was a hit and enough leftovers for another lunch for them later in the week.
How many does this feed?
Wouldn’t that depend on the serving size per person 😳😳😳
Very flavorful sauce! Chicken was easy to make. My family loved it! The sauce wasn’t the thickest, though. I couldn’t get the proper amount on my chicken.
The longer the sauce cooks and cools the thicker it gets.
OMG! I loved this. 10/10 would recommend!
We love a 10/10 rating on the orange chicken recipe! It is a family favorite too. Thank you for trying it!
Are you using fresh ginger?
I use dried ginger because that is usually what I have readily available but fresh ginger would be even better! You usually need double the amount as dried.
This recipe was amazing! My boyfriend said he would’ve been very happy if he had ordered this out at a restaurant (which is a big deal for him too say). If you’re craving orange chicken, don’t hesitate – make this!
In the recipe do you use actual orange juice from a bottle or the juice fresh squeezed from an orange?
Either you can use
I made this using both and the fresh squeezed orange juice and zest is far superior.
I agree 10000000%! The fresh squeezed orange juice and zest is the difference maker!
Hi,
I am going to be a new mother and I am trying to find easy freezer meals for after the baby is born. I really love this recipe and I was wondering if it would be possible to freeze any of this?
I make this almost every Friday for my hubby and I. I double the sauce recipe and put half in the freezer. It tastes just as good (or better because it’s thicker). A lot of the time I will air fry Perdue chicken strips.
We LOVE this! And, it couldn’t be easier