Go Back
–+ servings
overhead close up shot of orange chicken in a bowl
Print Recipe Add to Collection
4.49 from 29 votes

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!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Keyword: chicken recipes, orange chicken
Servings: 6
Calories: 391kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

Orange Sauce

  • 1 cup orange juice
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce low sodium
  • 1 teaspoon ginger fresh, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

Orange Chicken

  • 2 pounds chicken breast boneless and skinless, cut into small pieces
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅓ cup cornstarch
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • oil for frying

Optional Garnish

  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 2 green onions finely chopped
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Fry the chicken: In a heavy-bottomed pot add about 2 inches of oil and heat until it reaches 350℉. 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.
  • 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. 
  • Garnish and serve: Garnish chicken with sesame seeds and green onions and serve over rice.

Video

Notes

  1. Chicken: boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used as well.
  2. Oil: I used a vegetable oil but other oils such as peanut oil, safflower oil or avocado oil can be used as well.
  3. Leftovers: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last 3 to 4 days.
  4. Freezing: 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 703mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 345IU | Vitamin C: 24.9mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1.7mg