Crispy Orange Chicken

Crispy orange chicken in a sweet, sticky sauce made with ginger, garlic and fresh orange juice is the better-than-takeout dinner your family will love.

Crispy orange chicken with rice and broccoli.

How to make orange chicken

  1. How to make orange sauce: To make the sweet and sticky sauce, cook ginger and garlic in a tablespoon of canola oil until fragrant, around 30 seconds. Pour in fresh orange juice. Fresh orange juice tends to be less sweet than a bottled version and I like the acidity it adds. Add chicken stock, sugar, rice vinegar, the zest of an orange and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Mix corn starch (cornflour) with water to make a slurry then stir into the sauce. Allow to cook until the sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. You want the sauce to be pleasantly sweet and well seasoned.
  2. Crispy chicken: To make the chicken super crispy, coat it first in a mixture of flour, corn starch (cornflour) and salt, then in beaten eggs and again in the flour. The corn starch adds extra crispiness once fried. Fry the chicken in approximately 10cm/4 inches of hot canola oil until golden brown and crisp. You know the oil is hot enough if it starts sizzling around the chicken when a piece is carefully lowered in. Remove the cooked chicken from the oil with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on kitchen paper.
  3. Serving: When you’re ready to serve, combine the chicken with the orange sauce and toss well to coat the chicken. Sprinkle over chopped spring onion/green onion and serve over rice or noodles drizzled with the extra sauce.

Crispy chicken in sweet orange sauce.

How to reheat orange chicken

Reheating orange chicken will mean that the texture won’t be as crispy. However, the taste will still be delicious. Place the chicken and sauce in a casserole dish and heat in a 220ºC/390ºF oven until hot and bubbling before serving.

What to serve with orange chicken

The chicken in its sticky sauce is the main attraction so keep side dishes simple. Steamed rice or noodles and perhaps green vegetables like broccoli, sugar snap peas, bok choy or asparagus is all that is needed.

Crispy chicken in a sweet and sticky orange sauce.

Easy Chinese recipes

  1. Quick and easy Vegetable fried rice
  2. Easy vegetable chow mein
  3. Chicken fried rice
Sweet and sticky Orange chicken

Crispy orange chicken

Crispy orange chicken in a sweet, sticky sauce made with ginger, garlic and fresh orange juice is the better-than-takeout dinner your family will love.
4.69 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Keyword: Orange chicken, Orange chicken recipe, Orange chicken sauce
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Calories: 419kcal
Author: Alida Ryder
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Orange chicken sauce

  • 1 tsp ginger crushed
  • 1 tsp garlic crushed
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 2-3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp corn starch/cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water

For the chicken

  • 4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
  • 3 eggs beaten
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup corn starch / cornflour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • oil for frying

Instructions

  • To make the sauce, fry the ginger and garlic in a tablespoon of canola oil until fragrant.
  • Add the rest of the sauce ingredients (except for the cornstarch) and bring to a simmer.
  • Pour in the cornstarch slurry and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened.
  • Season to taste (if needed).
  • To make the chicken, combine the flour, cornstarch and salt in a shallow bowl suitable for coating the chicken.
  • Whisk the eggs into a similar bowl.
  • Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces then coat first in the flour, then in the egg and finally again in the flour.
  • Heat 10cm / 4 inches of canola oil in a pot set over high heat.
  • Once the oil is hot, carefully add the coated chicken. Fry for 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown, crispy and cooked through.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
  • Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to coat well.
  • Serve with chopped spring onion and rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 851mg | Potassium: 380mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 183IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 3mg