Chinese Orange Chicken is made with crispy fried chicken coated in a delicious homemade orange sauce. This Chinese Orange Chicken Recipe is full of flavor and, honestly, tastes even better than take-out.
My kids are always asking me to take them out for Chinese food. They especially love orange chicken, but I never really know what goes into it, especially when we get it from a drive-thru. So, I wanted to make my own version at home using fresh, natural ingredients. It has all the flavor they love, and it is a win-win for our family.
When it is winter in the US, which means the citrus is fresh and ready to pick. Many of my neighbors have orange and lemon trees filled with fruit. It is the perfect time to make fresh orange and lemon recipes, and this Chinese Orange Chicken is one of my favorites.
This Chinese Orange Chicken starts with boneless skinless chicken breast cut into small, bite-size pieces. The chicken is coated in egg, cornstarch, and flour, then fried until golden and crispy.
The orange sauce is the best part. It is made with orange juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, red chili flakes, and fresh orange zest. The sauce is sweet, slightly spicy, and packed with flavor.
You may like my other chicken recipes, go quick check.
How to Make Chinese Orange Chicken at Home
- Start with boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Dip the chicken into whisked eggs, then coat it with a mixture of cornstarch and flour.
- Next, make the homemade orange sauce. Add orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes to a small pot. Cook over medium-high heat. Mix cornstarch with water and add it to the sauce. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens, then stir in the orange zest.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. A thermometer makes it much easier to know when the oil is ready. Heat the oil to 350 degrees.
- Cook the chicken in batches for about 2 to 3 minutes, turning often, until it is golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken from the oil and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Finally, toss the crispy chicken with the sweet orange sauce. Add some fresh orange zest and green onions on top. Serve immediately.
Chinese Orange Chicken
Chinese Orange Chicken is way better than take-out!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
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 the Orange Sauce
- Add orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red chili flakes to a medium pot. Heat for 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to make a smooth paste. Add the mixture to the orange sauce and whisk well.
- Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken. Once it has thickened, remove it from the heat and stir in the orange zest.
To Make the Chicken
- Place the flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish or pie plate. Add a generous pinch of salt and stir everything together.
- Whisk the eggs in a separate shallow dish.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then coat it well with the flour mixture. Place the coated chicken on a plate.
- Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. If you have a thermometer, heat the oil to 350 degrees.
- Working in batches, carefully add several pieces of chicken to the hot oil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the pieces often, until they are golden brown.
- Remove the chicken and place it on a paper towel-lined plate. Continue with the remaining chicken.
- Toss the fried chicken with the orange sauce. You can save some of the sauce to serve over rice.
Serve the Chinese Orange Chicken with a sprinkle of green onions and fresh orange zest, if desired.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
- Course: Dinner
- Cuisine: Asian
This Orange Chicken is going to make you forget take-out. Let me know how it turns out by reaching out on Instagram at @foodie__jerry. Have a great night, my friends!
