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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!
I’ve made this twice and each time it is perfect! The whole family loves it, even the picky ones. Thank you!!
How many servings is this? I used 4 large chicken breasts. It took 2 batches of flour mixture for half the chicken, and I still have half the raw chicken left.
The orange sauce is so good we use it for egg rolls and wontons – way better than bottled store bought. Thanks
How many pounds of chicken breast is this for? I used 4 large chicken breasts, but needed 3 recipes of the flour mixture to dip it in.
Will be testing this tonight. Saw one comment stating its a big recipe ie. Lot of processes. a simple way around preping the chicken is to make a batter in a plastic bag +- 120ml liquid**…50g oil ..50g cornstarch ..50g all purpose flour salt and pepper. Shake well until combined, then add 700 to 800g chicken pieces and mix till covered. You can marinate for 1 or 2 hours or use immediatly. Fry in a convection pot, ait fryer for 15 minutes or in a 220⁰c oven until done. This way you dont need to manage the oil and batches and individual piece coatings. Its 15minutes hands free frying in which time you can prep the sauce
** the liquid can be orange, vinigar or water…. your choice
This is my go to recipe when I make orange chicken. It is such a hit in my family!! I make one batch and double it and then I make one batch without the red pepper flakes for the kids. I don’t make the chicken though I tried it once and it was not the greatest but I just cut up chicken and cook it on the stove and everyone goes nuts for it. It also takes out all the flour and stuff so it feels healthy haha. I paired it with a fried rice recipe and roasted broccoli and the kids asked for seconds and thirds they loved it so much.
I just made this recipe, sauce from the oranges off my tree…omg…so good. I only used a little over 1/4 cup of sugar and used sweet and tangy rice wine vinegar. Yum. It’s a keeper.
It’s perfect. I don’t normally make big recipes like this but it was so worth it, that was an absolute banger.
I will say I debated mid-cooking if I should use our bottled Tropicana orange juice or squeeze the whole thing, so I tasted both. That was the first time I realized freshly squeezed orange juice tastes leagues better than bottled, so I definitely learned something new!
Awesome and so easy. Happy international day of Orange chicken. I used the air fryer yummo.
Most recipes on the internet are substandard and rarely live up to their descriptions except for this one. Awesome flavors for little effort! Will make again since it was a big hit!
Fantastic and quick when you use your air fryer to make the chicken. I used half the amount of sugar and it was shockingly sweet so I can’t imagine using the full amount. A new staple in our family!
Amy, Would you mind sharing how you made this in the air fryer instead of frying. I’m new to the air fryer but we try to eat healthier. This recipe sounds incredible!!