Orange Chicken: the authentic recipe for making a tasty Chinese main

Orange chicken is made from pieces of boneless chicken thigh or breast which are fried until crispy, then covered with a caramelized, sweet orange sauce.

In the US, the dish has been made especially popular by the American Chinese food chain called Panda Express. While it’s a popular dish in North America, it’s hardly seen in restaurants in China.

Orange Chicken is a great midweek meal and is sure to please even fussy eaters. The chicken is crispy with a sticky, sweet sauce that’s packed with flavor.  The chicken is marinated for 15 minutes (which adds loads of flavor), and then fried until crispy. Top it with a sweet orange sauce, and you have a weekday dinner home run!

Chinese Orange Chicken Ingredients

Chicken – use boneless chicken breast or chicken thigh

Eggs – eggs help the corn flour stick to the chicken

Seasoning – soy sauce, grated ginger, garlic clove, white pepper, and red chili flakes

Cornstarch – it makes the chicken crispy

Oranges – you can’t make orange chicken with oranges.

Can I Make Orange Chicken in The Airfryer?

If you don’t like deep-frying, you can skip the frying, and make it in the Airfryer instead. Spray the Airfryer basket with oil, then place the coated chicken pieces in the basket. Spray the chicken with oil before frying at 400°F for 12-14 minutes.

Is Orange Chicken the same as General Tso?

The two dishes are very similar, but while General Tso’s Chicken is an authentic Chinese dish, Orange Chicken is a more Americanized version made sweeter by the addition of brown sugar.

Tips for making Easy Chinese Orange Chicken

You can also make this recipe with boneless chicken thighs.

Make sure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Don’t make your oil too hot, otherwise the breading on the chicken will burn before the chicken is cooked through. Use a thermometer to heat the oil to about 350°F.

Make it spicier by adding sriracha to the orange sauce.

Use freshly squeezed orange juice for best results!

How to Store Orange Chicken

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave.

How to make Orange Chicken

Place the chicken in a bowl, together with the ginger, white pepper, garlic clove, and egg. Allow the chicken to marinate for 15 minutes while you prepare the sauce.

To make the orange sauce, combine the orange juice, sugar, and red chili flakes.

Pour the vinegar.

Add in soy sauce. Heat for a few minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a bit of water to form a paste.

Stir the cornstarch slurry into the orange sauce.

Cook for about 5 minutes until it starts to thicken.

Add the orange zest.

Heat oil (about 3 inches deep) in a heavy-bottomed pot. Working in batches, dip the chicken in the egg.

Then coat it in the cornstarch, shake off the excess, and carefully place it into the hot oil.

Cook for about 3 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.

Set aside and let it drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Toss the fried chicken with the orange sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve with rice.

Notes

Serve the Orange Chicken with steamed basmati rice and vegetables.