With this orange chicken recipe, the chicken pieces are tender, juicy, and lightly breaded, while the sauce is sweet and spicy, with a whoosh of fresh orange. Follow Apronese to see how to make homemade orange chicken.
The Pan Fry Method for Easy Orange Chicken
If you don’t really like fried food, you can use the pan-fry method for this orange chicken dish.
This method involves coating the chicken pieces in a thin cornstarch and egg batter, then frying with a small amount of oil in a skillet until golden brown.
Tips for Success with the Cornstarch Method
Here are a couple tips for making a successful cornstarch:
- Make sure your skillet is nice and hot. If it’s too cool, the egg batter will slide off the chicken and turn into scrambled eggs in your skillet.
- Don’t stir the chicken too much while it cooks. After adding the chicken to your skillet, don’t touch it until it’s golden on the bottom, then flip, and cook again.
- If you’re a beginner, use a non-stick skillet. If you prefer to use stainless steel, let the skillet heat up before adding the oil. This helps prevent the egg from sticking.
This cornstarch method gives the chicken pieces a touch of breading and fried flavor, while leaving the dish tasting light and fresh.
What to Serve with Orange Chicken
Here is a variety of accompaniments to orange chicken that you’re going to love:
- Stir-fried vegetable rice
- Egg noodles
- Steamed broccoli
- Soy marinated eggs
- Cucumber salad
- Baby bok choi
- Hot and sour soup
- Cooked lettuce with oyster sauce and garlic
- Chinese coleslaw
- Stir-fried oyster mushrooms
- Milk bread rolls
- Fries
How to Make Homemade Orange Chicken
This homemade orange chicken recipe is no deep frying and uses only real, fresh ingredients. Here’s how to make it:
Author: Beth
Prep Time: 10 mins / Cook Time: 15 mins / Total Time: 25 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Orange Sauce
- 1 large orange ($0.70)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce ($0.28)
- 1.5 tbsp brown sugar ($0.06)
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar ($0.06)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger ($0.04)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ($0.02)
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch ($0.02)
Stir-fried Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.3 lbs.) ($3.94)
- 1 large egg ($0.27)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch ($0.08)
- Pinch of salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 4 cups cooked rice ($0.75)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.14)
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 530.38 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 60.9 g ・ Protein: 40.6 g ・ Fat: 12.75 g ・ Sodium: 1280.38 mg ・ Fiber: 2.1 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
Instructions
- Remove the zest from the orange using a zester or small-holed cheese grater, then squeeze the juice from the orange. You’ll need about 1 tsp zest and 1/2 cup juice. Combine the juice and 1 tsp zest with the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, grated ginger, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tbsp cornstarch in a small sauce pot. Before placing it over heat, whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Heat the mixture over medium-low until it begins to simmer, thicken, and turns into a glossy glaze (about 3-5 minutes). Remove the sauce from heat and set it aside.
- Use a sharp knife to remove any excess fat from the chicken thighs, then cut them into small 3/4-inch pieces.
- Combine the egg, 2 tbsp cornstarch, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and frothy. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat them in the egg mixture.
- Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the chicken, making sure all the pieces are touching the surface and not piled on top of one another. Let the pieces cook until they are golden brown on the bottom.
- Flip the chicken pieces, breaking them apart from one another as you turn them. Let them cook until golden brown on the second side and cooked through (about 5-7 minutes total cooking).
- Turn the heat off under the skillet and pour on the prepared orange sauce. Stir to coat the chicken pieces in sauce.
- Serve the chicken and sauce over cooked rice, garnished with sliced green onions and any left over orange zest.
How to Make Homemade Orange Chicken – Step-by-Step Photos
Step 1: Remove the zest from the orange using a zester or small-holed cheese grater, then squeeze the juice from the orange. You’ll need about 1 tsp zest and 1/2 cup juice.
Combine the juice and 1 tsp zest with the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, grated ginger, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tbsp cornstarch in a small saucepot.
Before placing it over heat, whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved.
Heat the mixture over medium-low until it begins to simmer, thicken, and turns into a glossy glaze (about 3-5 minutes).
Remove the sauce from heat and set it aside. 
Step 2: Combine the orange juice and orange zest in a small saucepot with 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tbsp cornstarch.
Whisk them all together until the cornstarch is fully dissolved before heating.
Once combined, heat the sauce over medium-low until it begins to simmer, thicken, and turns into a glossy glaze. This should be relatively quick, or about 3-5 minutes.
Turn the heat off and set the sauce aside.
Step 3: Trim any excess fat from four boneless, skinless chicken thighs, then cut them into 3/4-inch pieces. This was about 1.33 pounds of chicken.
Step 4: Whisk together one large egg, 2 tbsp cornstarch, and a pinch of salt and pepper until it’s light and frothy.
The mixture may seem dry at first, but the cornstarch will begin to melt into the moisture from the egg.
Step 5: Add the chicken pieces and toss them until they’re coated in the egg mixture.
Step 6: Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, then add 2 tbsp cooking oil and swirl until the skillet is coated.
Add the chicken pieces to the skillet so that they are in a single layer and not piled on top of one another.
Let them cook until golden brown on the bottom, then begin to turn the chicken pieces, breaking them apart from one another and you flip.
Let the chicken cook on the second side until golden as well and the pieces are cooked through. Try not to stir the chicken too much to avoid the batter falling off.
Total cooking time should be about 5-7 minutes.
Step 7: Turn the heat off, then add the prepared orange sauce. Stir to coat the chicken pieces in sauce.
Step 8: Garnish the chicken with sliced green onions and any leftover orange zest.
Serve the orange chicken over warm cooked rice and enjoy!
You’re going to love this savory homemade orange chicken. It’s not hard to follow the steps above to create an amazing dish for your meal. Come back to Apronese for more recipes!
