Easy Orange Chicken (w/ Air Frying Option)

Easy Orange Chicken (w/ Air Frying Option)

Orange Chicken. Crispy fried chicken smothered in a delicious, sweet orange flavor sauce. Easy to make at home. This popular dish is ready in 30 minutes! I share how to shallow fry and air fry the tender chunks of chicken.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine Chinese

Servings

Calories per serving 401 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
¼ cup cornstarch or sub with potato starch
⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil (if you're Air Frying, sub with 2 tablespoon of oil)

Orange Chicken Sauce:

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice pulp removed (about 4-5 medium sized oranges)
2 tablespoon white vinegar or rice vinegar
¼ cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tablespoon regular soy sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ teaspoon ginger powder or sub with freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch or sub with potato starch
½ tsp red chili flakes optional if you prefer it spicy

Optional Garnish

½ green onion finely chopped
1 tbsp orange zest grated
1 tsp sesame seeds toasted

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients as listed above. Mix well and set aside.
Do not pat chicken thighs dry, some moisture is needed for the next step (See Notes below for more information). Slice thighs into bite size pieces, about 1.5 x 1.5-inch-wide pieces (about 6-8 pcs per thigh, depending on size).
Transfer pieces of chicken into a large bowl, followed by cornstarch or potato starch. Mix to coat each piece evenly with tongs.

Shallow Fry Method:

In a wok or large skillet on medium high heat, add vegetable oil. Allow oil to get hot. Tip: To test, insert a wooden chopstick into the oil and look for bubbles. If you see bubbles, the oil is hot.
Carefully lower coated chicken into oil and quickly spread apart. Once chicken is spread apart, do not touch or move the pieces around. Allow pieces to sear and form a golden crust, about 5-6 minutes on each side.
Once a golden crust has formed, flip chicken pieces over and cook on the other side until golden brown.
Remove and transfer fried chicken onto a wire rack resting on a baking sheet or a plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil. Pour out any excess oil from pan.

Alternative Air Fry Method:

Lightly spray air fryer basket with vegetable oil or any neutral oil.
Lay coated chicken into air fryer basket in a single layer giving each piece enough space. You may need to air fry in small batches if needed depending on the size of your air fryer. Lightly spray oil over coated chicken.
Air fry at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes until golden crispy brown. The amount of time depends on your air fryer.
Note: I have a Philips Air Fryer and I air fried mine at 400 degrees at 14 minutes for a crispy texture. If you’re using a different machine, check your chicken at 12 minutes and if it needs more crispiness, air fry for another couple minutes until you reach your desired texture.

Sauce:

In a pan set over medium high heat, pour sauce in. Stirring consistently until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
Mix in fried chicken until pieces are coated in sauce.
Optional: garnish with orange zest, sesame seeds and green onions. Serve & enjoy!

Notes

Chicken thighs should be moist to touch when removed from packaging. Otherwise, cornstarch will not stick. If not moist for some reason, run the thighs under cold water and let water drip off completely. Then cut into bite size pieces. The cornstarch should stick well

Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

Suggested Equipment & Products

Wok

Air Fryer

Measuring Set

glass measuring cup

Silicone Spatula 3-Piece Set

Cutting Board

Tongs

Santoku Knife

Nutrition