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Chinese Orange Chicken
5 from 3,381 votes

Chinese Orange Chicken

Chinese Orange Chicken features bite-sized chicken pieces coated in a cornstarch and flour batter, deep-fried until golden, and tossed in a tangy, sweet orange sauce made from fresh orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and spices. The sauce thickens into a glossy glaze that balances sweetness with mild heat from chili flakes and aromatic zest, creating a flavorful Chinese-American dish.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

Chicken:
  • 4 chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces, boneless skinless
  • 3 egg whisked
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • salt
  • neutral cooking oil for frying, generic cooking oil
Orange Chicken Sauce:
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar or White Vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce use tamari for a gluten-free dish
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • orange zest from 1 orange
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Garnish:
  • green onions
  • orange zest

Instructions

To make orange sauce:
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a medium pot, add orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red chili flakes. Heat for 3 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of water to form a paste. Add to orange sauce and whisk together. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Once the sauce is thickened, remove from heat and add orange zest.
To make chicken:
  1. Place flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish or pie plate. Add a generous pinch of salt. Stir.
  2. Whisk eggs in shallow dish.
  3. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then flour mixture. Place on plate.
  4. Heat 2 -3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Using a thermometer, watch for it to reach 350 degrees.
  5. Working in batches, cook several chicken pieces at a time. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, turning often until golden brown. Place chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat.
  6. Toss chicken with orange sauce. You may reserve some of the sauce to place on rice. Serve it with a sprinkling of green onion and orange zest, if so desired.