Classic Orange Chicken

Adding to my ever growing list of Chinese takeaway at home recipes, this recipe is a classic! This time around, I am tackling the crispy chicken coated in a delicious orange sauce with an Asian flair and little kick. Classic Orange chicken is a staple on almost any American Chinese food menu and going to be one you will want on your meal rotation for sure!

I have learned that the trick to that nice glossy finish on the sauce, is cornstarch! It allows the sauce to thicken up without turning cloudy. The key is to make sure that you get it thoroughly mixed into the sauce before adding it to the heat. This way you don’t end up with any clumps that can have a very unpleasant and gummy effect on your sauce. If you don’t have an orange and/or honey – you can also use a couple tablespoons of orange marmalade in place of the zest and honey in this recipe.

The method I share for coating the chicken in the recipe is one you can use in so many other recipes. It comes out super crispy and adheres so well to the chicken. You also don’t have to use excessive amounts of flour or oil in the preparation. If you wanted to use this method to make some quick chicken nuggets, just swap out the ginger for paprika. Leave everything else the same and always use your meat thermometer to make sure it’s cooked through.

This chicken dish is great served with just some nice steamed white rice. But if you want to get the full Chinese take out experience at home, you could go with any one of my other recipes – like Simple Chow Mein, Fried Rice or even Crispy Fried Wontons. I will also point out this recipe for orange chicken is great the next day too – so if you do end up with any leftover, just pack them up for lunch!

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Orange Chicken

Crispy chicken pieces in a delicious homemade Asian orange sauce with a little kick.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Chinese

Keyword asian orange sauce, boneless skinless chicken thighs, chicken thighs, chinese fakeaway, chinese food, crispy chicken, orange chicken

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• Oil for frying
• 2 stalks Green Onion chopped
• 1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds

For the Chicken

• 1½ lb Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 Large Eggs beaten
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger
• 2 cups Flour
• ½ cup Cornstarch
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger

For the Asian Orange Sauce

• 1½ cup Orange Juice
• ¼ cup Soy Sauce
• ¼ cup Honey
• ¼ cup Rice Vinegar
• 1 Zest of Large Navel Orange
• 2 tbsp Corn Starch
• 1 tbsp Grated Ginger
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Instructions

• Combine all sauce ingredients a small sauce pan. Bring just a bubble over medium-high heat. Then reduce to medium low and let simmer.
• In a large mixing bowl, add cut chicken. Combine ginger and beaten eggs. Pour over chicken and toss to evenly coat. Combine flour, cornstarch, salt and ginger. Add flour to bowl and toss to evenly coat.
• Add enough oil to a frying pan to be about ½ inch deep and put over high heat. Once up to at least 375degF, start add coated pieces of chicken (shake a little to separate). Do not over crowd the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to a baking rack over paper towels on a baking sheet. Repeat till all chicken in cooked.
• On a large serving dish, pile crispy chicken, then pour orange sauce over top. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with rice or noodles.