The BEST Easy Orange Chicken Recipe (Prepped In 10 Minutes)

This orange chicken recipe is incredibly quick and easy to make, and it's just so, so flavorful. Crispy, tender, and juicy pieces of chicken are combined with a sweet and tangy orange sauce to make a dish that's to die for. What's even better is that this homemade orange chicken takes just 10 minutes to prep, and all you'll need to follow is a few simple steps to make it.

The Best Orange Chicken

Orange chicken is hands down my favorite thing to order when my family and I get Chinese takeout. I mean, it's got the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and slightly tangy flavors, and I just love how the orange sauce soaks into the crispy fried chicken.

Gah, it's so good! Honestly, just talking about it is making me hungry for it. And I know I'm biased, but I truly think this homemade orange chicken is better than anything you can order for takeout.

I mean, this recipe takes tender pieces of chicken and coats them in a perfect combination of dry ingredients that, when fried, turn into yummy pieces of golden brown deliciousness. Plus, the sweet and tangy orange sauce the chicken is cooked in is insanely flavorful. It has just the right amount of sweet orange juice, spicy red chili flakes, and savory soy sauce. The combination of the two is just a match made in heaven.

In addition to tasting incredible, this orange chicken recipe also happens to be so, so easy to put together. As I mentioned, less than a handful of simple steps are all you'll need to follow to put it together, and honestly it's ready in no time.

By the way, since the orange chicken comes together so quickly, you'll have plenty of time to whip together some awesome sides to go with it. I really love pairing these Chinese green beans or these potato mochi to go along with it.

With that said though, sometimes I just keep things simple and make a little white or brown rice to pair with it. The rice makes a fantastic vessel to soak up some of the extra sauce.

Ingredients

Another thing to love about this orange chicken is that it's made with just a few simple ingredients. In fact, you might have almost everything you need to make this easy dinner recipe on hand already!

Anyway, here's what you'll need for the chicken:

• 1 lb. skinless and boneless chicken breasts
• 2 small eggs
• ¼ cup flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• Cooked rice, for serving
• Salt, to taste

And here's what you'll need for the orange sauce:

• ¾ cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
• ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
• ¾ tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

See, pretty simple, right?!

By the way, if you subtract the freshly squeezed orange juice from this recipe, then you basically have everything you need to make this Empress chicken. So, if you love Chinese food, you'll definitely want to check that recipe out next!

Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

While I recommend making this orange chicken with the ingredients listed above, there are some ways you can put your own spin on it and possibly save yourself a trip to the store as well.

With that said, I'll go over some of my favorite ideas to try below.

Use Brown Sugar Instead Of White Sugar

Of course, this recipe calls for white sugar since it adds a subtle sweetness to balance out the acidity of the orange juice. But you can also use brown sugar instead.

Just keep in mind that brown sugar will add a little extra caramelized flavor, so if you want less of that flavor, you might want to use half white sugar and half brown sugar.

Use Other Cuts Of Chicken & White Meat

If you don't have chicken breasts at home, don't worry. You can substitute the chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs or even some ground chicken/turkey. In fact, I've even made this recipe with turkey tenderloins before, and while it definitely tastes a little different, the results were still super yummy.

Add Some Toppings

If you really want to ramp up the flavor, you can top your finished orange chicken with some green onions, sesame seeds, or even extra red pepper flakes for a bit of added heat.

Also, for even more of an orange peel chicken flavor, you can use fresh orange slices and squeeze a little of their juice on top of the chicken before serving it.

How To Make Orange Chicken

Alright, now it's time for the fun part - making orange chicken!

Again, this is a really easy orange chicken recipe, so even if you don't spend a ton of time in the kitchen, you'll nail this on the first try.

You basically just cut the chicken and coat it in egg, then dredge it with some flour and fry it up. And as far as making the orange sauce, it'll only take a couple of minutes to whip up. You basically just add all of the ingredients to a pot and let them cook.

Anyway, with that said, let's not waste any more time and make some orange chicken!

Step 1: Prep Work

First things first, you'll want to grab a saucepot and heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat. Then, while the oil is heating up, you can cut the boneless skinless chicken breast into bite-sized pieces.

Now, once you've got your pieces of chicken looking good, you're going to combine the dry ingredients - the flour, cornstarch, and salt - together in a large bowl. Then, after you've done that, you'll want to take out a separate bowl and beat the eggs in it until they are thoroughly combined.

Step 2: Fry The Chicken

So, once you've got all of that prep work taken care of, you can coat the chicken pieces with the egg mixture, then dredge them in the flour mixture. Once the chicken is well coated on both sides with the flour mixture, you can add it to the oil and fry 'em.

After the chicken has had a chance to fry for at least a few minutes on each side - it should be nice and golden brown - you can remove it from the oil and add it to a plate lined with paper towels.

Also, for what it's worth, I recommend frying the chicken in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot with the chicken. Overcrowding the pan will decrease the temperature of the oil, and the chicken won't cook up as nicely.

Step 3: Make The Orange Sauce

Once you've got a good rhythm going with the chicken frying up, you can make the orange sauce.

To do this, you'll just want to grab a large skillet and combine the orange juice, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange zest, ginger, garlic powder, and red chili flakes together. Then, you can give everything a mix and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Now, while your sauce is simmering, you'll want to take out a small cup and mix the cornstarch and water together in it to make a slurry. Then, when you've got your slurry ready to go you can add it to the sauce and continue cooking it until it thickens.

Step 4: Combine And Serve

Now, once you've fried up all of the chicken pieces, you can transfer them to the skillet with the orange sauce, remove the sauce from the heat, and give everything a good mix until combined.

Finally, last but not least, serve your orange chicken over some white rice or brown rice and enjoy!

How To Store Orange Chicken

This recipe for orange chicken makes about 4 servings, so it'll make the perfect amount for a big family dinner! If you're lucky, you might even have some leftovers.

Speaking of leftovers, the best way to store 'em is in the fridge in an air tight container. Stored this way, the orange chicken should last about 3-4 days.

Alternatively, if you want your store your orange chicken for even longer you can freeze it. Just transfer it to an airtight container - or freezer bag - and it'll last for up to 3 months.

How To Reheat Orange Chicken

When you're ready to enjoy your orange chicken again, you'll definitely want to reheat it first.

So, to reheat the chicken, just transfer it to a baking dish and heat in the oven for about 10-12 minutes at 350°F. 

By the way, if you stored the orange sauce separately, you can reheat it in a pot set over medium heat on the stovetop. Just make sure you stir it continuously as it heats back up. The sauce can burn on the bottom of the pan if you don't.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make orange chicken!

I don't know if it's the crispy chicken or the sweet and tangy sauce that makes this recipe so delicious, but something definitely does. All I know is that I've been hooked on it since the first time I made it. And my 2 year old has been too!

And what's even better is that it's cheaper and quicker to make this Chinese orange chicken at home than it is to order it for take out. Honestly, it's become one of my family's favorite chicken dishes, and I have a feeling you and your family will love it too.

Anyway, I hope you like this easy chicken recipe as much as I/we do.

As always, Iif you end up making it, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know how it went!

More Chinese Takeout Recipes

If you enjoyed this orange chicken recipe, we have a ton of other takeout-inspired recipes that you can make next!

Here are some reader favorites:

• Beijing beef
• Tandoori chicken
• Moo shu pork
• Crab rangoon
• Honey sesame chicken
• Salt and pepper chicken wings

Oh, and as always, make sure to check us out on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram! We post new recipes on them every day.

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