It’s amazingly easy to make orange chicken at home.
If they know you by name and order at your local Panda Express, this recipe is for you. You can have it every day of the week and not feel judged! Crispy, tangy, and oh-so-addictive, orange chicken is here to stay.
You can make this recipe with chicken breast or chicken thighs, it’s up to you. We prefer thighs, because they’re juicier and tastier (plus more affordable!) but, really you can choose your favorite chicken cut.
What is orange chicken?
Orange chicken is delicious crispy bite sized pieces of golden-brown chicken tossed in a tangy, sweet, sticky, savory orange-flavored sauce.
What is orange sauce?
Orange sauce is a sweet and tangy sauce made with orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic. It’s glossy, addictive, and goes perfectly with chicken.
How to make orange chicken at home
- Cut – start with boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts and cut them into bit sized pieces.
- Coat – Season the pieces of chicken with salt and pepper then toss in cornstarch to coat evenly.
- Cook – Heat up a neutral high heat oil over medium-high heat in a deep, heavy bottomed pot. Once the oil is hot, add the coated chicken and cook, flipping as needed, until it’s golden, crispy, and cooked through. When done, remove and drain on paper towels or a rack and keep warm in a low oven.
- Sauce – while the chicken is staying warm in the oven, make the orange sauce by whisking together orange juice, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, garlic powder, and ginger powder in a bowl. Add the sauce to a large non-stick skillet and whisk well over medium heat. Heat through until the sauce bubbles, thickens, and turns glossy and clear. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Toss – add the warm chicken pieces to the pan with the sauce and toss to coat evenly. Enjoy immediately!
How to fry orange chicken
Anyway you can think of cooking up some crispy chicken will work: pan fry, shallow fry, deep fry, bake, or air fry, the choice is yours.
- Pan-fried orange chicken
Heat up a thin layer of oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the coated chicken and cook, flipping as needed, until golden and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. - Shallow-fried orange chicken
Heat up about 1/4-1/3 inch of a neutral high heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When you add your coated chicken, it should come up to about 1/3 to 1/2 of each piece of chicken. Shallow frying is almost like deep-frying, it with less oil. Flip the pieces of chicken as needed, until golden and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. - Deep-fried orange chicken
Heat up 2-3 inches of neutral oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat until it reaches 350°F. Deep fry the coated chicken, until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes, moving and flipping as needed. - Baked orange chicken
Lightly spray the coated chicken (coat as per recipe below) with oil and bake at 450°F for 30 minutes, flipping halfway. - Air fried orange chicken
Lightly spray the coated chicken (coat as per recipe below) with oil and air fry at 400°F for 15 minutes, flipping halfway.
The secret to crispy chicken
The secret to having crispy chicken is letting your golden, crispy chicken cool a bit before saucing. If you sauce right away, the sauce will soak into the coating, making your chicken soggier than it needs to be. This is why we cook the chicken first and make the sauce second. While your making sauce, the chicken’s coating gets a minute to solidify a bit and maintain a bit of crispiness before being tossed in sauce.
What to have with orange chicken:
Happy takeout at home!
xoxo steph
Easy Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- neutral oil for deep frying, enough to fill 2"
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup sugar of choice
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- orange zest optional, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat 2 inches of neutral high heat oil in a high sided, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat, until the oil reaches 350°F.Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper then toss in the cornstarch, pressing to evenly coat. Shake off any excess and set aside the coated pieces on a plate. Prepare a baking sheet or plate with paper towels or a wire rack for the fried chicken.
- Carefully add the coated chicken to the hot oil in batches, being careful not to crowd the oil. Cook until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes per batch. Flip the pieces as needed. When cooked, carefully remove and set the pieces on your prepared plate/baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken is ready, then keep the chicken warm in a low oven.
- Add the orange juice, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, garlic powder, and ginger powder to a large non-stick skillet. Whisk well over medium heat. Let the sauce start to bubble and thicken until it turns glossy and clear. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the chicken to the sauce and toss throughly. Add the orange zest, if using, then enjoy immediately!
