This quick and easy Orange Chicken features crispy chicken in a tangy, sweet sauce. Serve it over rice for a delicious homemade takeout-inspired meal in 40 minutes!
If you’re craving a sweet and savoury dish that’s bursting with flavour, look no further than this homemade Orange Chicken recipe.
With crispy, golden chicken cubes coated in a tangy and slightly sweet orange sauce, this dish brings the vibrant flavours of your favourite takeout right into your kitchen. Whether you’re cooking for a weeknight meal or a weekend treat, this easy-to-follow recipe will have you whipping up a delicious, restaurant-quality dish in under 30 minutes.
With simple ingredients and straightforward steps, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that pairs perfectly with a side of fluffy rice. Let’s dive in and make some mouthwatering Orange Chicken!
Preparing Homemade Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Meat
Chicken breast: Chicken breasts are considered the white meat of a chicken. They are thick and tender when cooked just right. When overcooked, however, they become dry and tough to eat.
Produce
Ginger: For this recipe, we use fresh ginger which is the root of the ginger plant. It is native to Asia and is packed with antioxidants. Ginger is often used for medicinal purposes in Eastern medicine and is packed with flavour.
Drinks
Orange juice: Orange juice is a popular beverage made by extracting the juice from fresh oranges. It is known for its bright, tangy flavor and natural sweetness, often enjoyed as a breakfast drink. Rich in vitamin C, it is also a good source of other vitamins and minerals, including folate and potassium.
Pantry
Baking soda: Also known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda is a leavening agent that is alkaline, and is activated by acid in recipes. It gives baked goods a fluffy and light texture.
Flour: All-purpose white flour is all you need for this recipe. It’s the key component to thickening the cheese sauce.
Cornstarch: Corn starch is a flour made from corn kernels. It is a white powder, finer than other flours and is most often used as a thickening, as it is in this recipe.
Neutral oil: They are called neutral because they have no flavour. These oils include sunflower oil and vegetable oil among others.
Soy sauce: Made from fermented soybeans and wheat, this Chinese condiment is salty and very dark in colour. There are many different varieties of soy sauce but we use dark soy sauce for this recipe.
Sesame oil: Sesame oil is a vegetable oil made from sesame seeds. It has a nutty and earthy taste that is very strong. Its use is often limited to flavouring foods versus other oils that are milder and are used for more general cooking.
Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar is made from fermented rice. It is slightly sweet in flavour and milder than some other vinegar. It is a popular ingredient in many Asian dishes.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar is a mixture of white sugar and molasses. Molasses is responsible for the darker colour. We use dark brown sugar for this recipe but any brown sugar will do.
How to Make Homemade Orange Chicken
This may get a little messy but it’s totally worth it.
Step 1: Prep the chicken
Start by cutting the chicken breast into 1-inch cubes.
To make the coating for the chicken, combine the flour, cornstarch and baking soda is a medium bowl.
Add the chicken cubes to the bowl with the flour mixture and toss to coat each cube.
TIP: You can use a large zip-loc bag to coat the chicken as well. Just combine the ingredients in the bag then toss in the chicken cubes, close the bag and shake it around.
Step 2: Cook the chicken
Add the oil to a large pan and warm up on medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the coated chicken to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
TIP: Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken in multiple batches to get that perfect crisp and golden colour.
Step 3: Make the sauce
While the chicken is cooking make the sauce. Combine the orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, brown sugar and cornstarch in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk well until there are no clumps.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the sauce to the pan and cook on low for another 10 minutes to thicken it.
Serving Homemade Orange Chicken
This orange chicken is best served over basmati rice topped with freshly chopped green onions and some sesame seeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make orange chicken vegetarian?
Yes!! And there are options. You can use firm tofu or cauliflower florets. If using firm tofu, cut it into 1/2-inch cubes, then follow the same steps for coating and frying. And voila, you will have orange tofu. If using cauliflower, cut the florets into bite-size pieces then proceed to coating it.
Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Orange Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Large pan with lid
- Knife
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken breasts cubed
- 2 cups cooked white rice
Coating:
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- 2 tbsp Flour
- ¼ cup neutral oil
Sauce:
- ¾ cup Orange juice
- ¼ cup Soy sauce
- ½ tsp Sesame oil
- ½ tbsp Rice vinegar
- 1 cube Ginger
- 3 tbsp brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
Instructions
- Start by cutting the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.2 Chicken breasts cubed
- Next, add the coating ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk or stir to combine well.1/4 cup Cornstarch, 1/2 tsp Baking soda, 2 tbsp Flour
- Add the oil to a large pan and warm up on medium heat.1/4 cup neutral oil
- Add the chicken cubes to the bowl with the flour mixture and toss to coat each cube.
- Once the oil is hot, add the coated chicken to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
- While the chicken is cooking make the sauce. Combine the orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, brown sugar and cornstarch in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk well until there are no clumps.3/4 cup Orange juice, 1/4 cup Soy sauce, 1/2 tsp Sesame oil, 1/2 tbsp Rice vinegar, 1 cube Ginger, 3 tbsp brown Sugar, 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- Once the chicken is cooked, add the sauce to the pan and cook on low for another 10 minutes to thicken it.
- Serve over rice topped with green onions and sesame seeds.
