This easy and delectable Orange Chicken Recipe combines lightly battered, crispy fried chicken pieces in a sweet, spicy, tangy orange sauce. It is topped with thin slices of green onion and crushed red pepper.
Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken
Try this delicious orange chicken recipe that includes a variety of healthy vegetables. It’s easy to make and perfect for a weeknight meal. With authentic orange flavor, this better than Chinese takeout recipe lets you control the ingredients and the timing of the meal.
What you’ll need
- Eggs: large ones
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Cornstarch: used to coat the chicken and mixed with a little bit of orange juice or water to thicken the sauce.
- Oil: vegetable oil or canola oil
- Orange Juice: pulp-free and as freshly squeezed as possible
- Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar, but you could also use dark brown sugar in a pinch.
- Rice Vinegar: I keep this on hand for many of my stir-fry recipes. It can be found in the Asian food section of most grocery stores.
- Soy Sauce: low sodium is best.
- Grated Ginger: Use either freshly grated or a stir-in paste. You can substitute dried ginger but cut it back to 1/4 teaspoon for every tablespoon of fresh.
- Chili Paste: also known as sambal oelek
- Garlic Powder: You can substitute two cloves of fresh minced garlic, but sauté it in olive oil in the skillet before adding the other ingredients.
- Green onions: also called scallions
- Red pepper flakes
- Oranges: for garnish
How to Make Orange Chicken
- Coat the chicken with a mixture of eggs and cornstarch. Fry the chicken pieces in oil until crispy.
- Warm the sauce ingredients over the stovetop. Thicken with the cornstarch orange juice mixture.
- Combine the crispy chicken and orange sauce. Sprinkle with orange zest, green onions, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with thinly sliced oranges.
Beth’s Recipe Tips
- Instead of chunks, cut the chicken into thin bite-size pieces. They will cook through without burning and be easier to eat, especially with chopsticks.
- I use one of my older Dutch ovens for frying. The heavy pot helps regulate the temperature of the oil.
- Fry the chicken in a single layer with space between the pieces. Work in batches. Remove the fried chicken and put it on paper towels to drain.
- Though this dish is not traditionally prepared with vegetables, add stir-fried broccoli, mushrooms, or carrots. However, double the sauce recipe if doing so.
What to Serve With Orange Chicken
- Grains: white or brown rice, Chinese noodles like udon or ramen
- Appetizers: gyoza, homemade egg rolls, chicken lettuce wraps, and bacon-wrapped water chestnuts.
- Soup: egg drop soup, hot and sour soup, wonton soup, and chicken ramen
Storage and Reheat
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be reheated in the microwave or stovetop at reduced power over low heat.
- This recipe is best enjoyed promptly; however, you can freeze for up to 3 months.
More Stir Fry Chicken Recipes
Easy Orange Chicken Recipe
An easy Orange Chicken Recipe with crispy bites of lightly battered fried chicken in a sweet and spicy orange sauce topped with thin sliced green onions and crushed red pepper.
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 284kcal
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 egg whites whisked
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in bite size pieces 1.5 lbs.
- Vegetable oil or canola oil for frying
Orange Sauce
- 1 cup orange juice plus 2 tablespoons to mix with cornstarch
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar see notes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger ¼ teaspoon ground
- 1 tablespoon chili paste sambal oelek more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1-2 pinches red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Orange slices for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Heat about an inch of oil in a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Fry the coated chicken until cooked through, browned, and crispy on both sides. Work in batches, cooking the chicken in a single layer with space between the pieces. Remove to paper towels to drain.
- In a saucepan or skillet, whisk together the orange juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, grated ginger, chili paste, and garlic powder. Heat over medium to a low boil and then reduce to a simmer. Whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of orange juice. Whisk it into the skillet and continue simmering until the mixture thickens.
- Add the fried chicken pieces back to the skillet and toss to coat. Heat for 1-2 minutes. Top with the green onions, orange zest, and crushed red pepper. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. For best results, serve promptly.
Notes
- Instead of chunks, cut the chicken into thin bite-size pieces. They will cook through without burning and be easier to eat, especially with chopsticks.
- I use one of my older Dutch ovens for frying. The heavy pot helps regulate the temperature of the oil.
- Fry the chicken in a single layer with space between the pieces. Work in batches and remove the chicken to paper towels to drain.
- Though this dish is not traditionally prepared with vegetables, feel free to add stir-fried broccoli, mushrooms, or carrots. However, double the sauce recipe if doing so.
Nutrition
Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 429mg | Potassium: 661mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @smalltownwomanfoodnut or tag #smalltownwomanfoodnut!
Are you on the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Beth
This Orange chicken was such a treat, we really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Elizabeth Neas
This recipe was delicious. We really enjoyed this orange chicken, so to make it at home was wonderful.
Kathy
I love orange chicken. I have never tried making it myself before but this was easy to follow and delicious. My family love it. Thanks for the great recipe.
Claudia
This recipe has incredible flavor my kids love. It’s definitely a family favorite in our home. Thanks for the recipe!
alita
The kids are always begging me to take them to grab Chinese food. They love orange chicken and now I can make this for them. Thanks for your recipe
Tasheena
This was a delicious recipe that my family and I really enjoyed. Thanks for sharing.
Tara Pittman
My boys love orange chicken. I will be making this soon for them.
Amber Myers
My kids love orange chicken. I love that this is easy to make! Yum!
Shannon Estrada
Hi, I was wondering if you can use white vinegar instead of the rice vinegar. I have white vinegar on hand and thought I’d ask before going out to buy rice vinegar 🙂
Beth Pierce
Do you have any apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar? You can but those would work better!
Juliane
THIS WAS REAAALLLYYYYY GOOD! THANKS FOR SHARING THE RECIPE!
Catalina
This orange sauce looks so creamy and inviting! Great idea for tonight!
Catalina
I’ve made this chicken yesterday for dinner. And my whole family loved it! It’s amazingly delicious and creamy!
Krystle
Perfect flavor. We love making this takeout favorite at home now.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Krystle! So glad that you like it!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
That is one delicious chicken recipe! My family and I really enjoyed. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Amanda
This is our new favorite orange chicken recipe! Even better than takeout!
Amanda
I love orange chicken! I can eat it every day. Thank you for sharing I cannot wait to make this.
Erik
So much better than takeout. Love the chili paste, too!