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Air Fryer Orange Chicken

Try this simple air fryer orange chicken recipe to make this takeout classic at home. Crunchy chicken and a sweet orange sauce are a combo that’s hard to beat! Serve over a bed of rice or stir-fried vegetables.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
22 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 367 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

For the Chicken:
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs cut into 1” cubes (450g)
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cornstarch or potato starch (112g)
For the Orange Sauce:
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice (120mL) (about 2 oranges)
  • ¼ cup soy sauce (60mL)
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (55g)
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest about 2 oranges
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • Sesame seeds and sliced green onions for serving

Instructions

For the Chicken:
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, egg, and salt, stirring to coat the chicken well.
  2. In a shallow bowl, add the cornstarch and stir to break up any large clumps. Work with a few pieces at a time, transfer the chicken pieces to the flour mixture and toss until well coated in the dredge. Dredge only what will fit in your basket at one time.
  3. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
  4. Place the dredged chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray the chicken generously with cooking spray.
  5. Air fry for 6 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces and spray them with cooking spray again. Continue to air fry until golden and crispy, about 6 minutes more. Transfer the cooked chicken to a large bowl, and continue dredging and cooking the remaining pieces.
For the Orange Sauce:
  1. While the last batch of chicken cooks, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, zest, ginger, oil, pepper, and garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until the sugar is dissolved.
  2. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water in a small bowl, and whisk it into the saucepan. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until thickened and translucent, about 1 minute.
  3. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to coat. Serve immediately, topped with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

  • Cut the chicken uniformly. Every chicken piece doesn’t need to be exactly the same size, but the size should be quite uniform so all the chicken cooks at the same speed.
  • Don’t forget the cooking spray. Make sure to coat the dredged chicken with cooking spray so the cornstarch becomes crispy in the air fryer. Also, remember to spray the other side of the chicken after you flip the pieces.
  • Dredge the chicken in batches. Don’t coat all the chicken with cornstarch at once since all the chicken does not fit into an air fryer basket, and it will become gummy as it sits. Instead, only coat as much chicken as will fit into the basket at once. When the first batch is cooked, work on dredging the next batch.
  • Use orange marmalade! Swap out the fresh zest and brown sugar for 1/4 cup of orange marmalade. This is a great way to add that zesty flavor if you don't have fresh oranges.

Nutrition Information

Calories 367kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 50g (17%) Protein 28g (56%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 0.02g Cholesterol 119mg (40%) Sodium 1114mg (46%) Potassium 564mg (16%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 16g (32%) Vitamin A 189IU (4%) Vitamin C 20mg (22%) Calcium 38mg (4%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 367

% Daily Value*

Calories 367kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 50g 17%
Protein 28g 56%
Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 0.02g 1%
Cholesterol 119mg 40%
Sodium 1114mg 46%
Potassium 564mg 12%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 16g 32%
Vitamin A 189IU 4%
Vitamin C 20mg 22%
Calcium 38mg 4%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.