This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy
This quick and easy Orange Chicken recipe is a healthier version you can make at home in just minutes. Slightly sweet, tangy, with a hint of spice. It will quickly become a family favorite!
Orange chicken is a classic American take out dish. It is traditionally made by breading and frying pieces of chicken and then tossing them in a sweet orange sauce. It can be a very heavy dish with the fried chicken and the sticky sweet sauce, but this homemade Orange Chicken is anything but! It uses chicken breast pieces that are just browned in a skillet and then you use fresh oranges to make a delicious sauce. It is the flavors you want, without the heaviness and sticky sweetness of takeout.
And that means you can have it more often!
Why You’ll Love This Orange Chicken Recipe
- Fast – You can have this on the table in about 20 minutes! Super fast and great for a quick weeknight dinner.
- Easy – this uses ingredients that you can find in just about any grocery store, and comes together super easily with just a few minutes of work.
- Healthy – there is no frying of the chicken for this, and just a little honey is added. So it is so much better for you than your local take out place!
- Flavorful – this uses fresh oranges, so it is loaded with sweet, tart, and tangy and it just a delicious and flavorful dish.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Chicken Breasts – but them into bite sized pieces
- Olive Oil – you really can use any oil for browning the meat. Vegetable oil, avocado oil…they all work!
- Garlic
- Orange Juice – the recipe calls for fresh oranges, any variety will work great
- Orange Zest – this really adds more vibrant orange flavor
- Ginger
- Honey
- Soy Sauce
- Rice Vinegar
- Chili Garlic Sauce – Lee Kum Kee, Dynasty, and Huy Fong are 3 brands that sell it in most US grocery stores in the Asian foods aisle.
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Green Onions – optional garnish
- Sesame Seeds – optional garnish
How To Make Orange Chicken
- Cook Chicken. In a large skillet, heat the oil and brown the chicken for a few minutes until it is browned and mostly cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until you can start to smell It.
- Make The Sauce. Meanwhile, mix together orange juice, orange zest, ginger, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and chili garlic sauce until well blended.
- Add Sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the sauce in with the chicken. Stir until it is well coated.
- Make Slurry. In a small bowl combine the water and cornstarch, stir until it is dissolved. Pour into the chicken mixture, and bring to a simmer. Cook for just a couple minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Serve. Remove the chicken from the heat and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Orange Juice. The recipe calls for fresh orange juice because it is going to give you the best flavor without any added ingredients. But you can use a bottled juice if that is what you have. You can skip the zest if you don’t use fresh oranges, but know your sauce won’t have quite as bright of flavor.
- Chili Garlic Sauce. The amount called for in the recipe isn’t enough to make this orange chicken spicy. It gives it some flavor, but not a lot of heat. If you like the sweet and spicy combo, try to add 2 teaspoons and taste for flavor. You can always add more, or add crushed red pepper flakes for a little more heat if desired.
- Honey. If you don’t have or can’t use honey, you can use brown sugar, agave or even maple syrup. They will all work and give you the sweetness the sauce is known for.
- Ginger. If you don’t have fresh ginger you can use 1 teaspoon of dried ginger. Fresh or even the stuff in the tube will give you the best flavor, so if you have it use it here!
- Saucey. This is a saucey recipe, I like to have extra sauce to serve over rice and have it be able to soak it all up and be flavored as well. If you want a more traditional sticky sauce, you can double the cornstarch called for in the recipe.
What To Serve With Orange Chicken
- Instant Pot Jasmine Rice or any white rice is my favorite way to enjoy this!
- Steamed Broccoli
- Roasted Green Beans
- Asian Coleslaw
- Egg Rolls
Storing Leftover Orange Chicken
You can store leftover orange chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat microwave until warm, or you can heat in a skillet over medium heat until warm.
Freezer – This recipe freezes well! Store in a freezer safe airtight container in the freezer for up to 3
months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Tasty Asian Recipes
- Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
- Char Siu Pork
- Hawaiian Chicken
- Coconut Curry Shrimp
- Easy Sesame Chicken
- Wonton Soup
Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-inch bite size pieces
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 oranges)
- Zest from 1 orange
- 1 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
Slurry
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cold water
- Green onions, optional garnish
- Sesame seeds, optional garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium high heat, add oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the chicken pieces, and cook for 4-5 minutes, until they are browned and mostly cooked through.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until you can start to smell it.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together orange juice, orange zest, ginger, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and chili garlic sauce.
- Reduce the heat to medium low, pour in the sauce, sitting to evenly coat the chicken
- In a small bowl whisk together the water and cornstarch for the slurry. Pour into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until it starts to thicken.
- Remove from heat and top with green onions and sesame seeds of desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I created a fun group on Facebook,and I would love for you to join us! It’s a place where you can
share YOUR favorite recipes, ask questions, and see what’s new at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts (so that you never miss a new recipe)!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram and
tag #dinnersdishes so I can see all the wonderful DINNERS, DISHES, AND DESSERTS
recipes YOU make!
Be sure to follow me on my social media, so you
never miss a post!
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Did you know there is a Dinners,
Dishes, and Desserts SHOP? Lots of different E-Books for sale. Or you can buy me a
coffee to say thanks!
.
This looks absolutely delicious! Now, all I need is some rice, and I’m all set!
What a great idea for tonight! I am so glad to make this orange chicken at home!
It was really a huge hit with my family! Thank you so much! Perfect for busy nights!
I’d love to cook that yummy flavor for me and my son,looks very delicious