Orange Chicken
Moist chicken, crunchy coating, and a sweet/savory glaze of orange, soy, sesame oil, and garlic. Better than takeout, this easy-to-make orange chicken will amaze you!
What’s the secret to perfectly moist and crispy orange chicken? Cornstarch in the coating! Once the chicken pieces are coated in egg, they’re tossed in a blend of cornstarch and flour. It’s the cornstarch that ensures a golden, crisp exterior and moist interior. For gluten-free orange chicken, use your favorite gluten-free flour.
This sauce in this orange chicken is incredible. It’s got the perfect balance of salty and sweet, and it coats every piece of chicken in the most magical way. Plus, the ingredients are pantry staples (or pantry must-haves if you don’t have them already), so you can make this dish on any busy weeknight.
Want to save time and dodge cleanup? Use your kitchen shears/scissors to cut the chicken! That way you don’t have a cutting board to clean and there’s no risk of cross contamination!
Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, regular or gluten-free
- 1 pound chicken tenders, or boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
For the Orange Sauce
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin, Japanese rice wine
- 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Chopped green onions for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- To prepare the chicken, in a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside.
- In another shallow bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup cornstarch and flour.
- Heat about 1/2-inch of vegetable oil in a high-sided skillet or wok over medium-high heat, until it reaches 350 to 375 degrees.
- Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and turn to coat. Transfer the chicken to the cornstarch mixture and turn to coat. Shake off any excess cornstarch mixture.
- Working in batches to prevent crowding the pan, add the chicken to the hot oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain.
- Wipe out the excess oil from the pan. To make the sauce, add the orange juice, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic powder to the same pan and whisk until blended.
- Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the water and tablespoon of cornstarch. Add the mixture to the pan and cook for 1 minute, until the sauce thickens.
- Top the chicken with green onions and serve.