Description
This Orange Chicken recipe offers a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors with tender, crispy chicken bites coated in a vibrant orange sauce. Ideal for a quick and flavorful weeknight dinner, it pairs perfectly with white rice and garnished with sesame seeds and green onions for added texture and freshness.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (+ 2 tablespoons water)
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 4 oranges)
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest (from 1 orange)
- â…“ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha (optional, more or less to taste)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Chicken and Coating
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (plus more if needed)
To Serve
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- Sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
- Sliced green onions (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Make the sauce mixture: In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Set aside and stir again just before adding it to the sauce.
- Prepare the orange sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice and zest, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sriracha, minced garlic, and ground ginger. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Thicken the sauce: Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Return to a simmer while whisking constantly until the sauce thickens, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry and cut into 1-inch cubes for even cooking and proper coating.
- Set up coating stations: Place cornstarch in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, whisk eggs with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Coat the chicken pieces: Working in batches, toss each chicken piece first in cornstarch, shaking off excess, then dip in the egg mixture, again shaking off excess. Set coated chicken pieces aside on a plate.
- Cook the chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces in batches, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Cook until the underside is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is golden and chicken is cooked through.
- Combine with sauce: If chicken was cooked in batches, return all chicken pieces to the skillet. Pour in the prepared orange sauce and toss gently to coat the chicken evenly.
- Serve: Serve the orange chicken hot over cooked white rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions if desired for added flavor and presentation.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, consider double frying the chicken pieces.
- Adjust the sriracha to your heat preference or omit for a milder sauce.
- Using freshly squeezed orange juice and zest enhances the brightness of the sauce.
- Make sure to whisk the cornstarch slurry well before adding to the sauce to prevent lumps.
- This recipe works best with boneless, skinless chicken breasts for tenderness and ease of cutting.
