Orange Chicken

What are your favorite Chinese food indulgences? Sticky-sweet orange chicken tops our list. What’s not to love about fried chicken pieces coated in a rich sauce and served over rice? Fantastic news for fans of this dish: It takes just 25 minutes to whip up our homemade orange chicken recipe. It’s seriously one of the best Chinese food recipes that tastes better than takeout.

This Chinese restaurant staple features tender pieces of fried chicken coated in a sauce made with fresh orange juice, soy sauce, aromatics, and red pepper flakes for a little heat. The addition of brown sugar makes the sauce thick and sticky enough to cover every last bite of chicken. Diced scallions and sesame seeds add more flavor, color and crunchy texture to the dish.

Orange chicken is often confused with General Tso’s chicken, which is quite similar, but there are some differences. Orange chicken is an adaptation of General Tso’s chicken that’s more sweet and tangy than spicy. General Tso’s often contains whole dried chiles, so it has more of a kick. Fun fact: The restaurant chain Panda Express takes credit for inventing orange chicken in 1987, basing the recipe on General Tso’s. Either is perfect on a pile of fluffy rice with steamed vegetables on the side.

How to Make Orange Chicken

Orange chicken is a pretty simple recipe with only a few steps. The key is having everything ready before you start, including a coating station for the chicken and all your sauce ingredients.

• Coat the chicken: Dip sliced chicken breast pieces in flour, egg and flour again.
• Fry the chicken: Quickly fry the chicken pieces until golden brown. If the thought of deep-frying at home is intimidating, don’t worry—the chicken pieces are so small that they fry up in just minutes. If desired, you can bake the chicken instead.
• Simmer the sauce: Create a quick sauce on the stove. It includes orange juice, soy sauce, garlic and fresh ginger. The sauce is ready in less than 10 minutes.
• Combine the chicken and sauce: Toss the chicken and orange sauce, then serve it over hot, cooked rice.

Ingredients for Orange Chicken

• Egg: You’ll dip the floured chicken pieces into egg whisked with water. This helps the second flour-cornstarch coating adhere to the chicken for frying.
• Dredging ingredients: A mixture of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper coats the chicken before and after an egg dip. This creates a tasty, golden-brown exterior when fried.
• Boneless chicken breast: Quick-cooking cubed chicken breast drastically reduces the cooking time, which means the meal is ready in a jiffy.
• Cooking oil: The best oils for frying have a high smoke point. Good choices include canola, avocado and soybean oil.
• Sauce ingredients: Create the sauce with orange juice and zest, brown sugar, reduced-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar (a common Asian condiment that’s useful for many recipes), lemon juice, green onions, fresh minced garlic, sesame oil, minced fresh gingerroot, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. You’ll need a bit of cornstarch and water to thicken the sauce as it simmers.
• Extras: Serve the orange chicken on hot cooked rice, topped with sliced green onions and sesame seeds for added crunch and flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Coat the chicken

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In a small shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and water. In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper.

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Dip the chicken pieces in flour to coat both sides. Shake off the excess.

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Dip the pieces into the egg, and then into the flour again. Transfer the coated chicken pieces to a plate.

Step 2: Fry the chicken

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In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 350°F. Working in batches, fry the chicken pieces until golden brown, three to four minutes on each side. Drain the pieces on paper towels. Continue until you’ve cooked all of the chicken.

Editor’s Tip: It’s important to keep the oil to temperature, so you don’t get soggy, undercooked or overly oily chicken. Use a deep-fry thermometer to check the oil temperature between batches. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the oil at 350°.

Step 3: Make the sauce

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In a large skillet over medium-high heat, whisk the orange juice and zest, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of diced green onions, minced garlic, sesame oil, minced ginger, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for four to five minutes.

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In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth. Add it to the pan and bring the sauce to a boil. Cook and stir until the sauce is thickened, one to two minutes.

Step 4: Combine the chicken and sauce

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Add the fried chicken to the pan and toss it in the sauce to coat and heat through.

Step 5: Garnish and serve

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Serve the fried chicken over rice, topping each dish with diced scallions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Editor’s Tip: For a nuttier flavor and some crunch, briefly toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they’re fragrant and just beginning to brown.

Orange Chicken Variations

• Try a beef version: Instead of chicken, use thin strips of flank steak or sirloin coated in the flour mixture and fried until crisp. Learn how to cut steak the right way for tender meat.
• Make it spicier: This recipe has a little spiciness from red pepper flakes, but you can make it more like General Tso’s chicken and turn up the heat by sauteing dried or fresh red chili peppers and then simmering them with the sauce ingredients.
• Add vegetables: Stir-fry vegetables to toss with the chicken and orange sauce, such as sliced bell peppers, sliced onions, water chestnuts, broccoli or thin strips of carrot. Prep the vegetables yourself or use a frozen stir-fry vegetable mix to save time.

How to Store Orange Chicken

We highly doubt any orange chicken will be left uneaten—it’s just so good. However, if you have leftovers, seal orange chicken in an airtight food storage container in the fridge. Store the cooked rice separately.

How long does orange chicken last?

Orange chicken lasts three to four days in the fridge. Keep it tightly wrapped or covered so the chicken and sauce don’t dry out. Cooked rice doesn’t last long.

How do you reheat orange chicken?

You may find that after being refrigerated, the chicken pieces have soaked up some of the sauce. Don’t worry, they’re still delicious. Gently reheat the orange chicken in a covered skillet set over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Warm the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes until heated through. You can also microwave leftovers. Cook in 30-second bursts, stirring after each until the chicken warms through.

Can you make orange chicken ahead of time?

Orange chicken tastes best when served immediately after cooking. However, you can make the sauce in advance to help save time making the final dish. Prepare the sauce ingredients, except for the cornstarch and water, and simmer them together as directed above. Let the sauce cool, then store it in a sealed dish in the fridge for up to three days. When you’re ready to make the recipe, heat the sauce on the stovetop and add the cornstarch-water mixture to thicken it.

Orange Chicken Tips

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How can you tell when the chicken is done cooking?

The easiest way to be sure your chicken is done is to test-fry a piece; when it’s browned on the outside, remove it and cut it in half. There should be no pink left in the middle. (Or check it with a digital thermometer—the internal temperature of cooked chicken should be 165°.) As you fry the pieces, check the oil temperature often and keep it at 350° to ensure that the chicken cooks through without burning.

How do you make gluten-free orange chicken?

You can easily make gluten-free orange chicken. In the chicken coating, substitute a general-purpose gluten-free flour blend (homemade or store-bought) for regular flour. Soy sauce and rice wine vinegar often contain gluten, so look for gluten-free on the label.

Can you bake orange chicken instead of frying it?

Yes! Once you coat the chicken pieces in the flour-cornstarch mixture, arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush or spray the pieces with cooking oil. Bake them at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping them over about halfway through, until thoroughly cooked. Then, toss them in the orange sauce.

What can you serve with orange chicken?

The traditional accompaniment to orange chicken is white rice, which soaks up that sticky sauce. It’s also very good with fried rice, brown rice or lo mein noodles. Pair the dish with veggies like steamed broccoli, stir-fried sweet peppers or green beans. If you’ve been dying to try the viral cucumber salad, this is a great meal to enjoy it with.