Homemade Orange Chicken Recipe

5 from 2 votes

This simple 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.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian

Servings: people

Calories: 549kcal

Author: The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

Chicken Brine

2 pounds Chicken Breasts or chicken thighs, 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
¼ teaspoon Pepper
4 Tablespoons Avocado Oil to pan fry the chicken

Orange Chicken Sauce

⅓ cup Soy Sauce
⅓ cup Orange Juice
1½ Tablespoons Orange Zest
¼ cup Brown Sugar
1 clove Garlic grated or minced
1 teaspoon Ginger grated or minced
2 teaspoons Rice Wine Vinegar
½ teaspooon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

Instructions

Chicken Brine

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)

How to Make Pan Fried Crispy Chicken Bites

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.
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. (Note: 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. If you need to, sear on a third side so all sides of the chicken are crispy. Once crispy and golden, transfer chicken to a paper towel lined plate.

How to Make 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. Add the chicken, toss, in the orange sauce, then remove from heat. Serve immediately over prepared rice. Enjoy!

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Nutrition