Orange Chicken
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Crispy, golden chicken drenched in a sweet and tangy sauce—orange chicken is a Chinese American classic that’s surprisingly simple to master at home.
Orange chicken, a staple from Chinese American restaurants—and a favorite of my kids, especially the version from the fast-food chain Panda Express—features crispy, golden chicken drenched in a sweet and tangy sauce. Despite “orange” leading its name, the citrus flavor in the dish is subtle. The sauce is made from soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and just a hint of orange juice, along with ginger, scallions, and garlic for added depth.
This recipe, similar to General Tso’s chicken in its preparation, might seem daunting, but it’s surprisingly doable at home. Give it a try—I promise, you’ll wow your family and also impress yourself with how delicious it is!
“3 teenage boys and two batches — no leftovers!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Orange Chicken
- Egg: Mixed into the marinade to help the coating stick to the chicken.
- Soy sauce: Adds salty, umami flavor to both the marinade and the sauce.
- Light brown sugar: Sweetens the marinade and sauce while adding a hint of molasses flavor.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, tenderloins, or breasts:Thighs give the juiciest, most flavorful results, but tenderloins are a solid choice if you prefer white meat. Chicken breasts will work too—just be careful not to overcook.
- Distilled white vinegar: Brings a sharp, clean acidity that balances the sweetness in the sauce.
- Orange juice: Adds a subtle sweetness and citrusy kick. Fresh is great, but bottled works fine since you only need a small amount. If you prefer a stronger orange flavor, you can add orange zest to the sauce. However, I strongly advise adding it gradually at the end, starting with just a pinch, so that it doesn’t overpower the dish.
- Chicken broth: Adds savory depth to the sauce.
- Cornstarch: Used twice—for creating a crisp coating on the chicken and for thickening the sauce until it’s glossy.
- Sesame oil: Adds toasty, nutty flavor to the sauce. A little goes a long way.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: Bring a gentle heat to balance the sweet and tangy flavors.
- All-purpose flour and baking soda: Form the base of the crispy coating, helping the chicken fry up golden and light.
- Vegetable oil: Used for shallow-frying the chicken til nice and crispy.
- Ginger, garlic, and scallions: These aromatics build the bold, savory foundation of the sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, beat the egg with the soy sauce and sugar. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Let it sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Make the sauce. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, orange juice, chicken broth, cornstarch, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Step 3: Coat the chicken. In another bowl, whisk the cornstarch, flour, and baking soda. Sprinkle the mixture over the marinated chicken and toss until the pieces separate and look dry and clumpy.
Step 4: Fry the chicken. In a large nonstick skillet, heat about ¼ inch of oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Working in 3 batches, shallow fry the chicken until golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes, flipping once. (Adjust the heat between batches to keep the oil around 350°F—if it gets too cool, the coating will absorb oil and turn greasy; too hot, and it may burn before the chicken cooks through.)
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Step 5: Make the sauce base. Carefully drain and wipe out the skillet, then add about 1 tablespoon of fresh oil. Over medium heat, cook the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites for 30 seconds, stirring constantly—don’t let them brown. Sautéing the aromatics before adding the sauce builds depth of flavor without needing extra ingredients.
Step 6: Cook the sauce. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. (Give the sauce mixture a quick stir again before pouring it into the pan—cornstarch tends to settle at the bottom.) Let it simmer until thickened and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. This happens quickly, so keep a close eye on it.
Step 7: Finish and serve. Return the crispy chicken to the skillet and toss until evenly coated in the sauce. Sprinkle with scallion greens, serve, and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts or tenderloins), cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup orange juice, from 1 orange
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons sesame oil
- ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For Coating the Chicken
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon baking soda
For Cooking and Serving
- Vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger, from a 2-inch knob
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- Rice, for serving
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, beat the egg, soy sauce and sugar. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss until evenly coated. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, orange juice, broth, cornstarch, sesame oil, and pepper flakes together. Set aside.
- Coat the chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk the cornstarch, flour, and baking soda. Sprinkle over the chicken/marinade mixture and toss until each piece of meat separates and has a dry, clumpy coating.
- Fry the chicken: Line a plate with a few layers of paper towels and set next to the stove. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat about ¼ inch of oil to 350°F. You'll know it's ready when you drop a piece of chicken in, and it sizzles vigorously. Working in three batches so as not to crowd the pan, shallow-fry a third of the coated chicken until golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes, turning once midway through cooking and adjusting the heat as needed. Transfer the chicken to the paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Finish the dish: Carefully drain the oil from the pan and wipe clean with a paper towel. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil. Over medium heat, add the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds until fragrant; do not brown. Add the sauce, bring it to a boil, and let it cook until thickened and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the crispy chicken, tossing until the sauce fully coats it, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the dark green scallions and serve over rice.
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated using chicken thighs and assuming approximately 2 tablespoons of the oil is absorbed into the chicken when frying. Rice is not included.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 597
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Sugar: 21 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Sodium: 1450 mg
- Cholesterol: 208 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Excellent dish, the sauce had a nice glaze, added sesame seeds on top as well. The coating was perfect. Bumped up red pepper and doubled the marinade. I would just like a bit more orange flavor, might try an orange extract. I used fresh orange juice. Definitely going back to this recipe, keep up the great work.
I’ve made this recipe so many times , always a hit ! Super taste ! I was wondering if I could pair it with noodles instead of rice and if so , do I boil them in water and then mix or boil them in the sauce ?
So glad you like this dish! Yes, you could pair this with noodles – I’d boil them on their own and then combine with the sauce, or serve the chicken over the noodles.
Great recipe. Made exactly except I had no green onions so I used shallots. It was flavourful and absolutely delicious!
Best orange sauce I have ever had!
Winner, winner Orange Chicken dinner!
This is phenomenal. Once again Jenn doesn’t disappoint.
Great flavor. First time that I’ve cooked chicken like this……loved the flour/cornstarch coating! Used a raspberry chipotle marinade for the sauce, and that was a good choice for a quick meal. Thank you so much for the recipe!
This recipe is outrageously delicious! As good as my favorite chinese restaurant! I followed the recipe exactly and my family gave it a “10” across the board! Any chance you could do a version of sesame chicken?
So glad you enjoyed it! I’ll add sesame chicken to my list of recipes to potentially develop.😊
We have a favorite Korean restaurant that serves this dish, and this recipe is spot on. I love the method of breading the chicken with this one. I may adopt it for all my fried chicken recipes.
The only changes I will make next time is leave out or reduce the pepper flakes (just because I don’t think orange chicken should be spicy), and use more orange zest. That really wakes up the orange flavor.
Awesome!
Can this recipe be made in an air fryer? Thank you
Hi Cin, I don’t recommend making this in an air fryer. The chicken really needs to be shallow fried to get the right texture. Sorry!