Orange Chicken is a sweet, sour, and mildly spicy Chinese dish loaded with flavors of orange. It is usually made with crispy fried boneless chicken breast, basic aromatics, and flavorful orange sauce. The recipe I have shared here shows you how to make orange Chicken with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try and enjoy at home.
I have also shared a detailed video of this recipe below to make the cooking process simple and clear. This Chinese Orange Chicken is an easy-to-make side dish that can be whipped up in under 30 minutes. It tastes great over white rice, noodles, or fried rice for lunch and dinner. And the best part is it tastes similar to your favorite Asian take-outs.
Jump to:
What is Orange Chicken?
Orange Chicken is a sweet, sticky, and mildly spicy popular Chinese dish filled with fresh flavors of orange. The crispy fried boneless chicken breast is usually tossed in a vibrant golden color orange sauce. This Chinese Orange Chicken is one of the best Asian side dishes that can be served for lunch and dinner.
Orange Chicken is one of the signature dishes that you may find in most American Chinese restaurants. The recipe got its popularity for its well-balanced sweet, sour, spiciness, and fresh flavors of tropical orange. And not to mention the crunchy sesame seeds and fresh green onions which make the dish visually so appetizing.
Apart from its finger-licking good flavors and taste, it is one easy-to-make dish at home. If you are craving a Chinese-style take-out dish then this Orange Chicken is the must-try dish at home. Making a restaurant-quality stir-fry dish at home is always the best because you know what you are adding to it.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make this Orange Chicken are basic Chinese pantry elements. And they should be easily available in most Asian grocery stores around. So let's see what are they below.
For Marination
Following are the Ingredients you will need to marinate the chicken.
- Chicken Breast - Skinless and boneless chicken breast that is cut into cubes
- Cornstarch - Marinating the chicken with cornstarch delivers a velvety and juicy texture to the chicken
- Egg Whites - I have used only egg whites here but you can also feel free to use the yolk
- Orange Juice - Delivers the orange flavor to the chicken
- Black Pepper - For a slight heat, for more intense heat you could substitute it with white pepper powder
- Aromatics - Ginger and garlic for fresh flavors to most chicken dishes
For Orange Chicken
Following are a few other ingredients required to make Orange Chicken.
- Aromatics - Basic aromatics like ginger, and garlic delivers the fresh taste, aroma, and warmness to your dish
- Chili Flakes - Delivers the minimal amount of heat to this dish
- Orange Juice and Zest - Important ingredients to achieving the citrusy orange flavor
- Soy Sauce - Regular all-purpose soy sauce but for intense color, you can also add an extra 1 tbsp of Dark soy sauce
- Vinegar - Usually rice vinegar gives a deep flavor but if it is not handy then you can go with regular vinegar
- Brown Sugar - Delivers the sweet, sticky, and glazy texture to your dish
For a detailed ingredients list, please check out the recipe card below.
How to make Orange Chicken?
The recipe I have shared here is a popular Chinese Orange Chicken, a restaurant-style take-out dish. The recipe involves 3 steps marinating, frying, and tossing the fried chicken in a sweet and sour orange sauce. It is a super simple recipe that requires only under 30 minutes to make from scratch.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this recipe but for detailed step-by-step instructions with photos and video, please check out the recipe card below.
- Add the Ingredients - In a bowl, add chicken breast pieces, garlic, ginger, black pepper powder, orange juice, salt, cornstarch, and egg whites (even though I have used egg whites here you can always feel free to use egg with yolk).
- Combine - Give it a good mix and close the bowl with a lid and rest it for 10 minutes
- Fry - In a pan with medium heat, pour oil, and add the marinated chicken breast one by one without overcrowding the pan. Fry the breast pieces until both the sides turn golden in color
- Remove - Remove the fried chicken breast from the oil and reserve it for later use
- Saute the aromatics - In the same pan with the remaining oil, add the ginger, and garlic and saute until it turns aromatic
- Add the seasonings - Now add chili flakes, orange zest, soy sauce, brown sugar, and orange juice, and give it a good mix
- Boil - Bring the mixture to boil for 2 to 3 minutes
- Thicken the Sauce - Now add the cornstarch slurry to the orange mixture and stir until it turns thick
- Add Chicken - Once the orange sauce is thickened, add the fried chicken breast and give it a good mix
- Garnish and Serve - Finally top the orange chicken with sesame seeds, and spring onions and remove it from heat and it is now ready for you to taste and enjoy.
Tips
- For Juicy Chicken - Marinating the boneless chicken breast with cornstarch, egg whites, and other ingredients deliver the juicy chicken after it is fried. You can also use boneless thighs instead of the breast for extra juicy fried chicken
- For Flavorful Orange Sauce - Adding orange zest along with orange juice delivers the in-depth flavor of orange
- For Dark Color - Even though orange chicken is popular for its golden orangish color, you can also use dark soy sauce to achieve a more vibrant dark color
Storage Suggestions
This Orange Chicken tastes great when served warm. But you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a closed air-tight container. You can also store it in the freezer for up to a month but I recommend bringing them to room temperature and then adding 3 tbsp of water while reheating the dish. This helps the sauce to melt easily.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious Chinese Orange Chicken over white rice, noodles, or fried rice, szechuan fried rice for lunch and dinner. You can also serve it over brown rice, or cauliflower rice for low-carb options.
Related Recipes
You could also find similar recipes below and more at Chinese recipes and chicken recipes
- Orange Sauce
- General Tso's Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Szechuan Chicken
- Filipino Chicken Adobo
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Kung Pao Shrimp
- Szechuan Shrimp
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Vegetable Stir Fry
More Chicken Breast Recipes:
Orange Chicken Recipe Video
I have also shared a detailed video of this Orange Chicken Recipe below that I hope will help you make a delicious Chinese take-out style dish at home. You could also find this recipe in a story format.
Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For Marination
- 2 lb Chicken Breast, cut into cubes
- ¼ tsp Pepper Powder, black or white pepper
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger, chopped
- ¼ cup Orange Juice
- Salt, as needed
- 2 Egg White, you can also use egg with yolk
Other Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Orange Zest
- 1 tsp Chili Flakes
- 2 tbsp Garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp Ginger, chopped
- 1 tsp Vinegar, or rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 cup Orange Juice
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds, to garnish
- 1 tsp Spring Onions, to garnish
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch Slurry, 1 tsp cornstarch diluted in 3 tbsp water
- ½ tsp Pepper Powder
- Oil, for pan frying
Instructions
To make Orange Chicken
- In a bowl, add chicken breast pieces, garlic, ginger, black pepper powder, orange juice, salt, cornstarch, and egg whites (even though I have used egg whites here you can always feel free to use egg with yolk)
- Give it a good mix and close the bowl with a lid and rest it for 10 minutes
- In a pan with medium heat, pour oil and add the marinated chicken breast one by one without overcrowding the pan
- Fry the breast pieces until both the sides turn golden in color
- Remove the fried chicken breast from the oil and reserve it for later use
- In the same pan with the remaining oil, add the ginger, and garlic and saute until it turns aromatic
- Now add chili flakes, orange zest, soy sauce, brown sugar, pepper powder and orange juice and give it a good mix
- Bring the mixture to boil for 2 to 3 minutes
- Now add the cornstarch slurry to the orange mixture and stir until it turns thick
- Once the orange sauce is thickened, add the fried chicken breast and give it a good toss
- Finally, garnish the orange chicken with sesame seeds, and spring onions and remove from heat
To Serve
- Serve this delicious Chinese Orange Chicken over rice, noodles, or fried rice for lunch and dinner
Recipe Video
Chef's Notes and Tips
- For Juicy Chicken - marinating the boneless chicken breast with cornstarch, egg whites, and other mentioned ingredients delivers the juicy chicken after it is fried. You can also use boneless thighs instead of the breast for extra juicy fried chicken
- For Flavorful Orange Sauce - Adding orange zest along with orange juice delivers the in-depth flavor of orange
- For Dark Color - Even though orange chicken is known for its golden orangeish color, you can also use dark soy sauce to achieve a more vibrant dark color
Nutrition Info
Disclaimer: We’re not nutrition experts. Nutritional info is estimated and should be used as a guide. For precise details, consult a professional.
FAQ
Orange Chicken is a sweet, sticky, and mildly spicy popular Chinese dish filled with fresh flavors of orange. The crispy fried boneless chicken breast is usually tossed in a vibrant golden color orange sauce. This Chinese Orange Chicken is one of the best Asian side dishes that can be served for lunch and dinner.
It is a sweet, sour, and a mildly spicy dish filled with citrusy orange flavor. Small bites of ginger and garlic give a fresh flavor while you may also notice the crunchiness of sesame seeds from every bite.
It is usually made with soy sauce, brown sugar, orange juice and zest, and cornstarch slurry as a thickening agent.
This dish pairs great with rice, noodles, or fried rice. You can also serve it over brown rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb diet.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe I shared here and would love to hear from you about how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
Leave a Review