Orange Chicken Recipe
SHARE THIS RECIPE!
Learn how to make Orange Chicken at home! This is a quick and easy version of the kind of orange chicken you get at restaurants, but way better than takeout!
It’s SO easy and SO good! Kids go nuts for this one, so if you have picky eaters, tired of all your usual chicken recipes, try this one on them and watch them ask for seconds!
Make it a Menu
- Kick things off with some Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp or Homemade Potstickers
- Serve this recipe alongside my Easy Shrimp Stir Fry to create a larger meal with some variety
- For dessert try my Coconut Pound Cake with Syrupy Mangoes
Watch My Video Demo of This Recipe Below!
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more recipe videos!
Step#1: Prep the Chicken
- For this recipe, it’s best to use chicken tenderloins. They will be easier to cut into bite-sized pieces and they are more tender too!
- This will keep your chicken moist and juicy under the heat of the cooking.
- Another thing that locks in the juiciness is dusting the chicken with cornstarch before frying.
- The cornstarch protects the chicken as it cooks and also will help to thicken the sauce too.
The Benefits of a Wok
- A few years ago I treated myself to a wok pan and I must say it makes serving this for a crowd a lot easier!
- It always amazes me how much food a wok pan can hold!
- I also think it cooks the food faster too. It makes this recipe much easier to put together quickly as well.
Step#2: Cook The Chicken in Batches
- The best part of orange chicken is its crunchy exterior, for this reason, it’s best to cook the chicken in batches.
- It helps to add more oil in between batches to keep the crispy exteriors going.
- It’s not necessary that it’s cooked all the way through at this stage, it will continue cooking once it’s tossed with the sauce.
- It’s more important to get a nice sear on it and then set it aside.
Step#3: Making the Orange Chicken Sauce
- The orange chicken sauce comes together in a snap and is so delicious and flavorful.
- To give it even more flavor and orange punch, swap the honey for orange marmalade. It adds so much orange flavor!
- In a small bowl, you’ll combine, soy sauce, chili paste, honey (or even better orange marmalade!) garlic, rice wine vinegar, orange zest, and orange juice, some toasted sesame oil just whisk this sauce up and then add it to the chicken once it’s cooked.
Step#4: Combine the Chicken with the Sauce
- Once your sauce is all ready to go, add the chicken back in your wok, and add the sauce.
- Continue to cook the chicken until the interior is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Creating a Syrupy Consistency to the Sauce
- Keep cooking until the sauce has reduced and is coating the chicken in a thick syrup.
- This will create the best consistency for your sauce. The secret ingredient here is the cornstarch used to coat the chicken before browning.
- Once it combines with the liquid and reaches a high temperature it will react and will thicken.
Step#5: Garnish and Serve
- I like to slice the green onions on the diagonal to create a pretty fresh garnish on top along with some sesame seeds and a slice of mandarin orange.
- Serve with your favorite rice or quinoa!
More Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas!
- One-Pot Chicken and Potatoes
- Rosemary Lemon Sheet Pan Chicken with veggies
- Pasta with Sausage and Baby Broccoli
- Italian Sausage with Peppers
Please let me know if you make this recipe
by leaving a rating and review below!
Orange Chicken Recipe
Yield:
serves 4-6
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
20 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
This orange chicken recipe is quick and easy and delicious! A great alternative to take-out!
Ingredients
For Chicken
- 2lbs (900g) Chicken Tenders
- 1/3 cup (35 g) cornstarch
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
For the sauce:
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey or 1 tbsp (15 ml) of Orange marmalade
- 1 tsp (5 ml) Sambal Chili Paste
- 1 tsp (5 ml) rice wine vinegar
- 1 1⁄2 tsp (7.5 ml) orange zest
- 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp (5 ml) ginger, minced
- 1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) cornstarch
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) water
Garnish:
- 1 Scallion, sliced on the diagonal
- Sesame seeds
- Sliced mandarin orange wheel
Instructions
- Slice chicken into bite sized pieces and toss in the corn starch.
- Then prepare the sauce. In a small bowl combine all ingredients and stir.
- Then in a wok or large pan heat the oil until shimmering. Place in chicken in batches browning on all sides, and cooking through.
- Add sauce over chicken and simmer until sauce thickens.
- Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, scallions and garnish with a sliced mandarin orange wheel.
- Serve with white rice and enjoy!
Notes
Be sure to use the cornstarch and not flour to coat the chicken. The cornstarch thickens the sauce quicker and easier!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 385mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 12gProtein: 4g
I made the orange chicken this evening and although it was very tasty my version tasted more of the soy sauce and not much or an orange flavor. I used blood oranges because that’s what I had on hand and honey as I didn’t have organe marmelade. Could te blood orange juice (and zest) make it taste less of orange and more of soy sauce? I followed the recipe exactly otherwise. It looked beautiful but I would like to try for more of an orange flavor. PS The pan was a job to clean after browsing the chicken! And because it didn’t look like I wanted to put the browned chicken into the same pan much less the sauce, I used a different pas.
Yes the blood oranges are more tart and won’t impart that nice orange flavor, but truth be told the real orange flavor comes from the orange marmalade, it’s the BEST! Try that next time! And yes the pan does get a work out, but I just add a little more oil as I go so it doesn’t become too bad 🙂
Dear Beth,
Thank you for this gem! WE LOVED your recipe! And you’re right –this is way better than takeout!
As always, your special guidance is SOOOOO helpful – our results actually tasted and looked the way it should! Phew!
We also made with shrimp for non-chicken eaters! Was a HUGE hit too!
Thank YOU! You are THE best!
YAY!! I’m so glad it was a family hit! Those are the BEST kind of nights! Ha! And love the idea of the shrimp! That’s a great idea! 🙂 Woot woot!
I made this last night and it was so delicious. Instead of rice I served it with zucchini noodles but I am sure it must be amazing with rice to soak up that sauce ! It will definitely be a weeknight meal I will make on the regular 🙂
I’m so glad it was such a hit! 🙂
Gｒeat website. Plenty οf useful іnformation hеre.
Ι am sending іt tߋ several buddies ans ɑlso sharing in delicious.
Ꭺnd of ϲourse, thanks in yoᥙr sweat!
Hi….many thanks for awesome mouthwatering dish..I will try this stunning recipe….Stay always the Icon of Elegance and Perfection in every Field…
Small mistake in the conversions: two pounds of chicken tenders is listed as 90 grams instead of 900.
Looks good though !
Thank you! I just fixed that 🙂
Awesome stunning recipe..saved and posted to my social accounts
I made the orange chicken for dinner last night and my family loved it! I had to use gluten free soy sauce, my daughter is celiac, as she was eating dinner she said “Mom this can’t be gluten free! It tastes so good”.
Aww LOVE THAT! I’m so glad to hear it was a hit! 🙂 This dinner is always a hit at our house too 🙂 Yay!
It was a hit at my house!! Great dish
YAY! So glad it was a hit! 🙂