Chinese Orange Chicken
by Chungah
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Crispy, golden brown chicken bites tossed in a sweet and tangy orange glaze! A Chinese takeout favorite (made so much better) right at home.
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Why you’ll love this Chinese Orange Chicken recipe
- Takeout favorite. Now you can make your favorite Chinese takeout dish right at home, using better quality, fresh ingredients all around (no preservatives, no processed meat here!).
- Crispy coating. By using a combination of eggs and cornstarch, the chicken comes out unbelievably crispy and crunchy before getting tossed in an irresistible orange glaze. We’re talking perfectly crispy, sauced chicken bites here.
- Make-ahead friendly. The marinade serves both as a marinade and glaze (double whammy!), and the chicken can even be marinated ahead of time, cutting down prep time even further.
What is orange chicken?
Orange chicken is a popular Chinese-American takeout dish made with crispy chicken bites coated in cornstarch and deep fried, tossed in a sweet and savory orange sauce traditionally made with oranges, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce (thickened by a cornstarch slurry). It is often times garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, and served alongside white rice.
General tso’s vs orange chicken
While both dishes include deep-fried battered chicken bites in Chinese-American cuisine, they each have distinct flavor profiles.
- General Tso’s Chicken: sweet and spicy sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and chili peppers (sauce is dark, red-brown color)
- Orange Chicken: much milder and sweeter than General Tso’s, made with oranges, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce (sauce is light orange and much more syrupy)
How to make orange chicken
- Make the marinade. Firstly, whisk together the chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, Sriracha, ginger, and white pepper.
- Marinate. Then marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes (never exceeding 12 hours), saving 1/3 of the marinade for the orange sauce.
- Make the orange sauce. Start with a cornstarch slurry (combining 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water). Simmer the reserved marinade, stirring in the cornstarch slurry until thickened and glossy.
- Coat the chicken. Dip each chicken piece into the beaten eggs before dredging in cornstarch, pressing to coat and shaking off any excess cornstarch.
- Cook the chicken. Cook the coated chicken in a large cast iron skillet until golden brown, working in batches to avoid an overcrowded pan. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil.
- Toss or drizzle. Toss (or drizzle) the cooked chicken with the orange sauce, adding as little or as much sauce as desired. Pro tip: reserve some of the sauce to spoon over rice.
- Serve. Lastly, garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, serving over a bed of white rice alongside steamed broccoli.
Deep-frying tips to cook the chicken
Deep-frying chicken may seem a bit daunting, but with some attention to detail and these easy-to-follow tips, you’ll be making restaurant-quality (if not better!) orange chicken in no time.
- Use the right oil. Use vegetable or peanut oil, a neutral oil with a high smoke point.
- Maintain a consistent oil temperature. Use a clip-on deep-fry thermometer to monitor the oil closely, maintaining a steady temperature between 325 and 375°F.
- Work in small batches. Cook the chicken in small batches, about 5-6 pieces at a time.
- Let it rest on a wire rack. Let the chicken rest 5-10 minutes on a wire rack for even air circulation, achieving that perfect, shatteringly crispy coating.
what to serve with chinese orange chicken
Tools For This Recipe
Chinese Orange Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions
Both chicken breasts and thighs can be used here, but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Use a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) to achieve a syrup-like glaze, perfectly glossy, sticky, and sweet. Avoid bottled orange juice whenever possible, using fresh oranges for both the zest and juice to ensure a vibrant, bright citrus flavor for the sauce.
Yes! The chicken can be marinated 30 minutes to 4 hours in the fridge.
Marinate for 30 minutes for a quick flavor boost (and when you’re short on time). But 2-4 hours is the perfect sweet spot to tenderize and infuse the meat with flavor. But avoid marinating for longer than 12 hours or the chicken will be mealy and mushy.
It’s possible too much cornstarch was added. Loosen the sauce by adding a splash of water or freshly squeezed orange juice.
Add simple, restaurant-quality garnishes to elevate your dish such as orange zest, sesame seeds, and green onions.
Store the chicken and the orange sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge for 2-3 days, reheating the chicken in the oven or air fryer at 350°F, and gently warming the sauce on the stovetop.
Chinese Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
For the cornstarch slurry
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
For the chicken
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
For the marinade
- In a large bowl, whisk together chicken broth, orange zest and juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, Sriracha, ginger and white pepper.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and 2/3 cup of the marinade; marinate for at least 30 minutes to 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade.
For the cornstarch slurry
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water.
For the orange sauce
- Heat remaining 1/3 marinade in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; stir in cornstarch slurry. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and glossy, about 2-4 minutes; keep warm.
For the chicken
- Working one at a time, dip chicken into the eggs, then dredge in cornstarch, pressing to coat.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet to 350°F. Working in batches, add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.
- Serve chicken immediately, tossed or drizzled with the orange sauce, garnished with sesame seeds and green onion, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Cut the chicken into similar-sized pieces. Whether you’re using chicken breasts, thighs or tenderloins, dice the chicken into similar bite-sized pieces (about 1-inch chunks) for even, consistent cooking throughout.
- Use a cast iron skillet. A heavy bottomed skillet such as a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven has exceptional heat retention, ideal for even cooking and yielding perfectly crispy, evenly browned, juicy chicken.
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor.
- Freshly oranges go a long way. While bottled orange juice can work in a pinch, the orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice are ideal here for its vibrant, stronger flavors.
- Avoid marinating for too long. The high acid content from the orange juice can break down the meat fibers if marinated for too long. Marinate the chicken for 2 to 4 hours.
- Check the temperature. Use a clip-on deep-fry thermometer to maintain a consistent oil temperature (about 325-375°F). If the oil goes past 375°F, the exterior will burn before the inside of the chicken is cooked, and if the oil is too cool, the chicken will absorb most of the oil, resulting in soggy, greasy chicken.
- Cook in batches. Cook the chicken in multiple batches as needed to avoid an overcrowded pan. An overcrowded pan will result in a drop in temperature, yielding soggy chicken bites instead.
- Mix cornstarch with water. Combining the cornstarch with water first (also known as a cornstarch slurry) will prevent lumps in the sauce, ensuring a smooth, glossy consistency and even thickening for the orange sauce.
- Sauce just before serving. This is crucial to avoiding soggy orange chicken. Toss the cooked chicken with the orange sauce right before serving for maximum crispness.
- Add garnishes. Make it restaurant-quality (especially when weekend company is over) by adding simple garnishes such as orange zest, sesame seeds and green onions.
- Prepare for leftovers. Store the chicken and the sauce separately if preparing for leftovers to preserve the crisp texture of the chicken.
Did you make this recipe?
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When you call for vinegar, do you use white vinegar or something more flavorful like apple cider vinegar? I use apple cider vinegar for making a sauce for sweet-n-sour chicken, so I am wondering if it would be good in this recipe.
Amanda, white vinegar was used for this recipe. You can use apple cider vinegar but I cannot speak for how much this was will change the taste of this dish.
Has anyone tried making this in the crock pot?
Just made this and it is great this is my second thing from this website that I have made so far (the first was Mac and cheese) and so far I am really impressed. I did add orange extract and a little more soy sauce to this recipe.
Delish! I made this for the family tonight and my kids devoured it (5, 3, 18mos)!
It’s nice to find something not loaded with sodium or msg to enjoy at home for a fraction of the cost. Thanks! I’m sooo glad that I found your blog. Going to add some other recipes to this month’s menu plan!
This looks absolutely divine! I will definitely try this recipe very soon, like tomorrow! One question: Does it matter if I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar for the marinade? The reason why I ask is because powdered sugar contains cornstarch (at least the package I have does) and I wonder if this would alter the taste/consistency of the chicken.
Thanks!
Vic, I honestly can’t say if the powdered sugar will alter the texture/taste of this dish. I do recommend using granulated sugar as noted in the recipe for optimal results.
The only thing that was good about this was the marinade. The breading fell off almost every piece. I had to use flour on a few since the cornstarch wasn’t sticking. Though that didn’t seem to help either.
Panda express from here on out! To heck with cooking! Lol
Cloyd, the breading should stay on during the cooking process. I recommend really coating the chicken pieces in the egg before dreding in the cornstarch. It is is normal for some breading to come off. I hope that helps!
This tastes really good (I’m eating as I type)! The only problem I had is that most of the breading came off the chicken pieces when I fried them. I am pretty sure I followed your directions faithfully. Any suggestions to help the breading stay on next time?
I suggest making sure that the chicken is completely dipped in the eggs before dredging in the cornstarch. Hope that helps!
I was browsing recipes for orange chicken and came across this, thank goodness. It was Devine! I didn’t change anything just added steamed broccoli and shredded carrots and shook it with the sauce and chicken. Will be making this again!
This looks great! Can’t wait to try it.
Any idea how many calories are in it?
X
Please use online resources such as Calorie Count to obtain nutritional information.
KARLA — I use vinegar in many things and do not find it leaves an odour or affects the taste. I add it to water when poaching eggs but the finished products has no vinegar taste. I use vinegar in my laundry as opposed to fabric softener and again, no scent remains. I also wash all my floors with vinegar as it is not injurious to my pets’ paws, unlike bleach or other disinfectants.
Is it ok to use all purpose flour rather than cornstarch? How will that be different? I am also not a fan of vinegar because I don’t like the way it smells so I wonder if this recipe smells like vinegar once it’s done. I’ve always wanted to make this recipe but afraid to try it because of the vinegar in it but I would not mind it having vinegar if the dish will not smell like vinegar once its done. Thanks
I highly recommend using cornstarch because it thickens faster and leaves virtually no taste behind unlike all-purpose flour. This dish does not smell like vinegar but I cannot speak to how sensitive your sense of smell is for this ingredient. I hope that helps!
My mandarin tree is leaning under the weight of all the fruit. I have tried juicing and freezing but find the juice bitter when I defrost. Was looking for recipes to use some of the juice and hit on this. A true winner. The flavour was so good and can’t wait to make again. I am always looking for recipes using fresh mandarin juice so all suggestions appreciated.
Came across your recipe this evening. Looked divine. And I have no idea what panda express is. I had all ingredients on hand except I used chicken thighs. Also am marinating overnight only because it’s almost 9 pm. I wanted to ask you though if it would be ok to marinate the chicken that long and fry it in a deep fryer?
It’s definitely fine to marinate for that long – the longer the better! And I don’t see a problem with using a deep fryer. Hope that helps!
Made this tonight using organic ingredients… Everyone was happy even the picky one!! Thank you!
My Fav Orange chickens.. Never tried at home… worth trying recipe. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Is the 1/4 teaspoon ginger supposed to be fresh grated or from a jar? Thanks!
The 1/4 teaspoon ginger refers to dried ginger powder. Hope that helps!
Thanks I kind of I figured that, by the small amount, but only had fresh ginger root on hand. So I used about a tablespoon of that zested/grated and it came out fine! Next time I am going to try spraying with a touch of olive oil then baking on a pyramid silicone baking mat for less fat. Hopefully easier cleanup too. 🙂
No hot sauce in the house…adding a few red pepper flakes..
Making it tonight,,,stay tuned
Is there anything I can use instead of the Sriracha, I don’t have any on hand and don’t feel like going to the store :).
Do you have any other kind of hot sauce on hand? You can also omit the Sriracha completely. It just won’t have that hint of spiciness.
I substituted Chinese chili pepper sauce since I didn’t have the Sriracha, but it was super yummy, a little too much orange taste though. I will use less zest next time and add more chili sauce. Thanks for the great recipe…my kiddos had 3rds!!!
My Chinese Hawaiian great gramma made Orange Chicken using a box of frozen Banquet Fried Chicken, a Box of Orange Jello, and White Vinegar. I would love to know how to re-create that sauce!