This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
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 there,
Can I use an air-fryer for this recipe instead of frying? If so, what suggestion of temperature and time? I know that this varies by air fryer.
Mark
Hi Mark! I honestly haven’t recipe tested this in an air fryer yet, so this is just a guess! I would try cooking around 375-400 degrees for about 10 minutes. I hope that this works! Let me know what you think!
Absolutely fabulous. I used fresh Cara-Cara oranges for the zest and juice and the taste was amazing. This is a keeper.
Just tried this recipe and my (very picky, autistic) taste-tester found it “AMAZING!!”. And so did I. This is, absolutely, going to be one of the kids’ favorite dish at our house now. THANK YOU! LOVING IT!!
Tammy I love hearing that a picky taste tester gave this recipe the thumbs up! What a compliment! Thanks for trying it out, I am so glad that you both loved it!
This was delicious! My husband I recently moved out to the country and we can’t get Chinese food! Been craving orange chicken and today I made it. Hubby raved about it. I made fried rice with sautéed onions and broccoli to go with. Great recipe, great meal!!
I am constantly craving Chinese food, I don’t know if I could live anywhere else! Thank you so much for using my recipe, I’m so glad that you found it!
It was great! It tasted very authentic!
Made it tonight. It was a huge hit with my family. The only thing I didn’t have was the orange zest. I will definitely be making it again.
Just made this! I used coconut oil to cook the chicken in. It was SO GOOD. I also did fresh squeezed juice from two oranges. Very easy recipe to follow and turned out amazing! I did have to fry the chicken in the oil for a bit longer than 2-3 mins- mine was more like 6 mins but just make sure it’s cooked before you take it out!
Tried making this first time tonight. It turned out amazing!!! So much better than I expected, wow! Will be making this regularly!
The only thing is I used Red pepper flakes as didn’t have chili flakes and it still truned out delicious, a bit hot but wow awesome!
Red pepper flakes and chili flakes are the same thing. 🙂
I have everything but the orange, will it still be good?
Won’t be orange chicken without the orange 😣
You really do need the orange to make this recipe, otherwise it won’t be “Orange Chicken” …… maybe set the recipe aside until you can have an orange on hand ……….. good luck!
My husbands new favourite dish! Anyone know the calories for this meal? Thanks!
I didn’t make the chicken but we made air fryer chicken. The sauce was good but a little to much orange juice. It was awesome and would make it again. My kids David (age 21) and Martha (5) loved it, so I guess it’s good for all ages!
Can you mix the egg in with the batter?