Create a sweet and savory healthy version of your favorite Asian-inspired dish with this Air Fryer Orange Chicken recipe. It’s sweet, delicious, and perfect to serve with fried rice or white rice.
Air Fryer Orange Chicken Recipe
When you’re ordering from takeout restaurants, do you often get the orange chicken? It’s a sweet and delicious sauce over crispy chicken that tastes amazing. The best news is that you can make it at home!
If you’d like to try it, follow this easy Air Fryer Orange Chicken recipe. It’s delicious and much healthier than takeout. Save your money and make this flavorful meal at home for the family.
Why You’ll Love this Air Fried Orange Chicken:
- Healthier: If you love orange chicken, this is a healthier version that tastes just as great!
- Serve with any side: You can serve the sweet and savory chicken with your favorite sides, such as broccoli and fried rice, white rice, or fried cauliflower rice.
- Customizable: You can make the chicken spicy by adding some red pepper flakes to the orange sauce, but it’s optional!
How to make Orange Chicken in an Air Fryer
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Coat your Air Fryer basket with olive oil cooking spray.
- Beat an egg in one bowl and then add cornstarch into a separate bowl.
- Chop your chicken, dip the pieces into the egg, and then coat the pieces with cornstarch.
- Put the chicken in the Air Fryer, cooking it at 375 degrees for around 12-14 minutes.
- Set the chicken off to the side and allow it to cool down a bit before you add the homemade orange sauce to it.
- You can prepare the orange sauce with orange juice, soy sauce, orange zest, grated ginger, and the other ingredients while your chicken fries in the Air Fryer.
What type of chicken do I need for this recipe?
You’re going to need chicken breasts cut into 1” cubes. You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you have those on hand.
How long does it cook in the Air Fryer?
The chicken needs to be cooked in the Air Fryer for about 12-14 minutes. It should have a golden brown appearance on the outside and register at 165 degrees internally.
Is the orange sauce spicy?
No, the orange sauce isn’t spicy at all. It has a sweet taste to it that complements the chicken well. You can add some red pepper flakes for a little more spice, if you’d like.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Be sure to let the hot chicken cool down for at least five minutes before you add your sauce to it. If you add the sauce too soon, the chicken will get soggy.
- Green onion and sesame seeds are two ingredients you can use to garnish your chicken. Parsley is also a great choice!
- Make sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure that your chicken is cooked all the way through before you add any sauce to it.
Prepare the Air Fryer Orange Chicken to enjoy a tasty and healthier version of one of your favorite foods. It’s an easy meal to make that you and your children can enjoy!
More air fryer chicken recipes we love
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Flamin’ Hot Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Fried Chicken
- Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 pound chicken breasts cut into 1” cubes
- 1 egg beaten with a splash of water
- ½ cup cornstarch
For the Orange Sauce
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil spray and set it aside.
- Place the beaten egg in a large bowl and the cornstarch in another large bowl.
- Dip the chicken, a few pieces at a time, into the egg followed by the cornstarch.
- Then, place the breaded chicken in the air fryer and cook at 375 for 12-14 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown on the outside and registers 165F on an instant read thermometer.
- Allow the chicken to cool for 5 minutes before saucing– this will help prevent it from getting soggy.
For the Orange Sauce (while the chicken fries)
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Allow the sauce to thicken until it can coat the back of a spoon– about 2 minutes of simmering. Set aside to cool for at least five minutes before adding to the chicken.
- Once the chicken and sauce have cooled slightly, add them both to a large bowl and toss to combine. Garnish with green onion, parsley, and/or sesame seeds. Enjoy immediately.
Parker Hahn says
Horrible. Tasted awful, the sauce didn’t thicken, and way too much cornstarch
Becky Hardin says
I am sorry this didn’t work for you!