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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!
Hi do I use fresh ginger or ground ginger? And if I omit the red chili flakes will it alter the flavor too much?my husband doesn’t like anything spicy. Thank you
I typically use ground ginger, but if you prefer fresh then that could work as well. You might want to use slightly more because it tends not be as strong as ground ginger. You can definitely omit the chili pepper flakes, the chicken just won’t have as strong of a kick!
Kids say it’s better than take-out at a Chinese restaurant. I made it, and they were nixing for it for weeks. I hate using corn starch, because it’s so messy, but it’s worth it. They felt loved. Of course, I let them know it takes time, and making this meal is a “labor of love”. It requires pounding out the chicken, dipping it in egg (with a tablespoon or 2 of water), dipping it in the 50/50 mixture of flour and corn starch with salt (and pepper), and then frying the chicken. No DOUBT, the orange juice/orange recipe is awesome!
This sauce is amazing!
very valid point.I was wondering the same thing.Ended up using 3 1/2 chicken breasts as they were large. Hope I have enough sauce>
Hi, I made this for dinner and it was excellent!!! I usually have broccoli but instead had peas!! The orange sauce is so fresh tasting and my husband said make it again!!! Thanks, Jackie
Hi, I made this for dinner and it was excellent!!! I usually have broccoli but instead had peas!! The orange sauce is so fresh tasting and my husband said make it again!!! Thanks
This was so delicious and easy to make. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful sauce can I freeze what’s left
Very best and my ONLY orange chicken recipe!!!! My husband and kids love when I make this for dinner. What leftovers?!?
Our family of four loved this recipe!! My boys, ages 15 & 12, said it was better than take-out :). This will definitely be a repeat meal for us. My husband prefers more red chilli pepper flakes, but the spice level was perfect for the rest of us.
I didn’t alter the ingredients, but doubled the sauce to make sure the chicken was coated thouroughly. It wasn’t thickening how I wanted it to, so I combined 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and 5 tablespoons of water and added it to the doubled sauce recipe. It also cooked it for at least 10 minutes after adding the extra cornstarch & water.
Have made this recipe a number of times and it is always delicious. I use half the sugar in the recipe as our oranges are rather sweet. I also use butcher bought goujons in the air fryer which are very good and cut the cooking time. Will keep making it.