This Homemade Orange Chicken recipe makes it easy to enjoy the Chinese food take-out classic anytime you want. Our version is made with crispy bite-sized pieces of chicken covered in a sweet orange sauce that comes together in minutes.
At my house, orange chicken is a popular dinner choice that my family loves to eat over rice. I’ll often serve it with sliced green onions and sesame seeds for a little extra flavor and color.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Better Than Takeout! Crispy, juicy chicken with a sweet adn tangy orange sauce right from your own kitchen.
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses pantry staples with fresh orange zest and juice.
- Weeknight Meal: Ready in about 30 minutes, faster than delivery!
Homemade Orange Chicken Recipe
If you are a frequent customer at Chinese restaurants, you have most likely tried Chinese Orange Chicken. This Homemade Orange Chicken recipe tastes just as good as anything you’ll find at Panda Express and it comes together so fast you won’t even need to bother ordering take-out.
To make the crispy chicken, I coat the bite-sized pieces in a seasoned cornstarch mixture before pan frying until golden. It stays nice and juicy thanks to the quick baking soda and water brine that the chicken soaks in while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
The sticky orange chicken sauce is full of orange flavor, but not overly sweet, and can be easily thickened or thinned by adding more cornstarch or orange juice.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken – you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken tenderloins for this recipe. They will need to be cut into 1” bite-sized pieces.
- Cold Water Brine – while you prepare the sauce, soak the chicken in a mixture of cold water and baking soda to keep it super tender.
- Cornstarch – this helps to keep the batter crispy once cooked, even with the orange sauce coating it.
- Soy Sauce – either regular or low sodium will work.
- Egg White – you will just need one egg white for the batter. It helps to keep the batter together.
- Pepper – freshly ground black pepper tastes great.
- Avocado Oil – you will need to use this to pan fry the chicken. Another kind of vegetable cooking oil would also work.
Homemade Orange Chicken Sauce Ingredients
- Soy Sauce – either regular, low-sodium, or gluten-free tamari would work.
- Fresh Oranges – you will need about? A cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice and 1 ½ tablespoons of orange zest, which you should be able to get from one large orange.
- Brown Sugar – light brown sugar works great to sweeten the sauce a touch.
- Garlic – freshly grated or minced is best.
- Ginger – freshly grated or minced ginger gives a stronger flavor here than ground ginger.
- Rice Wine Vinegar – this adds great flavor and a little sourness.
- Sesame Oil – you only need a tiny bit to add loads of flavor to the sauce.
- Cornstarch – this helps thicken the sauce as it cooks, which will then better coat the pieces of chicken.
How to Make Orange Chicken
- Brine the chicken. Place diced chicken in a bowl and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda, mix, and let the chicken sit while you are preparing the other ingredients. (This brine will make your chicken even more tender)
- Make the batter mixture. Drain the water off the chicken chunks. Use a paper towel to pat dry, then add the chicken back to your bowl. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch over the chicken and mix using tongs. Add the soy sauce, egg white, and pepper. Toss again until combined and the cornstarch mixture resembles a paste.
- Cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the avocado oil. Add the chicken to the hot pan leaving space between each piece of chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the chicken is golden brown on the pan side. Use the tongs to flip the chicken and cook again until lightly golden brown on all sides. Once crispy and golden, transfer chicken to a paper towel lined plate.
- Make the orange sauce. If you have any excess oil in your pan, simply soak it up with a paper towel. Don’t wipe the pan. In a small bowl add the soy sauce, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, grated garlic, grated ginger, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Whisk together until the cornstarch is dissolved, then add to the pan. Cook over medium heat until the orange sauce comes to a boil.
- Serve. Add the chicken, toss it in the orange sauce, then remove from heat. Serve immediately over prepared rice. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference between Orange Chicken and General Tso chicken is that Orange Chicken isn’t spicy while General Tso chicken is made with chilis. They are both crispy chicken dishes that are coated in a sweet sauce and typically served over rice.
I usually use chicken breasts, but you could also use chicken thighs or tenderloins.
While it definitely tastes best right after it’s made, Orange Chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated. I recommend making a little extra orange sauce to reheat the chicken in, however you can also just microwave it.
Yes, you can. Coat the chicken in the soy/cornstarch batter and place the chicken chunks in the air fryer making sure the pieces don’t touch. Cook at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes , flipping the chicken halfway through. Once the chicken is cooked it can be tossed in the prepared homemade orange sauce.
Yes, this works well as a baked orange chicken recipe. Coat the chicken in the soy/cornstarch batter and place in on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the oven and cook on 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the chicken is golden and it is cooked. Once the chicken is cooked it can be tossed in the prepared homemade orange sauce.
Tips For The Best Orange Chicken
- For Crispy Chicken: Pat the chicken dry first with a paper towel, coat well in cornstarch, and fry in hot oil without crowding the pan.
- Don’t skip the Zest: Fresh orange zest makes the sauce taste brighter and more authernic.
- Keep Sauce Seperate: Top chicken with sauce just before serving to keep it crisp.
- Batch Frying: Fry the chicken chunks in batches for the crispiest crust: transfer to a wire rack to avoid sogginess.
- Meal Prep: Cut chicken and make the sauce ahead of time (store it separately) for quick cooking later.
- Chicken Prep: If you cut your chicken into evenly sized pieces, it will cook more evenly.
- Make sure the skillet is hot before adding the chicken.
- Don’t crowd the pan, or the temperature of the oil will lower. You want to keep the temperature of the oil at 350 degrees F.
- You can also use frozen, prepared popcorn chicken from the store and cook according to the package instructions, and then toss in this homemade orange chicken sauce.
Recipe Variations
- Spicy Orange Chicken: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a squirt of sriracha to the sauce.
- Veggie Loaded: Stir in steamed broccoli, snap peas, or bell peppers before serving.
- Baked or Air Fried: Use an air fryer at 400 degrees Fairenhieght for 10-12 minutes or bake on a rack in the oven for a lighter version.
What to Serve with Orange Chicken
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: you can microwave leftovers, but for the best flavor I recommend making a smaller batch of orange sauce and reheating the chicken in that over the stovetop.
More Dinner Recipes You’ll Love
Homemade Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Brine
- 2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
- 8 cups water, cold
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Crispy Chicken Batter
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 large egg white
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil
Orange Chicken Sauce
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1½ tablespoons orange zest
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated or minced
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspooon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Place diced chicken in a bowl and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda, mix, and let the chicken sit in the brine for at least 15 minutes, or up to 1 hour.
- Drain the water off the chicken and use a paper towel to pat dry, then add the chicken back to your bowl. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken and mix using tongs. Add the soy sauce, egg white, and black pepper and toss again until combined and the cornstarch mixture resembles a paste.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the avocado oil. Add the chicken to the hot pan leaving space between each piece of chicken—you might need to cook your chicken in two batches. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the chicken is golden brown on the pan side. Use the tongs to flip the chicken and cook again until lightly golden brown, then sear on a third side if necessary so all sides are crispy. Transfer chicken to a paper towel lined plate.
- If you have any excess oil in your pan, soak it up with a paper towel, but don't wipe the pan. In a small bowl add the soy sauce, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, grated garlic, grated ginger, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Whisk together until the cornstarch is dissolved, then add to the pan.
- Cook over medium heat until the orange sauce comes to a boil. Add the chicken, toss, in the orange sauce, then remove from heat. Serve immediately over prepared rice. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and make sure to follow on Pinterest, Instagram and Tiktok for more!
More Easy Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Asian Beef Kabobs
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
- Thai Chicken Chopped Salad
- Thai Chicken Marinade
- Korean Beef Stir Fry
- Basil Chicken Stir Fry
- More Easy Chicken Recipes
- More Weeknight Dinner Ideas
This simple Orange Chicken recipe has crispy chicken covered in a delicious orange sauce that tastes great served over rice and topped with sesame seeds and green onions. It’s a Chinese food favorite that can easily be made at home.
Email This Recipe
Get a link to this recipe emailed so you can save it for later + get all the latest Carefree Kitchen recipes!
By submitting this form you consent to receive emails from The Carefree Kitchen
I tried this recipe last night and it was delicious!! I tend to have a problem of getting my sauces wrong consistency-wise and this recipe made it so easy to get it right and to get the chicken perfectly coated like you’d expect from any high-quality orange chicken you’d order at a restaurant. I just served it with a side of broccoli but I’d be interested to try stir frying some bell peppers and other veggies to go with it next time. My husband and 1 year old also loved it. 10/10 from us!
Hooray! So happy to hear you loved it so much!