Orange Chicken
Orange chicken is a Chinese-American restaurant dish: bite-sized pieces of chicken in a crisp coating, tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce of orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Boneless thighs stay juicy through deep-frying, and an egg and cornstarch batter fries up crunchy under the glaze. The chicken fries in three batches, so plan on about 50 minutes from start to finish.
By Priya Raman
Published
- Prep Time
- 20 mins
- Cook Time
- 30 mins
- Total Time
- 50 mins
- Servings
- 4 servings
How do you make Orange Chicken?
Cut 700 g boneless chicken thighs into 2.5 cm pieces, coat them in beaten egg, then cornstarch and flour, and fry in 3 batches at 175°C (350°F) for 4-5 minutes each, until golden and no longer pink inside; chicken is safe at 74°C (165°F). Toss in a sauce of orange juice and zest, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and garlic thickened with cornstarch.
- Total time
- 50 mins
- Calories
- 505 per serving
- Protein
- 37.5 g
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Method
- Deep-frying
Ingredients
Chicken
Coating
Orange sauce
To serve
Equipment
Deep, heavy pot (at least 6 L and 12 cm tall) · Deep-fry or instant-read thermometer · Spider or slotted spoon · Wire rack set over a baking sheet · Small saucepan · Three large mixing bowls
Quick Directions
Season the chicken
Cut the chicken, season it and keep it in the fridge.
Heat the oil
Heat 4 cm (1.5 in) of oil to 175°C (350°F).
Make the orange sauce
Simmer the orange sauce, then thicken it with the cornstarch slurry.
Coat the chicken
Take the chicken out of the fridge and stir in the beaten egg until every piece is coated.
Fry in batches
Fry in 3 batches for 4-5 minutes each, until golden and cooked through.
Toss and serve
Warm the sauce over low heat, adding 1-2 tbsp water if it has thickened too much.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Every step for making orange chicken, written out in full.
Season the chicken
Cut the chicken into 2.5 cm (1 in) pieces and toss them with the soy sauce and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate while you heat the oil and make the sauce.
Heat the oil
Pour about 4 cm (1.5 in) of oil into a deep, heavy pot, checking that the oil comes no more than a third of the way up the sides, and heat it over medium-high heat to 175°C (350°F). This takes about 10 minutes.
Make the orange sauce
While the oil heats, put the orange zest, orange juice, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir the cornstarch and water together again, stir it into the sauce and simmer for about 1 minute, until thick and glossy. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
Coat the chicken
Take the chicken out of the fridge and stir in the beaten egg until every piece is coated. Whisk the cornstarch, flour and salt together in a second large bowl, add the chicken and toss until each piece has a thick, even coating with no wet patches. Shake off the excess.
Fry in batches
Lower a third of the chicken into the hot oil with the spider and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring gently so the pieces don't stick together, until deep golden and crisp. Cut open the largest piece: the meat should be white all the way through with no pink, and the juices should run clear. Chicken is safe at 74°C (165°F). Lift the pieces onto the wire rack, let the oil come back to 175°C (350°F), and fry the other 2 batches the same way.
Toss and serve
Warm the sauce over low heat, adding 1-2 tbsp water if it has thickened too much. Put the fried chicken in a clean large bowl, pour the sauce over and toss until every piece is coated. Scatter with green onions and sesame seeds and serve right away with steamed rice.
Recipe Tips
- Keep the oil at 170-180°C (340-355°F). Too cool and the coating soaks up oil and turns greasy; too hot and it browns before the chicken is cooked through.
- For an extra-crisp coating, fry all the chicken a second time at 190°C (375°F) for 1-2 minutes just before tossing it in the sauce.
- Don't skip the zest. Orange juice tastes mild once it has simmered, and the zest brings the orange flavour back.
- Toss the chicken with the sauce only when you are ready to eat, because the coating softens the longer it sits in the glaze.
- Never fill the pot more than a third full of oil, lower the chicken in gently with a spider, and keep the pot's lid nearby.
Variations
- Air fryer: coat the chicken, spray it well with oil and air fry at 200°C (400°F) for 12-15 minutes, in batches if needed, shaking the basket halfway, until golden and no longer pink inside; chicken is safe at 74°C (165°F). Toss with the warm sauce.
- Chicken breast: use 700 g boneless, skinless breasts cut into 2.5 cm pieces and fry for 3-4 minutes per batch. Breast meat is leaner and dries out faster than thigh.
- Spicier: add 4-6 small dried red chilies to the sauce, or double the red pepper flakes.
- Gluten-free: use tamari labelled gluten-free in place of both amounts of soy sauce, and replace the flour with more cornstarch.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 505 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 37.5 g |
| Carbs | 35 g |
| Fat | 23.5 g |
| Saturated fat | 4 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
| Sugar | 13.5 g |
| Sodium | 1000 mg |
Estimated from the listed ingredients; values vary by brand.
Related Recipes
Storing & Reheating
- Fridge
- Refrigerate within 2 hours in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The coating softens in the sauce but crisps up a little when reheated in the oven. Refrigerate leftover cooked rice in a separate container within 1 hour if you can, and no later than 2 hours after cooking, for up to 3 days.
- Freezer
- Freeze the fried chicken before it goes into the sauce for up to 2 months, and freeze the sauce separately. Reheat the chicken from frozen on a rack in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 15-20 minutes, until hot to 74°C (165°F), then toss it in the warmed sauce.
- Reheat
- Reheat on a baking sheet in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 10-12 minutes, or in an air fryer at 190°C (375°F) for 5-6 minutes, until steaming hot, 74°C (165°F).
Orange Chicken FAQs
Is orange chicken a Chinese dish?
Orange chicken is a Chinese-American dish, made popular by Chinese restaurants in the United States rather than a traditional dish from China. Cooks in China do pair chicken with dried tangerine or orange peel, but the battered, sweet and sticky version is Chinese-American.
Can I make orange chicken in an air fryer?
Yes. Coat the chicken as usual, spray it well with oil and air fry at 200°C (400°F) for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway, until golden and no longer pink in the centre; chicken is safe at 74°C (165°F). The coating is lighter and less crunchy than deep-fried, so toss it with the warm sauce just before serving.
How do I keep orange chicken crispy?
Fry at a steady 175°C (350°F), drain the pieces on a wire rack rather than paper towels, keep the sauce thick and glossy, and toss only when you are ready to eat. A quick second fry at 190°C (375°F) for 1-2 minutes gives the crispest coating.
Can I use store-bought orange juice for orange chicken?
Yes. Use unsweetened 100% orange juice, and still grate in the zest of a fresh orange, because the zest carries most of the orange flavour once the sauce has simmered. If the juice is very sweet, taste the sauce before adding all the sugar.
How much oil do I need to fry orange chicken?
About 1.5-2 litres, enough for oil about 4 cm (1.5 in) deep in a deep, heavy pot of at least 6 litres, so the oil comes no more than a third of the way up the sides. That leaves room for the oil to bubble up when the chicken goes in. Let the oil cool completely before you strain or discard it.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes. Cut 700 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 2.5 cm pieces and fry them for 3-4 minutes per batch, until golden and white all the way through. Breast meat is leaner than thigh, so it dries out sooner if it fries too long.
Disclaimer
- Nutrition information is an estimate based on the listed ingredients. It changes with the brands, portion sizes and swaps you use.
- Read ingredient labels for allergens and for diet claims such as gluten-free or vegan. Products and their ingredients can change.
- Cooking times are a guide, since ovens, air fryers and slow cookers all run differently. Use a food thermometer and cook meat, poultry and fish to the safe internal temperatures in government food safety guidance.
- This recipe is general information, not medical or nutrition advice. If you have an allergy, a health condition or a special diet, check with a qualified health professional.
