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Air Fryer Orange Chicken

A much healthier but every bit as delicious version of the popular take out chicken.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 310 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

Chicken
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 1 cup tapioca starch
Sauce
  • 1 cup orange juice unsweetened
  • 3 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 2 tablespoon water

Instructions

Chicken
    Cup of Yum
  1. Spray air fryer basket with cooking spray and preheat to 400°
  2. Cut chicken into one inch cubes
  3. In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with beaten egg, stirring to coat
  4. Put tapioca starch in another bowl, and add chicken pieces, allowed excess egg to drip off. Stir well to coat each piece of chicken with the tapioca starch.
  5. Arrange the chicken pieces (so that they aren't touching) in a single layer in the air fryer basket. You will need to cook in batches to avoid overcrowding. Spray the chicken with more cooking spray.
  6. Air fry 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Chicken should be golden brown and crisp.
Orange Sauce
  1. Make a cornstarch slurry by combining the cornstarch with 4 tablespoon of water. Stir until there are no lumps
  2. Combine all of the sauce ingredients, including the cornstarch slurry in a saucepan. Heat over medium high heat, whisking, until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat.
  3. Toss the cooked chicken in the orange sauce. You will have extra sauce which you can serve over rice.
  4. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.

Notes

  • Try to cut your chicken pieces into roughly equal sizes to ensure even cooking.
  • Avoid using aerosol oil sprays (like Pam) which can quickly damage the coating on your air fryer basket. A pump sprayer works great.
  • Air frying uses high heat, so use a cooking spray oil with a high smoke point. My favorite is avocado oil. Other good ones are grapeseed oil, peanut oil, corn oil or safflower oil.
  • The sauce will thicken as it cools. However, if you like a thicker sauce, whisk in a tablespoon of cornstarch that has been mixed with two tablespoons of water and heat the sauce until it thickens more.
  • If you want a thinner sauce, whisk in more orange juice until it's the right consistency.
  • This recipe has just a hint of spice. You can adjust the spice level to your liking by adding more or less red pepper flakes. Make it kid friendly by leaving out the chili flakes.
  • Serve orange chicken with white rice, fried rice, or cauliflower rice, and a vegetable like steamed broccoli or sautéed green beans.
  • Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Nutrition Information

Calories 310kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 29g (10%) Protein 35g (70%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 151mg (50%) Sodium 701mg (29%) Potassium 692mg (20%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 232IU (5%) Vitamin C 22mg (24%) Calcium 23mg (2%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 310

% Daily Value*

Calories 310kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 29g 10%
Protein 35g 70%
Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 151mg 50%
Sodium 701mg 29%
Potassium 692mg 15%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 232IU 5%
Vitamin C 22mg 24%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%

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