Orange Chicken

Orange chicken has become a staple in our family. It’s one of my daughter’s favorite dishes, and we make it every other week. It’s one of the easiest recipes in my recipe book, and the flavor rivals any restaurant I’ve ever had orange chicken at. The bright orange flavor and zesty lemon make the sauce irresistible. Don’t be intimidated by the different steps of the recipe – this is so simple to put together that I usually do it after work on a weeknight!

Pro Tip: Make a larger batch of the chicken to freeze. They’re perfect for chicken nuggets, or any other dish. Just skip the second fry and freeze them after they cool from the first fry. The sauce can be refrigerated in a sealed container and will last for 7-10 days – so this can be an even easier weeknight meal!

Orange Chicken has become a staple on my dinner table. The bright orange flavor and zesty lemon make this sauce irresistible. Better yet, this is an easy make-ahead meal!

Prep Time25 min
Cook Time20 min
Total Time45 min
Yield6
Serving SizeServings

Cuisine
- Chinese
- Asian
Course
- Main Course
- Lunch
Suitable for Diet
- Vegetarian

Ingredients

For the Sauce

3/4 Cup Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
4-5 tsp. Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1-inch Fresh Ginger, grated
2-3 Garlic cloves, grated
Zest of 1 orange
Sriracha, to taste (optional)

For the Marinade

2-3 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1-1.5” pieces. Remove any fat.
1 Egg
1/8 tsp. White Pepper
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Shao Xing Cooking Wine, or Dry Sherry
1 tsp. Corn Starch

For the Breading

1/2-1 Cup Corn Starch
1/4-1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour

Method

Sauce Method

Zest 1 orange, set aside.

Juice orange to get 3/4 cup. Juice lemon to get 1/4 cup.

Dissolve cornstarch and sugar into orange & lemon juice.

Heat over medium-high about 6-8 minutes, or until sauce clears up and thickens (soft boil).

Remove from heat, add Orange Zest. Stir to combine. Will keep in fridge 7-10 days. Makes about 1-3/4 Cup.

Marinade Method

Place chicken in a bowl with egg, soy sauce, cooking wine, white pepper and 1 tsp. Corn starch. Mix by hand very thoroughly. There should be minimal marinade on the bottom of the bowl after mixing.

Let chicken marinate for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator.

In another bowl, combine corn starch and flour, mix well.

Coat the chicken pieces in the flour mixture and deep fry at 350° in batches for 3-5 minutes.

Let rest on wire rack for about 5 minutes and fry again for another 1-2 minutes or until nicely golden.

Serving

In a hot pan or wok, pour orange sauce and when it begins to boil, add all the fried chicken.

Toss well to coat in sauce and serve immediately over white rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions if desired.

The sauce easily doubles and can store in the refrigerator for 7-10 days in a sealed container. You can also make a large batch of the fried chicken to freeze, just skip the second fry. Perfect if you want to make-ahead or have some late-night chicken nuggets!