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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!
My husband loves this recipe ☺️I made it for him for two nights literately ❤️Thank you 😊
I have used this recipe twice. We love it! I did sauté some thinly sliced onion, tri color peppers and some sugar snap peas. This makes a good combination with the chicken and you get your vegetables. I wouldn’t make it without that addition. Great recipe though!
Definitely will make this for tonight’s supper. I appreciate the peppers and onions. I’ll add those too.
I did not deep fry but more like a pan sear. A definite keeper. A definite addition to my favorites.
Holy cow! This recipe is spot on. All of the great things about orange chicken flavor and none of the concerns about the quality of the take-out version ingredients. We are definitely adding this to our list of go to recipes. Thank you!
I doubled this recipe & all 6 of us enjoyed it immensely! I will say, though, that it took me a lot longer than it said it would, but it was worth it!
I’m pretty sure you can air-fry the chicken. The egg is part of the “breading,” along with the flour/cornstarch mixture, that covers the outside. I found that this recipe isn’t too heavy on the breading like some other recipes I’ve tried. You may be able to coat your chicken in the flour/cornstarch mix.
Marinating will allow the chicken to absorb the flavors of your marinade (and may contribute to more tender chicken).
Can I air fry the chicken instead of deep frying? Also, thinking of marinating it and skipping the egg, will it hold with the moisture from the marinade?
Really Really good and so easy to make. The chicken fries up nice and crispy and the orange sauce is delicious. I would go as far to say , this is “good chinese restaurant” style. I will be making this again.
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. I made it exactly as written. I am definitely going to make this again. It is a little time consuming but totally worth it. Thank you for this delicious recipe!!
I want to make this for potluck Sunday dinner after church. How would it do staying warm in the oven for a couple hours waiting till church is over? I could keep my rice warm in the instant pot and then put in big platter with the oven kept chicken served over it at meal time. Would it be better to just do this dish at home to eat immediately? Should I keep the sauce separate too? Or mix with the chicken & keep in the oven?
Keep the sauce separate if you use the breading part of this recipe it will get soggy and can fall off the chicken. As long as the chicken has dripped off any excess oil it should be okay in an oven set to 170. I actually make a ton at a time cause I would eat half this recipe by myself. If you can get a rice cooker it has a keep warm function that will keep the rice more moist than a crock pot.
I used coconut sugar instead of cane sugar. This recipe is delicious! Thank you!