I grew up on Chinese food, but my folks weren’t big on orange chicken. In fact, it wasn’t until my college years when I started frequenting Chinese fast food joints like Panda Express.

I noticed that orange chicken and fried rice were amongst the most popular items at Chinese takeout places.

So, I’ve shared my homegrown version of fabulous Chinese Fried Rice. Now, I finally made a Chinese Orange Chicken that is better than takeout!

This Orange Chicken is bursting with the sweetness and citrus flavor of fresh oranges. It is sweet, savory, tangy, and has the perfect little kick with Sriracha.

When you make it at home, orange chicken is both crispy and gooey, thanks to a delicious sauce that clings to fresh-fried chicken. It’s not soggy from sitting in a warming tray all afternoon, if you know what I mean…

This orange chicken is easy to make at home, with the most time consuming part being the pan frying. It’s absolutely perfect, drizzled with that gorgeous orange sauce, over a big ‘ol bowl of fluffy rice.

This is one of those few recipes I’ve made that does taste best when served right after it’s made. You can marinade and prep everything ahead of time, but be sure to fry it up right before you want to ring the dinner bell.

But be ready for the mad dash to the table once that dinner bell is rung.

Enjoy!

Orange Chicken with Sriracha

Author: Chew Out Loud
Yield: 4 1x

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Description

This Orange Chicken with Sriracha is easily made at home, and tastes much fresher and better than any takeout! Be sure to serve immediately for best results.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Marinade:
1 cup regular 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 (not light) soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2–3 TB Sriracha, depending on desired heat level
1 tsp ground ginger
2 TB cornstarch, dissolved with 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

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.
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.
Drain chicken and discard used marinade.
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.
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.
Toss chicken with warm sauce and serve immediately. Serve over rice and garnish as desired.