Orange Chicken Recipe (2024)

byBeth Le Manach

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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!

Orange Chicken Recipe (1)

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

Orange Chicken Recipe (2)

Watch My Video Demo of This Recipe Below!

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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.

Orange Chicken Recipe (3)

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.

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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.

Orange Chicken Recipe (5)

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.

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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.

Orange Chicken Recipe (7)

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.

Orange Chicken Recipe (8)

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!

Orange Chicken Recipe (9)

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 (10)

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

  1. Slice chicken into bite sized pieces and toss in the corn starch.
  2. Then prepare the sauce. In a small bowl combine all ingredients and stir.
  3. Then in a wok or large pan heat the oil until shimmering. Place in chicken in batches browning on all sides, and cooking through.
  4. Add sauce over chicken and simmer until sauce thickens.
  5. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, scallions and garnish with a sliced mandarin orange wheel.
  6. 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: 4Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 225Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 385mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 12gProtein: 4g

Orange Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is orange chicken sauce made of? ›

How to make the orange chicken sauce. The orange sauce is made from a mixture of the orange juice and zest, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar. This is bubbled up in the wok until slightly thickened. The chicken is then added back in, and tossed in the sauce until fully coated.

What is Panda Express orange chicken made of? ›

Ingredients: dark meat chicken, water, sugar, distilled vinegar, modified food starch, corn starch, potato starch, contains less than 2% of: wheat, orange extract, caramel color, salt, garlic, phosphoric acid, rice wine, sesame oil. *The dish uses a proprietary batter and sauce.

How to thicken up orange chicken sauce? ›

To thicken the sauce, pour it into a small saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water to make a cornstarch slurry. Once the sauce starts to bubble in the pan on the stovetop, add the cornstarch slurry and stir to combine.

What is the difference between General Tso and orange chicken? ›

Compared to General Tso's, orange chicken usually has a lighter-colored sweet, sour, savory glaze. It's not as spicy-hot because dried red chiles aren't as common or used as heavily in this dish. All recipes ask for orange in some form — juice, zest, dried peel, or a combination thereof.

What is the Chinese version of orange chicken? ›

In Chinese, this dish is known as "陳皮雞", literally "dried citrus peel chicken", referring to dried orange or tangerine peel. However, the taste and recipes of this dish differ due to cultural and geographical factors.

Why is orange chicken so sweet? ›

Fat adds a lot of flavor and Chinese restaurants began to adapt chicken recipes to involve deep frying each piece of meaet. With added sugar and corn starch to help thicken and sweeten Chinese sauces, dishes such as General Tso's Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken and, of course, Orange Chicken became very popular.

What is the difference between orange chicken and tangerine chicken? ›

While tangerine chicken is made with pieces of chicken that are stir fried in a tangerine spicy sauce, the chicken in orange chicken is breaded just like General Tso's chicken, and tossed in a sweet orange chili sauce.

What is the orange sauce at Chinese restaurants? ›

Duck sauce (or orange sauce) is a condiment with a sweet and sour flavor and a translucent orange appearance similar to a thin jelly. Offered at American Chinese restaurants, it is used as a dip for deep-fried dishes such as wonton strips, spring rolls, egg rolls, duck, chicken, fish, or with rice or noodles.

What cooking oil does Panda Express use? ›

Panda Express uses only 100% pure soybean oil in the preparation of recipes.

What do Asians use to thicken sauce? ›

Many Chinese recipes call for corn starch to be added to a sauce in the final stages of cooking.

How do you make orange chicken crispy again? ›

Using the oven is a good way to reheat orange chicken and keep it crispy. Place your chicken in an ovenproof dish and set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake until the chicken is heated through, usually 15–20 minutes. This method might take longer than the microwave, but it tends to keep the chicken more crispy.

What are the basic Chinese sauces? ›

THE ESSENTIAL CHINESE SAUCES THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR COOKING
  • Char Siu Sauce. ...
  • Teriyaki Sauce. ...
  • Chu Hou Paste. ...
  • Black Bean Garlic Sauce. ...
  • Plum Sauce. ...
  • Soy Bean Sauce. ...
  • Black Pepper Sauce.
May 18, 2021

What is closest to orange chicken? ›

Sesame Chicken, General Tso, and Orange Chicken look quite similar and share some common ingredients, which can make it difficult for some to choose between them. Chicken: Each dish uses chunks of boneless chicken meat (usually thigh).

What dish is similar to orange chicken? ›

Similar to general Tso's chicken, orange chicken uses the same crispy chicken, just with a different sauce. The combination of sweet and savory made it a hit. And the crunchy chicken makes it a perfect companion to just about any rice or noodles.

Is sweet and sour chicken the same as orange chicken? ›

Orange chicken's flavors focus on the tang of oranges, which is complemented by spices like dried red chili flakes or chili sauce for a little kick. Sweet and Sour Chicken can be spicier, with chili paste or extra spices added for a stronger taste.

Is orange sauce the same as sweet and sour? ›

Orange Sauce adds that sweet-and-sour flavor that is famous in Chinese takeout dishes. It is like sweet and sour sauce, but instead of using pineapple juice, this sauce only has orange juice. It is easy to make, versatile and it can be added to chicken, beef, and vegetable stir-fries.

What is Mandarin sauce made of? ›

Preparation. Combine mandarin orange juice, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and chili flakes in a sauce pot.

Why is homemade sauce orange? ›

Steam injectors have the tendency to turn tomato-based products orange because of over-processing and excessive aeration of the tomato ingredients during cooking. Similar results are often seen with a steam-jacketed kettle.

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