Crispy chicken coated in a tangy citrus sauce makes Orange Chicken a satisfying meal, especially when served with steamed rice or your favourite fried rice.
I’m a big fan of tangy and savoury dishes, and Chinese food has always been one of my favourites. With a few oranges sitting on my kitchen benchtop, I decided to try making Orange Chicken at home.
After doing a bit of research online, I came across an interesting recipe over at Rasa Malaysia.
I loved the idea of combining crispy chicken with a tangy orange sauce. I did make one small change to the original method and coated the chicken in the sauce after everything was ready rather than adding it while the sauce was still cooking.
That simple adjustment gave me exactly the result I was looking for. The chicken stayed crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and every piece was coated in a tangy orange sauce. It’s a recipe I enjoy serving with plain steamed rice or fried rice.
Reasons to Make Homemade Orange Chicken
- Bright citrus flavours give this dish a fresh twist compared to many takeout favourites.
- Leftovers make an enjoyable lunch and reheat well for another meal when cooking in larger batches.
- Crispy chicken and a sweet citrus sauce make this a popular choice with kids.
Key Ingredients for Orange Chicken
Chicken Tenderloins
Chicken tenderloins stay tender during frying and cook quickly due to their smaller size. If tenderloins aren’t available, chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces works well too.
Fresh Orange Juice
Fresh orange juice adds natural sweetness and bright citrus flavour to the sauce. Sweet varieties such as Navel oranges are a good choice, although Valencia oranges work well too.
Orange Zest
Orange zest adds concentrated citrus flavour and fragrance. Grate only the orange outer layer, as the white pith underneath can taste bitter.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce contributes saltiness and umami, creating a more balanced flavour. Regular soy sauce works well, although light soy sauce can be used for a slightly milder flavour.
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar softens the sharpness of the citrus and vinegar while adding subtle caramel notes. It also helps create a glossy sauce.
Find the complete list with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Orange Chicken
Prepare the Orange Sauce
Step 1: Combine all the orange sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pass the mixture through a sieve to obtain a smooth sauce, then set aside.
Prepare and Fry the Chicken
Step 1: Combine all the batter ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Step 2: Dip the chicken pieces into the batter, coating them evenly.
Step 3: Deep fry the coated chicken pieces in hot vegetable oil until golden brown and cooked through. Adjust the oil temperature as needed to allow the chicken to cook fully without burning.
Step 4: Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
Make the Orange Chicken
Step 1: Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a wok. Stir-fry the minced garlic and ginger paste for 30 seconds.
Step 2: Add the crushed dried red chillies and orange zest. Pour in the prepared orange sauce and cook until thickened.
Step 3: Coat each fried chicken piece in the sauce and arrange on a serving plate. Garnish with sesame seeds and spoon over extra orange sauce if desired.
Step 4: Serve hot with steamed long-grain rice or fried rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Boneless skinless chicken thighs and chicken breast both work well in this recipe. Cut them into evenly sized bite-sized pieces to help them cook evenly and achieve a similar texture.
If the sauce seems too thin, continue cooking it for a little longer until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. The cornstarch will thicken the sauce as it heats and simmers.
Yes. The texture will be different, but both methods can be used as alternatives to deep-frying. Air frying generally produces a crispier coating than baking, while baking creates a lighter finish. Cook the chicken until it is fully cooked through before coating it in the orange sauce.
Sesame seeds are a classic choice, but thinly sliced green onions, extra orange zest, or a pinch of red pepper flakes also work well. Add the garnish just before serving for the best presentation and flavour.
Yes, although freshly squeezed orange juice provides a brighter citrus flavour. Choose a variety without added sugar if possible.
Extra Help from the Kitchen
Cut the Chicken Evenly – Keep the chicken pieces a similar size to help them cook at the same rate and brown evenly during frying.
Zest the Orange Before Juicing – Grate the orange zest before squeezing the juice, as whole oranges are much easier to zest than juiced ones.
Taste the Sauce Before Cooking – Adjust the vinegar or brown sugar before heating the sauce if your oranges are particularly sweet or tart.
Coat the Chicken Just Before Serving – Toss the fried chicken in the orange sauce shortly before serving to help maintain a crisp coating.
Let Excess Batter Drip Off – Allow any excess batter to drip back into the bowl before frying to create a more even coating on the chicken.
Variations and Twists
Swap in Chicken Thighs – Replace the chicken tenderloins with boneless chicken thighs for a juicier texture and richer flavour. Prepare and fry them using the same method.
Finish with Scallions – Sprinkle thinly sliced scallions over the finished dish for extra freshness and colour. Their mild onion flavour pairs well with the citrus sauce.
Spicier Chinese Orange Chicken – Boost the heat by increasing the crushed dried red chillies and adding a small amount of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
Boost the Orange Flavour – Stir a small amount of orange marmalade into the sauce for a deeper orange flavour and a slightly thicker texture. Reduce the brown sugar slightly if needed.
Create a Crispier Coating – Replace part of the flour in the batter with additional cornstarch for a lighter, crispier coating. Serve immediately after coating the chicken in the sauce for the best texture.
Storage and Shelf Life
Store Orange Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.
Freeze cooled portions in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months for the best texture and flavour.
Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Reheat in a frying pan, wok, or air fryer at 180°C – 350°F until heated through. The coating will soften during storage, particularly after being combined with the sauce.
Chicken Dinners You’ll Also Enjoy
- One Pot Chicken and Lemon Rice
- Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry
- Chicken Karaage
- Lemon Chicken
- Ginger Sesame Chicken
Orange Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g – 1 lb chicken tenderloins – cut into small bite-sized cubes
For the Stir Fry
- ½ tsp dried red chillies – crushed
- 1 ½ to 2 tsp minced orange zest
- 4 cloves garlic – minced
- ½ tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- sesame seeds – for garnish
- oil – for deep frying
For the Orange Sauce
- ½ cup – 120 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup – 60 ml lemon juice
- ¼ cup – 60 ml chicken broth
- 2 tbsp – 30 ml soy sauce
- 2 to 4 tbsp – 30 to 60 ml vinegar – depending on how sweet the oranges are
- 10 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- salt and pepper – to taste
For the Batter
- 1 cup – 240 ml water
- 115 g – 4 oz all-purpose flour
- 55 g – 2 oz cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vegetable oil – plus more for deep frying
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Prepare the Orange Sauce
- Combine all the orange sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pass the mixture through a sieve to obtain a smooth sauce, then set aside.
Prepare and Fry the Chicken
- Combine all the batter ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Dip the chicken pieces into the batter, coating them evenly.
- Deep fry the coated chicken pieces in hot vegetable oil until golden brown and cooked through. Adjust the oil temperature as needed to allow the chicken to cook fully without burning.
- Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
Make the Orange Chicken
- Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a wok. Stir fry the minced garlic and ginger paste for 30 seconds.
- Add the crushed dried red chillies and orange zest. Pour in the prepared orange sauce and cook until thickened.
- Coat each fried chicken piece in the sauce and arrange on a serving plate. Garnish with sesame seeds and spoon over extra orange sauce if desired.
- Serve hot with steamed long-grain rice or fried rice.
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No oranges in the house, but I used this batter on chicken for another recipe. It’s fabulous and a keeper. It’s perfect and doesn’t fall apart and taste wonderful. Thanks so much.
I am so happy you like the batter for the chicken! 🙂 And thank you so much for stopping by and letting me know, I really appreciate it! :-))))) Hope to see you around often! 🙂
That is a great solution and it looks delicious: I can imagine the texture and flavors perfectly by looking at the picture.
Very ameri-chinese but also pretty good! Actually one of my favorite dishes at local chinese restaurants… and now I can make it at home! Thanks!!
You know Arvind loves orange chicken and there is this Chinese restaurant and Arvind will always pick orange chicken 🙂 Thanks for the recipe dear .. will have to make it !
I like it when it’s lightly dipped too. I never care for those cloyingly sweet and heavy sauces. Your orange chicken looks perfect; crispy, sweet and tangy.
It is lunch time here and I am so drooling over your tangy chicken..what a great recipe, and your photos are mmmm so good!
Looks delicious…congrats on top 9!
So much better than take-out. Congratulations on Top 9!
Hooray for the Top 9!!!! xo
Love the looks of your Orange Chicken, i think my family will love this. Also love your photos too
Love, love, love orange chicken! These look wonderful. I’ve always wanted to make this, but … now I have no excuse with such a great recipe that’s been perfected! Question – what type of vinegar? Rice, white, cider?
Hi MJ! I actually used red wine vinegar as that is my staple in the pantry, but I think even white wine vinegar or rice vinegar would work fine. 🙂
Thanks! I’m going to give this a try.
how cute… this reminds me of sweet and sour pork.. only 95% more healthy and so orangey like 🙂
awesome!
It’s so great to see another Chinese dish you cooked and this orange chicken looks so beautiful & delicious with those sesame seeds! 😀
Bellissime foto … adesso … complimenti … dovrò provare a fare la tua ricetta!
Glad you gave this dish another go, Manu. I love this food – crispy, tangy, spicy, delicious!
Bocconcini da primo premio, Manu!
I love meat with orange, and these fritters look delicious! 🙂
Ooooh, I love orange chicken and yours looks perfect! So crispy and golden brown. I’m sure it tasted extra good being homemade. Great idea to make your own instead of ordering take-out!
I love love love orange chicken and I’m so excited to have a recipe to try at home- looks like your modifications created a beautiful dish!!
Another orange chicken lover here! I love the way you cook it, Manu! YUM! Love all the clicks too!
I like Chinese food too. That chicken looks so good!
This looks like an amazing dish, Manu!! So glad you perfected it for us all to try! Have a happy weekend~
Orange chicken is American Chinese food but I have to say I love orange chicken…just don’t tell my husband. Heeheehee. All these pictures made me crave for these chicken! I have to make it myself!!
Hehehe I had guess so… I had actually never eaten it before and I have never seen it on the menu of Chinese restaurants around here… I have seen lemon chicken, but never orange chicken… 😉 I have to say that I have a soft spot for oranges though…. hehehehe
Can you believe I never had orange chicken before? And why order it when you just showed how easy and delish they turn out making it yourself. Whenever we have Chinese food we always go for dim sum and neglect the other dishes. When I manage to make dim sum at home…there will be no more eating out. So you can imagine I am taking my sweet time =)
CRAVING this right now. My husband would love this. Its a favorite of his. Bookmarked 🙂
I Love Chinese Food and this is one of my favorite! Even though Orange Chicken is more of an American-Chinese dish, it’s still Chinese food to me! 🙂 You did the correct way of cooking it by tossing it quickly with the sauce instead of cooking with it. I would even double fry it so ensure its crunchiness. I love the look of those coming from Manu’s Wok, oh I mean Manu’s Menu, he he he.
Have a good weekend, Manu!
~ ray ~
LOL! Thank you sooooo much Ray! <3
Not a huge fan of Chinese Food (I usually find it too greasy), but the one dish I adore is orange chicken. Your batter looks crispy and the sauce sounds delicious!
Oh that looks so good. I love orange and lemon chicken! So tasty 🙂 You’re doing great with your Asian dishes! Buzzed
This is one of my favorite chinese food recipes to make too! Yours looks really yummy!
Oh I love orange chicken! And yours looks especially good!
Manu, these orange balls look incredible. Wonderful photos – making me extremely frustrated since want to taste. Can imagine they are divine with the perfect crisp and that sauce…! Divine. Bon weekend J xo
I love these Manuela! You got the chicken bits perfectly crisp and the sauce looks fantastic and so easy to pull off.
Your orange chicken look so perfect, they’re worth giving the recipe another go. In your first photo, the chicken looked like little orange balls themselves…how amazing! Btw, I’ve missed so many good posts on your blog. I had a good scroll through and i wanted you to know that your last 5 posts are incredible – I love them all!
Ohhhh thank you soooo much Maya! This means a lot coming from you as I respect you and your talent a LOT!!! <3 <3 <3