Orange Chicken

Delicious Orange Chicken with crispy chicken in an incredible sweet and tangy orange sauce! This orange chicken is super easy to make, a favorite comfort food and way better than take-out! Best of all it’s ready in 30 minutes!

I have to admit that only recently I’ve discovered Panda Express and that’s because we don’t eat out that often. However, when I went in there, I was like a little kid in a candy store. I loved pretty much everything. However, one of my all time favorite Chinese-American dishes has to be Orange Chicken!

To try and make it at home was a no brainer. This chicken dish is a family favorite now, and while it’s great when you’re out wanting a quick lunch, nothing beats making this dish at home. I just love trying to recreate these favorites. Besides, I always say that homemade is best, so don’t be afraid to try this at home. It really is super simple to make, ingredients you likely already have and in 30 minutes you can be eating this classic.

What Is Orange Chicken

Orange chicken is a popular dish in North American Chinese restaurants which consists of pieces of battered and fried chicken then coated in a sweet orange-flavored sauce. Although we consider this dish to be a Chinese dish, in fact it’s rarely found in Chinese restaurants in China.

Ingredients

This dish is extremely easy to make at home. Here’s what you’ll need (make sure to scroll down for full printable recipe):

• Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken breast, however boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used as well.
• Flour and cornstarch – the chicken is dredge through a mixture of cornstarch and all-purpose flour.
• Eggs – for the chicken to dip in before dredging through the flour mixture.
• Orange juice – you can use either freshly squeezed orange juice or store-bought juice.
• Rice vinegar – or regular plain vinegar.
• Sugar – for sweetening the sauce
• Ginger and garlic – to add flavor to the sauce.
• Red pepper flakes – use as much or as little as you like.
• Soy sauce – I prefer to use a good low sodium soy sauce.
• Orange zest – fresh orange zest to bring out the orange flavor.

How To Make Orange Chicken

1. Make sauce: In a medium saucepan, add the orange juice, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes and stir. Cook for 3 minutes. In a small bowl whisk the 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water to form a paste. Add this to the orange sauce and whisk. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes. You’ll notice the sauce will thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest.
2. Prepare chicken: In a shallow dish whisk the flour and cornstarch together. In another shallow dish, whisk the eggs. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg first, then dredge through the flour mixture. Place on a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
3. Fry chicken: In a heavy-bottomed pot add about 2 inches of oil and heat until it reaches 350 F degrees. Working in batches, add a few pieces of chicken at a time. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes turning the chicken often until golden brown. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels. Repeat until all chicken is cooked.
4. Toss chicken with sauce: Transfer the chicken to a bowl, pour orange sauce over the chicken and toss well until all chicken is fully coated in the orange glaze.

What’s The Difference Between Orange Chicken And General Tso’s Chicken

Both dishes are quite similar, the difference is all in the sauce. Both dishes are really American dishes, not so much Chinese dishes. Both dishes involve chicken that is breaded and fried then coated in a sauce. Orange chicken usually has a lighter color and it’s sweet, sour and savory whereas General Tos’s chicken is usually spicier.

Also, sesame chicken is similar as well. So really, a lot of these dishes are quite similar, the difference is how you make the sauce. One ingredient could be different, and voila you have a new recipe! Regardless of what they’re called these dishes are American favorites, they’re classic comfort food dishes that we all know and love.

Besides being delicious, orange chicken really is tangy, sweet and salty. Because of all the orange juice in the sauce, this chicken really has a strong orange flavor, sweet, salty and it has a bit of heat from the pepper flakes.

What cut of chicken to use

This dish works great with both chicken breast and chicken thighs, as long as it’s skinless and boneless. It’s all up to you whether you like white or dark meat most. Chicken thighs are usually juicier than breasts, but they both taste delicious!

What oil is best for frying

Most foods are fried between 350 F to 400 F degrees, so you need to choose oils with a smoke point above 400 F degrees. For this dish I used vegetable oil because it’s a neutral tasting, all-purpose oil. Here are some other options:

• Peanut oil – it has neutral taste and a high smoking point which makes it perfect for high-temperature cooking.
• Safflower oil – it’s almost flavorless, has a high smoke point of 520 F degrees. This oil is a great substitute for vegetable oil and because it doesn’t solidify when chilled, it’s great for salad dressings as well.
• Avocado oil – this is a new favorite oil of mine. It has a high smoke point of 520 F degrees, but it has a light, slightly nutty flavor.

How to serve

My favorite way to serve this is over cooked rice such as Jasmine rice or Basmati rice. You could also serve it over noodles. For some veggie options, try steamed green beans, broccoli or sautéed bok choy.

Leftovers

I usually just store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last 3 to 4 days.

Freezing

Yes, you can freeze it. Store it in airtight containers or freezer bags in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat in the microwave. The chicken will be a big soggy so if you want to keep it crispy, store the sauce separately from the chicken.

More Asian dishes to try:

• Kung Pao Chicken
• Easy Beef And Broccoli Stir Fry
• Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken 
• Chow Mein
• Chicken Lo Mein
• Sweet And Sour Chicken
• Asian Style Pepper Steak