Crispy fried chicken tossed in a bright, sweet and savory orange sauce! This quick and easy orange chicken recipe is a great main dish - ready in 30-minutes with simple ingredients. It's family-friendly, better-than-takeout, and perfect for busy weeknights!
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My version of orange chicken features bite-sized pieces of chicken thighs coated in cornstarch and fried until crispy. Then tossed in a savory and sweet citrus sauce!
This dish is packed with bright and bold flavors and is best served with white rice or fried rice and veggies!
Chef Andy Kho created this popular Chinese dish in 1987. It was inspired by the flavors and textures of another chicken dish from Hunan, China.
When I first had this dish, I instantly fell in love with the sweet sauce that coats the crispy chicken, so I had to create my own version!
What sets my recipe apart is that it avoids messy wet batter, uses only a small amount of oil for shallow frying instead of deep frying, and it's not spicy - perfect for kids!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to recipe card for exact measurements.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: or substitute with chicken breast and cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch. Avoid tapioca starch as it'll cause the chicken pieces to stick together.
- Neutral Oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any low-smoke point oil.
- Sesame Seeds: optional garnish - omit it if you're allergic.
- Orange Zest: optional garnish but recommended for more flavor.
- Green Onions: optional garnish.
Orange Sauce
- Freshly-Squeezed Orange Juice (no pulp): It's best to use fresh orange juice squeezed from oranges. If using store-bought orange juice, avoid concentrate orange juice and ones with pulp!
- White Vinegar: or substitute with rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Brown Sugar: I'm using light brown sugar but dark brown sugar will work too.
- Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
- Garlic
- Ginger Powder: or substitute with finely minced ginger.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch or tapioca starch.
Variations
- Pork version - Replace the chicken with diced pork shoulder and cook to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Tofu version - Replace the chicken with diced extra-firm tofu.
- Shrimp version - Replace the chicken with jumbo shrimp.
- Spicy version - Mix in 1 teaspoon red chili flakes to the sauce.
- Gluten-free version - Replace the soy sauce with tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
Expert Tips
- Freshly-squeezed orange juice is recommended over store-bought for best flavor.
- Use chicken thighs for best taste as they have more fat and won't dry out in the cooking process.
- Don’t pat dry the chicken as moisture is needed for the cornstarch to stick.
- Evenly dice the chicken into 1.5-inch cubes, so they fry consistently.
- Use a heavy bottomed pan to fry the chicken to maintain oil temperature.
- Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying, around 325-350 F or insert a wooden chopstick into the oil and look for rapid bubbles.
- Fry the chicken in small batches and don't overcrowd or it can lead to soggy or uncooked chicken.
- Avoid moving the chicken as it fries, so it can develop a golden crust.
- Drain the fried chicken on a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate to remove excess oil, which leads to soggy chicken.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make orange chicken:
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above and mix well.
- Cube chicken: Dice the chicken thighs into 1.5-inch cubes. Don't pat the chicken dry as moisture is needed for the next step.
- Coat chicken in starch: Transfer the chicken pieces into a large mixing bowl. Add cornstarch and toss to coat evenly.
- Fry chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry the coated chicken in small batches in a single layer until golden and crispy on both sides, about 6-8 minutes.
- Drain chicken: Remove and transfer fried chicken to a wire rack or a paper-towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil, which can cause soggy chicken.
- Simmer sauce and add chicken: On medium-high heat, add the sauce and simmer to thicken, about 1 minute. Once thickened, add the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Garnish with orange zest, sesame seeds and green onions. Enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
- Orange chicken can last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge, once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
- Orange chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag, once cooled. To enjoy, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
Pairing Suggestions
Orange chicken serves well with:
- Starters: Egg rolls, Crab rangoon, Egg drop soup, or Hot and sour soup.
- Rice Dishes: White rice, Brown rice, or Fried rice.
- Noodle Dishes: Chow mein, Lo mein, Plain noodles, or Soup noodles.
- Vegetable Dishes: Chinese Garlic Bok Choy, Spicy Garlic Bok Choy, Chinese Garlic Yu Choy, Chinese Garlic Gai Lan, Garlic Green Beans or Stir-fried Snow Pea Leaves.
- Protein Dishes: Beef Vegetable Stir-Fry, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Bang Bang Shrimp, Egg Foo Young, Soy Garlic Tofu, and more!
FAQ
Orange chicken can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge, once cooled. To reheat, microwave or reheat on the stovetop until hot throughout.
The fried chicken in orange chicken can be made in the air fryer: First evenly spray air fryer basket with neutral oil. Then place the coated chicken into the basket in a single layer, giving each piece enough space - you'll need to air fry in batches. Evenly spray oil over the chicken. Air fry at 400 F for 10-14 minutes until golden and crispy, no need to flip.
Soggy chicken can be caused by: not evenly coating the chicken in starch, the oil is not hot enough, overcrowding the pan, constantly moving the chicken around as it fries, or not draining off excess oil.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- ½ green onion finely chopped, optional garnish
- 1 tbsp orange zest grated, optional garnish
- 1 tsp sesame seeds toasted, optional garnish
Orange Chicken Sauce
- 1 cup orange juice freshly-squeezed, pulp removed (about 4-5 medium-sized oranges)
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar or rice vinegar / apple cider vinegar
- 6 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder or grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch / tapioca starch
- ½ tsp red chili flakes optional, if you prefer it spicy
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above and mix well.
- Dice the chicken thighs into 1.5-inch cubes. Don't pat the chicken dry as moisture is needed for the next step.
- Transfer the chicken pieces into a large mixing bowl. Add cornstarch and toss to coat evenly.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry the coated chicken in small batches in a single layer until golden and crispy on both sides, about 6-8 minutes.
- Remove and transfer fried chicken to a wire rack or a paper-towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil, which can cause soggy chicken.
- On medium-high heat, add the sauce and simmer to thicken, about 1 minute.
- Once thickened, add the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Garnish with orange zest, sesame seeds and green onions. Enjoy!
Elaine
I've been raving about this recipe for the last three days, after making it. My husband enjoyed it, too. The only change I made was to eliminate the garlic (my husband is allergic to it), and instead use 1/4 tsp dried onion powder. Plus the red pepper flakes. I also added some very thin fresh orange zest strips to the sauce, when thickening it. I used my sharp vegetable peeler to make these rather than grating off zest. That's how our favorite Chinese restaurant does it, plus it adds even more orange flavor to the sauce and we enjoy eating the strips. Also topped with the toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallion. I'll definitely make this easy and quick dish again!
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for the kind review! So glad you and your husband enjoyed my quick and easy recipe for this classic Chinese dish 🙂 Thanks for also sharing your tips and tricks!
Angie
I was wondering if you can make the orange chicken in a slow cooker or instant pot
christieathome
Hi Angie, I am sure you can but unfortunately I haven't tried that yet with my recipe so I can't confirm instructions on that yet.
Juliane
Do you think the chicken would get dry if I use chicken breast?
christieathome
Hi there, yes chicken breast is more likely to be dry however I have had other Pinterest readers make this same recipe with it and just reduced the cooking time and it turned out fine. Chicken thighs are really best recommended as they are more forgiving. Hope this helps!
OldRetiredGuy
I use chicken breast because it's healthier, and it comes out great. It's quickly become one of our regulars.
Christie Lai
So happy to read this and that the chicken breast works well! Thank you for making it a regular recipe 🙂 Appreciate it!
Sean A
Soooo amazing! This was the first recipe I tried of Christie’s and it was a hit among the whole family. The orange chicken sauce is perfect and delicious. Definitely will try more of her stuff.
christieathome
Thank you so much for such a kind and positive review, Sean! This really made my day. I'm so glad it was a hit with your family. I hope you enjoy my other recipes. Have the best day! 🙂
Matt
I made the dish as written. The dish was perfect classic Orange Chicken. I had to use breast but was still restaurant quality. Take the time for the fresh squeezed orange juice (about 5-6). I have looked for an authentic Asian site for a while. The recipes (about 5) I have made are always good from Christie!!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making so many of my recipes, Matt! I really appreciate this kind comment and happy they all worked out well 🙂
Bob hamburger
It worked awesomely
christieathome
So glad to hear! Thanks for making it, Bob!
Logan
I would recommend using half a cup to 3/4 a cup of orange juice instead. A full cup was just too much. Thank you for the recipe.
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe, Logan and for sharing your thoughts!
Kelly
I made this last night using the air fryer method. It was amazing! I will definitely make this again.
christieathome
Fantastic! Happy to hear it worked out well! Thanks for making it, Kelly!
Brendan
I was looking through my cook books but couldn't find anything that I fancied, so I went online and found your site. Cooked this dish, one word for it....stunning! Definitely going to try more of your recipes.
christieathome
Thanks Brendan! Glad you enjoyed my orange chicken and I hope you enjoyed my other recipes to come!
Sandy Stiner
OMG this is so good and so easy to make! Thanks Christie for helping us make delicious Chinese food at home!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for the kind words, Sandy! So happy you enjoyed it and glad I could help with that! 🙂
Ellisa
Really good and super easy! I liked it better than take-out.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for the kind comment, Ellisa! So glad you find it better than take out!
Michelle C
Made this 3 times so far and it's one of my favorite dinners! Love how delicious it is. I use potato starch and about double what the recipe says for that but everything else is spot on. I also shallow fry until it starts to get crispy, then transfer to air fryer for ultimate crispness! Thank you for sharing this recipe. ❤️
christieathome
This is truly music to my ears! I am so glad that you've enjoyed it time and time again, Michelle! Thank you for making it and sharing this kind review!
Bri Atterberry
Hi I'm excited to make this! Thank you for responding to the comment about oven-baked (I don't have an air fryer either).
christieathome
Thank you for sharing that and glad I could share how to make it in the oven 🙂
Zee
Deelish.
Florence
Very good and easy to make.
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe Florence!
Sade
What can I substitute for white vinegar. I have white wine vinegar, also I have lemons. Would either work?
christieathome
Sure you can substitute with white wine vinegar with a 1:1 ratio. If you happen to have rice vinegar, that would work even better.