Bring home the best of Chinese Orange Chicken to go! This recipe is packed with sweet citrus flavors, sesame seeds, and scallions. It’s surprisingly easy to make. All you need is a large skillet. And don’t skip the orange peel in the sauce – it’s the most important piece!
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When I order Chinese takeout, you better believe there’s at least one order of orange chicken in the bag! I love this lightly fried chicken coated in a sweet citrus sauce – and it’s actually one of the easier Chinese-American takeout dishes to make at home!
What is Orange Chicken?
Orange Chicken is one of many iterations of Chinese take-out dishes that involve tossing fried pieces of chicken with sauce. In this case, the sauce is a mixture of Soy sauce, water, and orange juice, plus some cornstarch thickener to make the sauce just thick enough to coat the chicken.
However, the key to adding great orange flavor to the sauce isn’t just the orange juice; it is the orange citrus zest, So don’t skip this ingredient!
The best chicken for Orange Chicken
There is no particular chicken cut that works better than any other. Personally, I like boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they’re inexpensive and stay a little juicier than chicken breasts. But you can use chicken breast if you prefer.
HOT TIP! You can also use chicken wings for this recipe! Just fry them for about 12 minutes or bake them for 45 minutes until cooked through before tossing them in the sauce.
What to serve with orange chicken
I keep it simple for serving for this dish. Plain white rice is best topped with large sprinklings of fresh spring onion and sesame seeds. For a low-carb alternative, serve the orange chicken on a bed of baby arugula or cauliflower rice with chopped cucumber and grated carrots.
Proposals and Substitutions
To make a veggie version of this orange chicken, I recommend using tofu. Be sure to squeeze the tofu to remove as much liquid as possible, then mix the tofu with the egg and cornstarch mixture just like you would with the chicken.
Make-Ahead Tips for Orange Chicken
You can prep the chicken well in advance and fry it if you like. Then just cook the garlic, shallot and sauce and toss in the cooked roast chicken. Keep turning the orange chicken until the chicken is warmed through and you’re good to go!
How to store and freeze orange chicken
This orange chicken will keep in the fridge for five days. Heat in a small pan over low heat and add a splash of water to loosen the sauce a bit.
You can freeze orange chicken for up to three months. If you do, thaw before reheating in the pan so the chicken pieces separate easily.
More Chinese recipes to take home
- Easy Chicken Lo Mein
- Chinese chicken and mushroom stir-fry
- Chicken Sweet-sour
- Fried rice with chicken
- Sous Vide Sesame Chicken
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Check out this Chinese Orange Chicken Recipe
Chinese Orange Chicken
ingredients
For the orange sauce:
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citrus peel from 1 orange
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1/4 Cup orange juice
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1/4 Cup soy sauce
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1/4 Cup water
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1/3 Cup rice vinegar
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1 tablespoon cornstarch
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1 tablespoon sesame oil
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1/2 Cup sugar
For the chicken:
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1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
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2 big eggs
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1 teaspoon Salt
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1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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1/2 Cup cornstarch
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1/2 Cup all purpose flour
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2 cups vegetable oilto fry
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2 cloves garlicchopped
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1 big shallotchopped
To garnish and serve:
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cut spring onions, garnish
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Sesame seeds, garnish
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Boiled white rice, serve
method
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Make the orange sauce:
Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Put aside.
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Prepare the chicken:
Cut chicken into approximately 1-inch cubes. Whisk eggs with salt and black pepper in a bowl and add chicken. stir together.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and cornstarch. Remove chicken from eggs with a slotted spoon or tongs, drain excess egg, then add to cornstarch mixture and coat well.
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Roast the chicken:
Pour oil into a large 10- to 12-inch skillet. Heat over medium heat until it reaches 350 ̊F. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can also test the temperature by sprinkling in some flour and it should bubble up immediately.
Once the oil is hot, fry the chicken in two batches. The oil may not completely coat the chicken – that’s okay. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 to 4 more minutes. The total cooking time is about 6-8 minutes.
Remove the fried chicken cubes and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain the chicken. Repeat until all chicken is cooked.
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Simmer the chicken in the sauce:
When chicken is done, pour out hot oil and wipe pan clean. Add a fresh tablespoon of oil along with minced garlic and shallot. Cook for a minute and then add the sauce. Let the sauce simmer until it starts to thicken.
Once the sauce is slightly bubbling, add the fried chicken and mix to coat. The sauce should continue to thicken and stick to the chicken. Let simmer for another minute or two. Serve orange chicken on cooked white rice, topped with sesame seeds and fresh spring onions.
LEFTOVERS! The Orange Chicken keeps well in the fridge for 5 days. Warm in a pan with a splash of water over low heat. Freeze the orange chicken for up to 3 months, but thaw before reheating to prevent the chicken from clumping up.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 687 | calories |
| 36g | Fat |
| 47g | carbohydrates |
| 46g | protein |
