Orange Chicken
Forget Chinese takeout–This homemade Orange Chicken recipe is all you need! Crunchy chicken coated in a perfectly sweet, sticky, citrusy sauce will become your new favorite meal.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
- KID FRIENDLY – Kiddos will love this crispy chicken with sweet glaze!
- MINIMAL INGREDIENTS – If you do any Asian cooking at all you likely have the ingredients you will need for this recipe on hand!
- BETTER THAN TAKEOUT – This homemade version is even better than takeout! And bonus – you know exactly what is in it and the nutritional information!
Orange Chicken
While Orange Chicken isn’t a traditional Chinese meal (it was actually invented in Hawaii!), it has become synonymous with Chinese takeout for many people in the United States. The orange-flavored sauce has some sweetness and some spice for a complex flavor that’s still kid-friendly. The chicken gets perfectly tender on the inside while the light breading is nice and crunchy after frying.
This meal fries up quickly because the chicken is cut into small pieces, and you can speed it up further by making the sauce ahead of time! It’s easy to make this on a weeknight, but it tastes great enough to enjoy with company.
Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card.
- Orange juice (pulp free), Brown sugar, Soy sauce (preferably low-sodium), Rice vinegar, Ginger (fresh or dried/powdered), Garlic Powder, Cornstarch, and Water – The first 6 of these ingredients are simmered together in a pot, then cornstarch is mixed with water and poured in to thicken the sauce.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – Cut into 2-inch pieces. You could use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead, but white meat dries out quicker and easier than dark meat.
- Cornstarch and Flour – These are mixed together to coat the chicken. This gives a light breading that is able to absorb the orange sauce after cooking. (Choose a gluten-free flour if following a GF diet)
- Cooking oil – This is used for frying the chicken. Vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil will all work well. Something with a high smoke point will help you avoid setting off your smoke detectors, though.
How to make Orange Chicken
This process isn’t difficult, and the orange sauce can even be made a few days ahead of time to speed up the dish! Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the BEST Orange Chicken.
Make the Orange Sauce
In a saucepan, add your fresh orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic powder. Heat over medium for 2-3 minutes until it is simmering. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water to create a slurry.
Slowly add this mixture into the saucepan, whisking continuously until well incorporated. Allow the sauce to continue cooking for 4-5 minutes until thickened, then remove from heat and set aside.
Fry the Chicken
In a medium bowl or pie pan, mix together the cornstarch and flour, making sure they are well combined. Toss the chicken pieces into the mixture, making sure each piece is well coated. Set chicken aside on a plate.
In a deep pot over medium-high heat, add the cooking oil. The bottom of your pan should be covered with a 1/2 inch of oil. When hot and shimmering, add the bite size pieces of chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes. You should make sure to leave room between the pieces, so you likely will need to fry them in batches until all chicken is cooked. Carefully remove the fried chicken and place it on a plate lined with paper towels so that excess oil can drip off.
*Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees as read by a meat thermometer.*
Toss to Coat
Once all chicken is fried, toss it with the orange sauce to coat. Serve immediately.
Serve
This dish is most commonly served with white rice, but feel free to serve with brown rice, cauliflower rice, or stir-fry veggies for a healthier meal. Sesame seeds and chopped scallions are common garnishes; consider a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat or a bit of orange zest if you want to emphasize that great orange flavor.
How to Store Orange Chicken
- FRIDGE: Leftovers should be cooled completely and then stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
- FREEZER: Transfer cooled leftovers into a freezer-safe container, pressing out as much air as possible. Enjoy within 3 months for the best taste and texture. Make sure to allow to defrost overnight in the fridge so that the chicken pieces separate easily. Forcefully separating pieces can lead to the breading and sauce falling off of the chicken.
Reheating Instructions
The best way to reheat this dish is in a skillet or wok over medium heat. Sauté or stir occasionally while it heats up for 5-7 minutes or until warm throughout. The chicken will not be as crispy as it was, but you could finish it off under the broiler for a bit more crisp.
Tips & Tricks
- Cut your chicken into nice small pieces to ensure it cooks quickly. As long as the chicken is roughly the same size everything will cook through at the same time.
- Be sure to coat the chicken well so it gets nice and crispy.
- Allow the oil to get properly hot before you add the chicken. This ensures it doesn’t soak up too much oil resulting in a soggy dish.
- In a hurry? You can use your favorite crispy frozen chicken tossed in this sauce for a super quick weeknight meal!
FAQs about Orange Chicken
The Orange Chicken recipe did not originate from China and is considered an American-Chinese dish. It was created as a variation of General Tso’s chicken (also an American-Chinese dish). It is similar to a tangerine chicken dish that originated in Hunan, but is much sweeter.
No, dried and ground ginger will work in this recipe as well. Instead of 2 teaspoons of fresh, minced ginger, you can replace it with 1/2 teaspoon of dried, ground ginger.
If you love this Orange Chicken, you’ll love these chicken dinners!
Get the Recipe: Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Orange Sauce:
- ½ cup orange juice pulp free
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, (choose a gluten free option if on a GF diet)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh minced ginger
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup cold water
Chicken:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup flour, we use a gluten free flour
- Oil for frying chicken
Instructions
- Mix all orange sauce ingredients except cornstarch in a saucepan. Heat over medium for 2-3 minutes until simmering.
- Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the pan, whisking continuously until well combined. Continue to heat the orange sauce over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl or pie pan, whisk together the cornstarch and flour.
- Coat the raw chicken pieces in the flour mixture and set aside on a plate.
- Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat. Make sure to use enough oil to cover the bottom of your pot with ½ inch of oil. When hot, add the chicken pieces in batches, cooking for 3-4 minutes. Carefully remove them from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate. Continue until all chicken pieces are cooked through to 165 degrees.
- Toss the cooked chicken with the orange sauce, and serve!
