An easy orange chicken recipe that creates crispy chicken without deep-frying and a scrumptious orange sauce that is very fragrant and not too sugary. Make this dish at home to enjoy restaurant style Chinese food made with healthier ingredients! Originating from the fusion of Chinese and American flavors, orange chicken has become an iconic symbol of Chinese-American takeout. The dish’s roots can be traced back to the 1930s when Chinese immigrants settled in the United States and adapted their traditional recipes to suit the American palate. Orange chicken, with its crispy battered chicken pieces coated in a tangy and citrusy sauce, soon emerged as a popular favorite, blending the best of both culinary worlds. Today, I want to share my own version of orange chicken: My goal was to create a fragrant and delicious orange chicken that is not loaded with oil, salt or sugar, so you won’t feel guilty enjoying it!
Orange chicken ingredients
Tangerine peels
If you do not have tangerine peel, I highly recommend using fresh tangerine peel for this dish. Instead of zesting the peel, I prefer to use a peeler to remove the outer layer of orange colored skin. Then I slice the peels into thin pieces. It adds a nice flavor with a good presentation, without making the dish too zesty.
What cut of chicken to use
I prefer to use chicken thigh due to its flavor. Plus chicken thigh will stay juicier during the cooking process. However, feel free to use chicken breast if you prefer.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
Orange chicken sauce Marinated chicken coated with cornstarch Green onion and garlic (you can further combine both into a bowl for easy cleanup later)
How to cook orange chicken
Cooking orange chicken is super easy. Once you try this method, you won’t need to hunt down another recipe to create crispy chicken!
Cooking notes
What pan to use for making orange chicken?
A large nonstick skillet is my favorite for making orange chicken. Not only can you properly sear all the chicken pieces in one batch, but you can also use less oil. One thing to note, orange chicken sauce is slightly acidic, so it may damage the seasoning on your skillet if you use a cast iron or carbon steel pan.
Let the chicken pieces cool off before mixing with the sauce
Once you sear all the chicken pieces, it’s best to let the chicken cool off for 2 to 3 minutes first. The crust will crisp up a bit more during this time. And the crust will hold up to the sauce better without turning soggy immediately after you add the liquid ingredients.
How to serve orange chicken
You can serve orange chicken as a main course by itself, or with steamed rice for a one-bowl meal. To make a full Chinese meal, try it with egg drop soup and my 4-ingredient bok choy stir fry. I also like to serve my orange chicken with this 5-minute egg fried rice dish.
Other delicious Chinese takeout
Chicken Lo Mein (Restaurant Style Without A Wok) Beef with Snow Peas Crispy Peanut Butter Chicken Pork Chop Suey Cashew Chicken (腰果鸡丁)
