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overhead view of a serving of crispy orange chicken in a bowl with rice and broccoli.
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4.60 from 10 votes

Crispy Orange Chicken Recipe

This crispy orange chicken features lightly breaded, fried chicken tossed in a bright, tangy orange sauce that stays crunchy and full of flavor.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: asian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 667kcal
Author: Becky Hardin

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
    sautéeing garlic, onion, and ginger in a saucepan with a wooden spatula.
  • 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
    orange sauce ingredients in a saucepan.
  • Combine cornstarch and water to a make a slurry, and add to the sauce.
    1½ tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
    adding a cornstarch slurry to orange sauce.
  • Reduce heat to a simmer and whisk well until the sauce thickens. Remove the sauce from heat.
    thickened orange sauce in a saucepan with a wooden spatula.
  • 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
    stirring chicken pieces in raw egg in a bowl with a rubber spatula.
  • In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour and cornstarch.
    ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup cornstarch
    flour and cornstarch in a glass bowl.
  • Add chicken pieces to the flour mixture, tossing until well coated.
    tossing egg-coated chicken pieces in flour and cornstarch with a rubber spatula.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
    1½ cups vegetable oil
    vegetable oil in a pan.
  • Working in batches, add a portion of the chicken pieces to the oil.
    frying breaded chicken pieces in 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.
    removing fried chicken pieces from oil.
  • 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.

Video

Notes

*For a gluten-free option, use tamari or coconut aminos.
**You can use bottled orange juice, but the sauce will be sweeter.
***This recipe is great with both chicken breast and thighs, but thighs take a bit longer to cook. 
Tips:
  • 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.
Make-Ahead: You can make the orange sauce up to 3 days ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Bring up to room temperature, or gently warm on the stovetop, before tossing in freshly-fried chicken.
Storage: Store crispy orange chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days, or freeze for 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 667kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 238mg | Sodium: 1254mg | Potassium: 1121mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 345IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 3mg