There’s no denying that Orange Chicken is one of the most popular Chinese takeout dishes! I just love it, the succulent, crispy fried chicken pieces tossed in a tangy, sweet and sticky orange sauce. But I’m here to tell you to put that takeout menu down and create your very own orange chicken at home that’s not only easy but tastes so much better than anything you could ever order because its homemade! Serve it on a bed of fluffy rice topped with green onions or with Chinese noodles alongside your other favorite dishes like Chicken Fried Rice or Bourbon Chicken. If you would like something more truly authentic than my Americanized version, then perhaps try something from Woks of Life.
What you need to make this recipe
Chicken – for an authentic orange chicken taste make sure to use skinless and boneless chicken breasts cut into small chunks. You can also use chicken thighs (skinless and boneless) but the texture will be slightly different from the classic takeout dish.
Oranges – this is one of the most important ingredients because it gives the sauce that classic sweet orange flavor. I find that using freshly squeezed orange juice and zest is the way to get the best flavor!
Rice vinegar – the sauce has a delicious sweet and sour flavor and that comes from rice vinegar which is used in most Chinese dishes. White vinegar will also work.
All-purpose flour – along with egg this creates the crispy and delicious coating on the outside. To make it gluten free you can substitute GF flour or more cornstarch.
Vegetable oil – I find vegetable or canola oil the best for frying. Make sure to use a thermometer to control the temperature so your oil is not too cool or too hot.
How to make Orange Chicken
1. Mix all ingredients for the sauce except the cornstarch in a jug or bowl.
2. Mix the cornstarch with a little water and set aside. Add the sauce ingredients to a skillet and simmer. Add the cornstarch and cook further until thickened.
3. Mix the chopped chicken pieces in egg, toss to coat.
4. Next dredge the chicken in flour.
5. Fry the chicken in batches until crispy and golden.
6. Toss in the warmed orange sauce and serve.
Pro tips for making this recipe
- To save time, I like to warm the orange sauce up while I’m frying the chicken.
- If you want to make the sauce spicy you can add fresh chili or more red chili flakes to taste.
- You can use store-bought orange juice instead of freshly squeezed but don’t skip that orange zest and make sure it’s 100% orange fruit juice and not from concentrate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this Orange Chicken better than takeout?
Ok, so why order takeout? It’s easy and you’re hungry? The thing is this homemade orange chicken is super easy to make and believe me when I say that it tastes 100x better than any takeout you’ll ever have. Because this is made from scratch you are in control of the amount of sugar and salt that’s added and it’s free of any nasty additives!
How do I know the chicken is cooked?
The chicken is cut into small pieces and fried in hot oil so when the outside turns crispy and golden brown you know that the chicken is cooked through. An important tip is to use a thermometer to measure the temperature of your oil because if it’s not hot enough you’ll have too much excess oil in your chicken and it may overcook and if it’s too hot the chicken will burn.
Can I make it gluten free?
Yes, this recipe is easy to make gluten free simply replace the flour for dredging the chicken with GF flour or more cornstarch and use tamari instead of soy sauce.
Serving suggestions
I love this served with rice and garnished with green onions for a little freshness. If you don’t want rice you could serve it with Chinese noodles or your favorite Chinese dishes.
How can I make this dish lighter?
You can make this recipe lighter and a little healthier by making a few simple swaps. Instead of frying the chicken in batter you can stir fry it just as is it and toss it with the orange sauce. It won’t have that crispy texture on the outside but it will give you a light version that tastes great. Also, try using low sodium soy sauce to reduce your salt intake.
Can I prepare this in advance?
You can prepare the sauce and fry the chicken in advance but keep them stored separately in the fridge for 1-3 days. When you are ready for dinner pop the chicken in a hot oven for a few minutes to crisp up while you heat up the sauce in a large pan then toss them both together and serve.
Can it be frozen?
Yes, this recipe can be frozen but I recommend freezing the sauce and cooked chicken separately. Thaw them both completely then heat the chicken up in an oven and heat the sauce in a pan before tossing them both together. If you have leftovers they can be frozen but the chicken won’t be crispy once thawed and reheated with the sauce.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Orange Chicken recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Orange Chicken
Video
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Cornstarch
- 1/2 cup Flour
- Oil for frying
Orange Chicken Sauce:
- 1 cup Orange Juice fresh
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Rice Vinegar or White Vinegar
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce use tamari for a gluten-free dish
- 1/2 teaspoon Ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder or 2 garlic cloves finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Orange Zest from 2 oranges
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Garnish:
- Green Onions chopped
Instructions
For the sauce:
- Mix all the ingredients for the sauce except the corn starch in a bowl and set aside. Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water or orange juice in a small bowl and set aside.
- Pour the sauce into a large skillet and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the sauce is bubbling, stir in the cornstarch slurry and continue cooking until thickened about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until the chicken is fried.
For the chicken
- Fill a Dutch oven or large skillet with about an inch of oil then place over medium high heat. Monitor temp with a thermometer, you'll want it to be 350F when you start frying.
- Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk together and mix the chicken pieces in the egg.
- Whisk the flour and cornstarch together in a large bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture and set aside on a plate or paper towels.
- Fry the chicken in batches. Cook until golden brown (2-3 minutes) then flip over and fry on the other side. Once golden transfer to a plate lined with paper and continue frying the remaining chicken in batches. Keep the orange sauce warm on a low heat while frying the chicken.
- Add the fried chicken to the warmed orange sauce and toss to cover then sprinkle with green onion and serve over rice.
Notes
- To save time, I like to warm the orange sauce up while I'm frying the chicken.
- If you want to make the sauce spicy you can add fresh chili or red chili flakes to taste.
- You can use store-bought orange juice instead of freshly squeezed but don't skip that orange zest and make sure it's 100% orange fruit juice and not from concentrate.
- Leftovers will keep well for 3-4 days or can be frozen.
Nutrition
Dear John,
I want to thank you for dedicating such a large part of your life to sharing your recipes with the world. I truly adore everything that you create and will continue to follow and like all of your content. You are an outstanding chef and I loved your Orange Chicken recipe! Thank you for inspiring the many people who have used your recipes!
Regards,
-Kiara Little
The most delicious orange chicken I’ve ever tasted – my husband described it as “Perfection”. I’ve made it a couple of times now and the only change I’ve made is that I double the sauce – I’m pretty sure my chicken breasts are much larger than the ones Jon used and we like our orange chicken on the saucy side. This recipe is now a family favorite – thank you, Jon!
I love this recipe. Thank-you for sharing.
This was awesome! I used Swerve for the sugar. That was the only thing I changed. I liked the heat the red pepper flakes added.
Next time I make it I don’t think I’ll deep fry the chicken. Just because I don’t like doing all of that. I know the texture will be different, but I’m okay with that.
I use your Italian Meringue Buttercream exclusively for my cakes. The next recipe of yours that I’m going to try is the macarons. The way you walk through it in your video makes it feel less intimidating. Wish me luck!
Loved this recipe, taste was amazing! I did add a couple of spoonfuls of orange marmalade as you suggested and I loved how bold the orange flavor turned out. The only minor issue I had was that the sauce was not thickening up but my boyfriend I still loved it so it’s a keeper! Thanks!!!
I’m on a trek to make take-out favorites at home and my daughter asked for this one. she is the one that always orders Orange Chicken. My husband and I loved it and she liked it. She said it was almost “too much orange” flavor. I found it a bit sweeter than the restaurant, so I might try reducing that. Will it affect the thickening, if I do? The sauce thickened up nicely as is though, so I wonder. I will surely make this again and try to tweak those two items just to fit us. I did use gluten free flour and I’m wondering if that may have affected the coating flavor and consistency. I’ll try it next time with both regular and gf. If anyone knows the answer, I would appreciate the input. The coating seemed a bit chalky.
Hello! As all your recipes that I have already tried.. your orange chicken is delicious!! It has become a favorite at our home, thank you for sharing all your wonderful creations ❤️❤️❤️
Hi John, I just made this last night and it worked out perfectly! I cut the added sugar in half (and went a little heavy on the crushed red peppers) and it was delicious. Thanks for making it easy to make this classic Chinese take out dish.
Hey John,
Made this dish the other day. Great flavor but was disappointed because my sauce never thicken up. We served it over rice and then dribbled the juice over it. Since I doubled the recipe the sauce almost covered the chicken and so the crisp part of the chicken got soggy. My family loved the dish though.