Orange Chicken Recipe (How to Get it Crispy!)

Orange Chicken is a popular dish at any Chinese restaurant. Learn this simple method to make your own sweet and spicy Orange Chicken Recipe at home. Pairs well with rice.

orange chicken in a bowl
This Chinese Orange Chicken recipe is a family-friendly dish that’s quick, easy, and so delicious!

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Orange Chicken Recipe

Inspired by everyone’s favorite Chinese takeout dish, this Orange Chicken Recipe is sweet, savory, tangy, and packs just a bit of heat thanks to the addition of Sriracha. Both gooey and crispy, it’s even better than the restaurant versions. Plus, it’s best served fresh so it will never sit in a warming tray all afternoon. Just be ready for the mad dash to the dinner table when the dinner bell is rung!

What You’ll Love About This Orange Chicken Recipe

  • It’s made in the comfort of your kitchen so you never have to wait in line.
  • You can easily dress it up with garnishes such as green scallions or sesame seeds.
  • A filling main dish, it pairs well with Asian sticky rice, perfect Instant Pot brown rice, or Lo Mein noodles.
  • Both chicken breasts and chicken thighs can be used.
  • This recipe is the perfect way to impress even the pickiest of guests.
  • You can adjust the spice level, adding more or less sriracha to fit your needs.
orange chicken in a bowl
Make your favorite Chinese takeout dish from the comfort of your kitchen with this easy Orange Chicken Recipe

How To Get The Crispiest Orange Chicken

There are a few tricks to achieving the crispiest orange chicken.

  • Marinate the chicken pieces for at least 30 minutes or longer.
  • After marinading, be sure to drain the chicken.
  • Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, and let the excess liquid drip off.
  • Heat the frying oil in a saucepan until it gets very hot.
  • Don’t overcrowd the pan while frying the chicken.
  • Work in batches, resting the chicken pieces on paper towels to absorb the leftover oil.
orange chicken in a bowl with rice
Sweet, spicy, and so easy to make, this Chinese Orange Chicken is the perfect dinner recipe the whole family will love!

Orange Chicken Commonly Asked Questions

Is Orange Chicken an authentic Chinese dish?

No, Orange Chicken is not found in traditional Chinese cuisine. In fact, rumor has it that the recipe was invented by the American fast food chain, Panda Express.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

We don’t recommend it. This recipe is best served hot and fresh. Otherwise, the chicken may become a bit soggy.

Do I have to use peanut oil for frying?

Due to its high smoke point and nutty flavor, peanut oil works best for this recipe. However, you could also use sesame oil or canola oil.

More To Cook And Eat

Also Try Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Gluten-Free)

How to Make Vietnamese Spring Rolls

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  • If you love a bit of kick with good depth of flavor, you’ll need more than one bottle of Sriracha.

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orange chicken in a bowl

Orange Chicken Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

Orange Chicken is a popular dish at any Chinese restaurant. Learn this simple method to make your own sweet and spicy Orange Chicken Recipe at home. Pairs well with rice.

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Marinade:

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • zest of one orange
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup Asian seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup regular soy sauce or Tamari
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 2 TB Sriracha, depending on desired heat level
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 TB cornstarch, fully dissolved in 2 TB water

For the Chicken:

  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
  • 1 cup cornstarch, in a pie pan
  • 2 large eggs, beaten, in a pie pan
  • 1 cup peanut oil for frying
  • Optional: sesame seeds and green onions for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make the Marinade: Combine all marinade ingredients together in a bowl, and whisk to incorporate well. Combine chicken with 1/2 cup of the marinade, making sure that all pieces are thoroughly covered with the marinade. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes or longer.
  2. Boil and Thicken: Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring remaining marinade to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken as it gets to a boil. Once sauce is thickened, turn heat off. Keep sauce warm while you fry the chicken.
  3. Drain: Remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard leftover sauce.
  4. Coat: Dip chicken pieces a few at a time into the pan of beaten eggs. Let excess eggs drip off, and dredge chicken pieces in the pan of cornstarch. Press to coat well. Repeat until all pieces are coated.
  5. Fry: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high to high heat, until oil is very hot. Add chicken pieces, taking care not to overcrowd, and fry until cooked through, about 1-2 min. Place fried chicken on paper towels, and work in batches until all chicken is fried.
  6. Toss and Serve: Combine the chicken with warm sauce, and serve immediately. Serve over rice and garnish as desired.

Notes

For gluten-free recipe, use Tamari sauce in place of soy sauce. 

If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating 🙂

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 375
  • Sugar: 29.3 g
  • Sodium: 810.3 mg
  • Fat: 12.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 33.5 g
  • Fiber: 0.3 g
  • Protein: 30.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 177 mg
  • Category: dinner, main
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Asian
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: chicken, orange chicken, Asian, chicken recipe

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Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

16 comments

    • Kathy

    • ★★★★★

    This was delicious and so easy to make! My husband says it tastes way better and more orange-y than takeout (and he’s had a lot of orange chicken takeout). Thanks for sharing this recipe!

      • Amy Dong

      Yes, we agree this one has tons more orange flavor. Glad you guys liked it!

    • Addie

    • ★★★★★

    Way better than takeout.

      • Amy Dong

      Agreed!!

    • Debra

    • ★★★★★

    Delicious…with just the right amount of spice.

      • Amy Dong

      Glad you liked it!

    • Maggie

    • ★★★★★

    Delicious! Came out perfectly.

      • Amy Dong

      Yay!

    • nancy

    • ★★★★★

    i love this saucy chicken recipe with sriracha – so tasty!

    • Mary

    • ★★★★★

    We love oranges chicken. I am bookmarking this for my grandson’s visit. He is crazy about orange chicken and this one looks delish!

    • Jan

    • ★★★★★

    i love the combination of flavours in this meal. yum!

    • Jeri

    • ★★★★★

    This orange chicken turned out better than at my favorite restaurant! So tasty!

      • Amy Dong

      We think it’s way better than takeout, too! 🙂

    • Kristina

    • ★★★★★

    Great recipe as is! Will make again.

    • Kristie

    • ★★★★★

    I was short on chicken so I added some bell pepper. This is excellent and way more healthy then what you get in stores.

      • Amy Dong

      Love that idea, Kristie!

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