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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 is without a doubt the best Orange Chicken recipe I’ve ever tried, and I’m a retired chef.
So delicious!!!! By far the best recipe out there. It’s simple, yet so tasty. Everyone enjoyed dinner tonight! I’ll keep this on my books!!! Thank you!!!
Our new favorite dinner!
I made this recipe for dinner tonight. We both enjoyed it but think it needs a little tweaking for our taste. We loved the chx dredged in flour/cornstarch mixture. It fried up beautifully, light and crisp! My husband felt the sauce was too strong in the orange flavor. Next time I’ll eliminate the orange peel. Instead of sugar I substituted raw honey. It was great. Lastly, I’ll increase the ginger to 1/2 tsp and add ground pepper to the flour mixture. It plated beautifully with basmati rice and French green beans. Love your recipes! Thank you for your talent and sharing recipes!
Made this recipe for 2 for dinner tonight. Over all, like it a lot. We believe it needs a few tweaks for our taste. I did change the sugar for raw honey. My husband thought the orange flavor was a little overwhelming so next time I’ll try eliminating the orange rind and I’d increase the ginger to 1/2 tsp. I survey w basmati rice and French green beans. We loved the chicken dredged
in flour/cornstarch. Beautiful presentation. Much appreciation for your recipes.
Delicious recipe!!
I was surprised that I didn’t find any questions about the ginger. Do I grate fresh or use ground?
You can either – your preference. I use ground ginger and it turns out fantastic! But to make it with fresh, for every 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger called for you would use 1 tablespoon of fresh-grated ginger in recipes.
I always make a double batch of the sauce and freeze half. That way I only have to prepare the chicken part. I almost always use Perdue chicken strips & cook in the air fryer. Such a great recipe!
I am thinking of making the Orange Chicken as it looks amazing. Can you tell me is it possible to freeze this dish?
Many thanks
Carol
I make this at least every week….my family absolute favorite!