This Orange Chicken delivers crispy, golden bites of chicken coated in a glossy sweet-tangy sauce. The homemade version rivals your favorite takeout, with perfect texture and vibrant citrus flavor. You control the crispiness and balance for a truly satisfying meal.

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Why You’ll Love This Orange Chicken

• Better-than-takeout crispiness: Double-frying creates an incredibly crunchy exterior.
• Perfectly balanced sauce: Fresh orange and savory notes create a complex, addictive flavor.
• Surprisingly simple: Straightforward steps yield a glossy, professional result.
• Incredibly versatile: Great over rice, in lettuce wraps, or as a bao bun filling.

Ingredients & Tools

For the Chicken:

• 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 4 cups neutral oil (like vegetable or canola), for frying

For the Sauce:

• 1 cup fresh orange juice (from about 3-4 oranges)
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (slurry)

Tools: A large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot for frying, a wire rack set over a baking sheet, a whisk, and a large skillet or wok for the sauce.

Notes: Using fresh orange juice and zest is non-negotiable here — it gives the sauce a vibrant, authentic citrus aroma that bottled juice just can’t match. And don’t skip the slurry; it’s the secret to that beautifully thick, glossy coating that clings to the chicken.

Nutrition (per serving)

Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• Chicken thighs over breasts? Absolutely. Thighs have more fat, which means they stay incredibly juicy and tender during the frying process, while breasts can easily dry out.
• Why double-fry the chicken? The first fry cooks the chicken through, and the second fry at a slightly higher temperature creates an ultra-crispy, non-greasy crust. It’s a game-changer for texture.
• Is fresh ginger and garlic really that important? In a word, yes. The pungent, aromatic quality of fresh aromatics forms the flavor foundation of the sauce. The jarred stuff will make it taste flat in comparison.
• What’s the deal with the cornstarch slurry? This is our thickening agent. Adding it at the end gives you maximum control over the sauce’s consistency, allowing you to stop when it’s perfectly glossy and clinging to a spoon.

How to Make Orange Chicken

Storage & Freshness Guide

• Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Freeze sauced chicken in a sealed container for up to 1 month.
• Reviving: Reheat in an air fryer or oven at 375°F to restore crispiness.

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• Steamed Jasmine Rice — The fluffy, slightly sticky grains are the perfect canvas to soak up every last drop of that incredible orange sauce.
• Simple Stir-Fried Bok Choy — Its mild, slightly bitter flavor and crisp texture provide a refreshing contrast to the rich, saucy chicken.
• Vegetable Spring Rolls — They add a different, lighter crunch and a savory element that complements the main dish wonderfully.

Drinks

• Iced Green Tea — Its clean, slightly astringent taste cuts through the sweetness and richness of the dish, cleansing the palate between bites.
• A Crisp Lager — The beer’s carbonation and mild bitterness are a classic pairing that balances the sticky-sweet sauce perfectly.
• Gewürztraminer White Wine — This aromatic wine has notes of lychee and spice that harmonize beautifully with the citrus and ginger in the chicken.

Something Sweet

• Mango Sorbet — Its bright, tropical fruitiness is a light and refreshing way to end the meal without feeling too heavy.
• Fortune Cookies — It’s a fun, thematic finish that brings the whole takeout-at-home experience full circle.
• Lychee Jelly — These are cool, delicately sweet, and provide a unique, gelatinous texture that’s a lovely palate cleanser.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistake: Crowding the pot while frying. Adding too much chicken at once will cause the oil temperature to plummet, resulting in greasy, soggy chicken instead of a crispy crust. Patience is key — fry in small batches.
• Mistake: Adding the sauce to the chicken in the pot. Always add the chicken to the sauce in the skillet, not the other way around. This gives you more control and helps prevent the crispy coating from getting steamed and soft.
• Mistake: Skipping the zest. The orange zest is packed with aromatic oils that provide the quintessential “orange” flavor. The juice alone will make the sauce taste one-dimensional and less vibrant.
• Mistake: Letting the coated chicken sit too long. If the cornstarch-coated chicken sits for more than 10-15 minutes before frying, the coating can become gummy and pasty, leading to a less crisp result.

Expert Tips

• Tip: Use a thermometer for the oil. Guessing the oil temperature is a recipe for disappointment. A simple candy/deep-fry thermometer ensures you hit the exact right temps for the first and second fry, which is the secret to perfect texture.
• Tip: Zest your oranges before juicing them. It is infinitely easier to zest a whole, firm orange than it is to try and zest the floppy, juiced-out rinds afterward. A little planning makes the prep so much smoother.
• Tip: Make a double batch of sauce. The sauce is so good you’ll want extra. Having more on hand means you can really drench your chicken or save some to spoon over your rice. It keeps well in the fridge for a week.
• Tip: Re-crisp leftovers in the air fryer. If you have leftovers, reheat them in an air fryer at 375°F for 3-4 minutes. It will bring back a surprising amount of the original crispiness that the microwave would destroy.

FAQs

Can I bake the chicken instead of frying it?
You can, but the texture will be different. For a baked version, toss the cornstarch-coated chicken in a little oil and bake on a wire rack set on a baking sheet at 425°F (220°C) for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway, until cooked and crispy. Then toss with the sauce. It will be more of a “crispy-edged” texture rather than an all-over crunch, but it’s still delicious and a great lighter option.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?
Store the sauced orange chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The best way to reheat is in an air fryer or a conventional oven at 375°F until hot. This will help re-crisp the coating. The microwave will make it soft and steamy, so it’s not my first recommendation, but it works in a pinch if you’re short on time.

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Absolutely! Simply replace the all-purpose flour in the initial coating with a gluten-free 1:1 baking blend, and use tamari or a certified gluten-free soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce in the sauce. The rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free, so it’s a very easy swap.

My sauce didn’t thicken. What happened?
The most common culprit is that the sauce wasn’t at a full simmer when you added the cornstarch slurry. Cornstarch needs that heat to activate and thicken properly. If this happens, just mix another tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and whisk it into the simmering sauce. It should thicken up right away.

Is it okay to use bottled orange juice?
While you can use it in an absolute pinch, I really don’t recommend it. Bottled juice often has preservatives and a cooked, flat flavor that lacks the bright, fresh acidity of freshly squeezed juice. That vibrant citrus aroma is a hallmark of this dish, and fresh oranges make all the difference.