This homemade orange chicken recipe is better than take-out! Crispy chicken pieces are coated in a sticky orange sauce. It's the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors.
If you like easy chicken recipes similar to this, then try my sweet and sour chicken bites and pineapple teriyaki chicken recipes!
Homemade Orange Chicken
Orange chicken is incredibly delicious and features crispy fried chicken coated in a sweet tangy sauce. This dish is made with a combination of orange juice, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, ginger, and garlic powder. The sauce is thickened with cornstarch and poured over fried chicken bites.
To make this recipe, the chicken is first battered and then fried until crispy. Then the sauce is prepared separately and tossed with the chicken. This is what gives this recipe the distinct crispy yet ooey gooey flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
There are two groups of ingredients: batter for the chicken, and orange sauce.
Chicken and batter ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breasts - chopped into bite-size chunks
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- Cooking oil for frying
Orange Chicken Sauce ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice
- ½ cup honey
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ Tbsp cornstarch
How To Make Orange Chicken
Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
Making orange chicken requires two main steps. First, the chicken pieces are cooked in oil, then the sauce is thickened in a small pot.
Step 1: Chop 4 boneless chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks. Zest the outside of 1 orange to get 1 Tbsp of orange zest. Juice 2-3 oranges (or use store-bought orange juice).
Step 2: In one bowl, beat 3 eggs. In a separate bowl, add ⅓ cup cornstarch, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Coat a handful of the chicken bites in the egg mixture, then toss with the flour/cornstarch mixture. Shake off any excess and place newly coated chicken on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the chicken until it's all coated.
Step 3: Pour 2 to 3 inches of cooking oil into a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Use a thermometer to check when it reaches 350°F. Add the chicken in smaller batches and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it turns golden brown and crispy on the outside. Place the cooked chicken on a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
Step 4: Mix together ½ Tbsp of cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of warm water.
Step 5: In a medium saucepan, heat together the sauce ingredients: 1 cup orange juice, ½ cup honey, 2 Tbsp white vinegar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp orange zest, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp ginger powder, ½ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes and ½ Tbsp cornstarch mixture from step 4. Gently stir until the sauce has thickened. This will only take 2-3 minutes.
Step 6: Add the cooked chicken bites to a large bowl. Pour the sauce overtop and mix together.
Step 7: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and chopped green onions if desired. Serve over rice and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- I recommend prepping the all sauce ingredients before you cook the chicken. You can add it all to a pot, but don't cook it until after the chicken is done.
- If you add too much chicken to the pan at once, it can lower the temperature of the oil. You won't get those crispy edges. Instead, cook in small enough batches that all the chicken is covered in the oil.
- cooking oil needs to be hot enough to fry the chicken pieces properly. Use a thermometer to check once it's reached 350°F.
- The cooking oil will be hot and safety is important. This is why it's important to use a heavy bottom pot, like a cast iron Dutch oven. Also, when dropping the chicken into the pot of hot oil, use a spatula or tongs so that the liquid doesn't splash out.
Can I make this without deep frying?
Yes, you can bake it in the oven. Coat the chicken in the batter and bake it in the oven at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until it's crispy. I recommend flipping the chicken halfway through. The steps to make the orange sauce will remain the same. The baked chicken can be tossed with the orange sauce and served.
Can I use an air fryer instead?
Yes, you can. Coat the chicken in the batter and place it in the air fryer and cook at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through. Give the air fryer basket a shake halfway through. Once the crispy chicken is cooked it can be tossed with the orange chicken sauce made in a pot on the stove and served.
How Do I Discard The Frying Oil?
Cooking oil can be discarded in your compost bin. Once completely cooled, add paper towels to the leftover vegetable oil to absorb the liquid. These paper towels can be added straight to the compost bin or garbage.
How to store leftovers
- Refrigerate - Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- To freeze - Add all the ingredients to a ziploc freezer bag, seal tightly, and store in the freezer.
- To reheat - When ready to use, let thaw if frozen, then reheat in the microwave or on low in a frying pan. You can also reheat in the air fryer at 400°F. Cook until warmed through. It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Toss them halfway through.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links) - Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Ninja Knife Set - This knife set is perfect for a recipe like this, and it comes with a built-in foolproof sharpener. Comes with a stainless steel chef knife, boning knife, steak knife, paring knife, bread knife, santoku knife, shears.
- Mixing Bowls - Each of these three stackable bowls are used often in our kitchen. They're easy to grip and pour, the silicone ring on the bottom keeps them from slipping, and they're quite durable.
- Whisk - This 9 inch better wire OXO whisk has non slip handle, and it's dishwasher safe.
- Tongs Set - These tongs are great for placing and removing meat from a deep fryer as I did with this recipe. They're also great for salad and bbq's.
- Spatula - This wood and silicone 8-piece kitchen utensils set is so handy for a variety of recipes in my kitchen. I prefer silicone to avoid scratching my pots or other surfaces.
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Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For The Chicken
- 4 boneless chicken breasts - chopped to bite-size chunks
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- cooking oil for frying
For The Sauce
- 1 cup orange juice
- ½ cup honey
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ Tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Chop 4 boneless chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks. Zest the outside of 1 orange to get 1 Tbsp of orange zest. Juice 2-3 oranges (or use store bought orange juice).
- In one bowl, beat 3 eggs. In a separate bowl, mix together the ⅓ cup cornstarch, ⅓ cup all purpose flour, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Coat a handful of the chicken bites in the egg mixture, then toss with the flour/cornstarch mixture. Shake off any excess and place coated chicken on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the chicken until it's all coated.
- Pour 2 to 3 inches of cooking oil into a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Use a thermometer to check when it reaches 350°F.Add the chicken in smaller batches and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it turns golden brown and crispy on the outside. Add the cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
- Mix together ½ Tbsp of cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of warm water.
- In a medium saucepan, heat together the sauce ingredients: 1 cup orange juice, ½ cup honey, 2 Tbsp white vinegar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp orange zest, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp ginger powder, ½ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes and ½ Tbsp cornstarch mixture from step 4. Gently stir until sauce has thickened. This will only take 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken bites to a large bowl. Pour the sauce overtop and mix together.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and chopped green onions if desired. Serve with rice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- This recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- When ready to use, let thaw if frozen, then reheat in the microwave or on low in a frying pan. You can also reheat in the air fryer at 400°F. Cook until warmed through. It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Toss them halfway through.
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
Nikki F. says
Thanks for this recipe, my family thought it was great! I doubled the sauce, so we had enough to serve over rice. I baked mine, skipping the egg wash before a light dip in my flour mix. Turned out GREAT
Zel says
I just got done cooking this recipe, It's so yummy ? my son loves it and my mom ? ? ☺️ Thank you so much for the recipes ❤️
MamaWolf says
I followed all the instructions but why is my sauce so runny, it is still like liquid?
Andi says
Hmm, did you add the cornstarch? That's the only thing I can think of for the reason. Adding a bit more cornstarch next time to get a thicker consistency may also help.
Mary Spence says
Orange chicken is one of my husband's favorite dishes. On my first try of this recipe, my husband declared, "I'll never order orange chicken take-out again." High praise indeed! Mary
Barbara says
I tried this tonight. Was delicious!!! Very easy to make. Will definitely be adding this to my list. Thank you for sharing.
Dan says
You mention you like to marinate the chicken 6 to 12 hours but the actual instructions do not mention marinating. So what are you marinating the chicken in.
Andi says
Marinating chicken is just an optional step. It can help to tenderize and add more flavor to the chicken, but the chicken still tastes great without this step. My marinade recipes that can be used for chicken are here: https://andianne.com/six-healthy-chicken-marinade-recipes-for-easy-dinners/