OMG. This Easy Orange Chicken recipe is, without a doubt, STILL one of my all-time favorite take-out fake-out recipes I’ve ever shared on the blog! (I’m so happy I finally gave this recipe a try all the way back in 2017 😉 I’ve never looked back since!) The chicken pieces are tender, juicy, and lightly breaded, and the sauce is sweet, tangy, and spicy, with a whoosh of fresh orangey citrus flavor. It’s absolutely perfect and SO fast and easy!
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
“This is the best orange chicken I’ve ever eaten! I love how natural tasting it is, not like the gloppy, neon, super-sugary kind at restaurants. This is so fresh and delicious!”
Tom
Easy Orange Chicken Recipe
Orange chicken is a Chinese American dish with juicy chunks of crispy fried chicken drenched in a simple orange chili glaze. The sauce is sweet, tangy, salty, and savory, hitting all of the best flavors at once! My orange chicken recipe is the perfect dupe, but I’ve modified it a bit to make it easier for home kitchens.
I really don’t like deep-fried food, but I can’t deny that a little bit of fried flavor helps dishes like this feel more authentic (and by “authentic,” I mean tasting like your local take-out joint). So, for this recipe, I use the same pan-fry method as I do in my easy sesame chicken. I coat the chicken pieces in a thin cornstarch and egg batter, then fry them with a small amount of oil in a skillet until golden brown. This batter and pan-fry method gives the sauce something to grab onto and really helps flavor the chicken. It’s easy, delicious, and less messy!
Easy Orange Chicken
Servings 4Ingredients
Orange Sauce
- 1 large orange ($0.70)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.15)
- 1.5 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.05)
- 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar* ($0.06)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger ($0.10)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.04)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.03)
Stir Fried Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.3 lbs.)** ($4.64)
- 1 large egg ($0.67)
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.12)
- 1 pinch salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil*** ($0.08)
- 4 cups cooked rice ($0.97)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.20)
Instructions
- Remove the zest from the orange using a zester or small-holed cheese grater, then squeeze the juice from the orange. You’ll need about 1 tsp zest and 1/2 cup juice. In a small bowl, combine the juice and 1 tsp zest with the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, grated ginger, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch. Whisk the ingredients together until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Set the sauce to the side.
- Use a sharp knife to remove any excess fat from the chicken thighs, then cut them into small 3/4-inch pieces.
- Combine the egg, 2 Tbsp cornstarch, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and frothy. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat them in the egg mixture.
- Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the chicken, making sure all the pieces are touching the surface and not piled on top of one another. Let the pieces cook until they are golden brown on the bottom.
- Flip the chicken pieces, breaking them apart from one another as you turn them. Let them cook until golden brown on the second side and cooked through (about 5-7 minutes total cooking). Transfer the cooked chicken to a separate plate.
- Pour the prepared orange sauce into the same skillet and turn the heat down to medium-low. Give the sauce a stir and allow it to come up to a simmer, at which point it will start to thicken and turn glossy. Continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken pieces back into the skillet and stir to coat the chicken with the sauce. Heat for 1 more minute.
- Serve the chicken and sauce with cooked rice and garnish with sliced green onions and any leftover orange zest.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Orange Chicken Step-by-Step Photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Make the orange sauce: Begin by making the orange sauce so that it’s ready to go when you need it. Zest one large orange, then squeeze as much juice out of it as you can. You’ll need about 1 tsp zest and 1/2 cup juice.
Combine the orange juice and orange zest in a small sauce pot with 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch. Whisk them all together until the cornstarch is fully dissolved and set aside.
Cut the chicken: Trim any excess fat from four boneless, skinless chicken thighs, then cut them into 3/4-inch pieces. This was about 1.33 pounds of chicken.
Make the cornstarch mixture: Whisk together one large egg, 2 Tbsp cornstarch, and a pinch of salt and pepper until it’s light and frothy. The mixture may seem dry at first, but the cornstarch will begin to melt into the moisture from the egg.
Coat the chicken: Add the chicken pieces and toss them until they’re coated in the egg mixture.
Cook the chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, then add 2 Tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the skillet. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet so that they are in a single layer and not piled on top one another. Let them cook until golden brown on the bottom, then begin to turn the chicken pieces, breaking them apart from one another as you flip.
Let the chicken cook on the second side until golden as well and the pieces are cooked through. Try not to stir the chicken too much to avoid the batter falling off. Total cooking time should be about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a separate plate.
Simmer the sauce: Add the prepared orange sauce to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in. Turn the heat down to medium low and stir the sauce. Let it come to a simmer, at which point it will start to thicken and turn glossy. Continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Coat the chicken: Return the cooked chicken pieces to the skillet with the sauce.
Stir to coat the chicken in the sauce and heat for 1 more minute. Garnish the chicken with sliced green onions and any leftover orange zest (that orange zest on top really makes the orange flavor POP! ✨) Serve with the cooked rice, and enjoy!
Helpful Tips for Orange Chicken
Some people have had trouble with the battered pan fry method, so I want to give you a couple of tips here:
- Make sure your skillet is nice and hot. If it’s too cool the egg batter will slide off the chicken and turn into scrambled eggs in your skillet.
- Don’t stir the chicken too much while it cooks. After adding the chicken to your skillet, don’t touch it until it’s golden on the bottom, then flip, and cook again. Stirring too much can knock the cooked batter off the chicken, leaving you again with separate cooked eggs and chicken.
- If you’re a beginner, use a non-stick skillet. If you prefer to use stainless steel, let the skillet heat up before adding the oil. This helps prevent the egg from sticking.
This cornstarch-egg frying method gives the chicken pieces just a touch of breading and fried flavor while leaving the dish tasting light and fresh. IMHO, it’s absolutely perfect.
Serving Suggestions
When I serve this homemade orange chicken, I like to pair it with jasmine rice for an easy yet delicious meal. However, I think my coconut rice would be an amazingly flavorful alternative to plain rice! This sesame cucumber salad is another favorite of mine because it’s light, crunchy, and packed with flavor. For something a little extra, I’d make my sesame roasted green beans or our fresh kimchi spring rolls and add them to my plate, too!
Storage & Reheating
Once cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I normally reheat any leftovers in the microwave until fully heated through. You can also try freezing the chicken and sauce for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Take-Out Recipes
Our Easy Orange Chicken recipe was originally published 2/23/17. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 3/21/25.
Excellent. My husband and kids asked me to make it again. Yup – sure will!
Just want to comment and let everyone know that you can air fry this! I did 16-20 minutes at 400°F tossing halfway through. Doctored the sauce to my liking. Delicious!
Thank you!
Terrific orange chicken recipe! The sauce tasted amazing and the egg coating gave the chicken a great texture. Only thing I would do different next time is double the sauce mixture so there’s some spare sauce to pour over the rice :)
I like being able to make my own healthy meals. I didn’t care for this orange sauce recipe. Instead I used other dipping sauces. Will make the chicken again.
We both loved this dinner. I liked that it was gluten free so hubby could enjoy it, too. I used liquid aminos as a substitute for the soy sauce, so I might cut back a smidge because the sauce was a little heavy on the salty/soy sauce tasting side (just my preference, nothing against the recipe). Thanks for sharing :)
Forgot to add stars. Love it!!
Love it!
Awful, sauce was gross!!!
Love this recipe!! Very easy to make and everyone loved it!!! After making it the first time, the only thing I omitted was the red pepper flakes and two of the kiddo’s said it was too spicy LOL.. It is still very good!!!
Great recipe! My family loves this dish every time.
Just made this unexpectedly. I typically get the frozen orange chicken they sell at costco and have been needing to make my own. this turned out much better. Somewhat more work than cooking the frozen chicken in the stove and microwaving the sauce however it was justified, despite any trouble.
Delicious.
It even works perfectly with cauliflower instead of chicken. Just double the egg and cornstarch batter. Absolutely wonderful. People-ask-for-the-recipe level good.
I read other comments about rice amounts. I cook 1 cup of uncooked brown rice for 2 people. It’s just enough for 2 hungry adults.
I made this tonight for dinner and paired it with Beth’s vegetable fried rice. The orange chicken is absolutely delicious and very easy to make. I didn’t have rice vinegar, so I used apple cider vinegar instead. This meal is going into the meal rotation. Beth, thanks for helping me become a better cook during quarantine. I’m guilty of gaining the COVID-19. absolutely delicious and ver
Loved this! Very similar to Sesame Chicken, which is one of my all-time favorites – we eat it at least once a week. This has more of a zesty, tangy flavor, as well as a surprising amount of kick from the red pepper. Unfortunately, I have to leave the garlic out of both, since my husband is allergic to it – this significantly changes the flavor, but it’s still delicious. I’m looking forward to making this again and again!
Anyone try this in an air fryer yet? Probably a little drippy, but I wonder if it would work?