Skip the takeout and make this crispy orange chicken right at home in under 40 minutes! My easy recipe delivers golden, crunchy chicken tossed in a bright, tangy orange sauce that’s sweet, savory, and just a little spicy. If you’ve ever wondered how to make fried orange chicken that actually stays crispy after being sauced, this recipe was tested with that exact goal in mind.
Top Reader Review
I’ve made it twice and it is fantastic! My family absolutely went nuts over it!. It’s in my “favorites” file and I’m looking forward to making it again!
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Breaded and Fried Orange Chicken Bites
My breaded orange chicken recipe uses a simple egg, flour, and cornstarch coating that fries up light and crisp instead of thick or doughy. I make the orange sauce with real orange juice and zest for fresh citrus flavor, and I balance it with honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar so it’s not overly sweet.
Seriously guys, give the takeout a miss this week! This is so delicious and fresh, it will easily rival your favorite Chinese restaurant.
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Wait to Toss with Sauce
Let the fried chicken pieces rest for 2-3 minutes before tossing them in the orange sauce. This short rest allows steam to escape and the coating to fully set, so the chicken stays crispy even after it’s coated in the orange sauce. Tossing it immediately can trap moisture and soften the crust.
Crispy Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the Orange Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce (*)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha (optional)
- 1 cup orange juice (from 4 oranges**)
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (from 1 orange)
- ¼ cup honey
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
For the Crispy Chicken:
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (chopped into bite-sized pieces***)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1½ cups vegetable oil
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add garlic and ginger, cooking for another minute.1 teaspoon sesame oil, ¼ cup onion, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, 2 cloves garlic
- Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, orange juice, orange zest, and honey. Whisk together well and bring to a low boil.¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon Sriracha, 1 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons orange zest, ¼ cup honey
- Combine cornstarch and water to a make a slurry, and add to the sauce.1½ tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
- Reduce heat to a simmer and whisk well until the sauce thickens. Remove the sauce from heat.
- In a large bowl, add eggs and salt. Beat the eggs. Add chicken pieces to the eggs, stirring well to coat.2 large eggs, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour and cornstarch.½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup cornstarch
- Add chicken pieces to the flour mixture, tossing until well coated.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.1½ cups vegetable oil
- Working in batches, add a portion of the chicken pieces to the oil.
- Fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through, until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Place the chicken on a sheet pan or plate lined with paper towel.
- Add fried chicken to a large bowl. Pour the orange sauce over the chicken and toss well to coat each piece in the sauce.
- Serve with rice and garnish with chopped green onion if desired.
Notes
- Zest the orange before juicing it for maximum yield.
- This crispy orange chicken is fairly mild, but you can omit the sriracha if you are particularly sensitive to spicy foods.
- If the orange sauce is too thick, add a bit more orange juice to thin it out. If it’s too thin, continue simmering until it thickens up.
- Ensure that the chicken pieces are thoroughly coated in the egg and flour before frying, so that they get crispy all over. Shake off the excess so you don’t get pockets of raw flour.
- Try to maintain an oil temperature of 325-350°F so the chicken pieces don’t turn out undercooked, soggy, or burned.
- Cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the oil and making the chicken soggy. Let the oil come back up to temperature between batches.
- Properly cooked chicken should read 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Let the chicken drain on paper towels to avoid making it greasy or softening the coating.
- Toss the chicken in the sauce while warm so it evenly coats each piece.
- I love to serve this crispy chicken with some plain white rice and steamed broccoli for a great, tasty meal. It’s great with cauliflower rice and noodles too!
- Reheat in a 375°F oven for 5-10 minutes or in a 350°F air fryer for 4-6 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Why Cornstarch Matters
Cornstarch is the secret to that light, crispy coating. Unlike flour, cornstarch has no gluten, so it doesn’t absorb as much moisture when it hits the hot oil. That means the coating fries up crisp instead of bready and stays crunchy longer after it’s tossed in the orange sauce.
Combining the cornstarch with flour gives you the best of both worlds: enough structure to cling to the chicken, plus a crisp, crackly finish that doesn’t turn soggy right away.
How to Make Crispy Orange Chicken Step by Step
Sauté the Onion: Heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add ¼ cup of finely chopped onion and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until softened. Add 2 minced cloves of garlic and 1 tablespoon of minced fresh ginger, cooking for another minute, or until fragrant.
Mix the Sauce: Add ¼ cup of low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Sriracha, 1 cup of orange juice, 2 tablespoons of orange zest, and ¼ cup of honey. Whisk together well and bring to a low boil.
Make the Slurry: Combine 1½ tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry, then add it to the sauce. This will help make the sauce super thick and glossy.
Thicken the Sauce: Reduce the heat to a simmer, and whisk well until the sauce thickens up to your liking. If it gets too thick, thin it back out with some orange juice. Remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside while you fry the chicken.
Dredge the Chicken: In a large bowl, add 2 large eggs and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Beat the eggs. Add 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces, stirring well to coat.
Mix the Breading: In a separate large bowl, whisk together ½ cup of all-purpose flour and ½ cup of cornstarch. The cornstarch helps give the chicken a light and crispy crust.
Bread the Chicken: Add the egg-coated chicken pieces to the flour mixture, tossing until well coated. Shake off the excess so the pieces don’t turn out floury.
Heat the Oil: Heat 1½ cups of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Try to maintain a temperature of 325-350°F throughout frying. This will ensure the chicken pieces don’t turn out undercooked, burned, or soggy.
Fry the Chicken: Working in batches, add a portion of the chicken pieces to the oil, and fry for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Don’t overcrowd the oil, or the temperature will drop, and the chicken pieces will turn out soggy. The chicken pieces are done when the breading is golden brown, and they are cooked through to 165°F.
Continue Frying: Place the cooked chicken pieces on a sheet pan or plate lined with paper towels (to help drain off any excess oil so they stay crisp), then continue frying the remaining chicken pieces.
Toss and Serve: Add the fried chicken pieces to a large bowl. Pour the orange sauce over the chicken and toss well to coat each piece in the sauce. Serve with rice and garnish with chopped green onion if desired.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover crispy orange chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a 375°F oven for 5-10 minutes, or in the 350°F air fryer for 4-6 minutes.
More Exclusive Recipes to Try!
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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