Asian Chinese Main Dishes Chicken Orange Chicken 4.6 (2,054) 1,555 Reviews 230 Photos This orange chicken recipe is sticky, sweet, and delicious. It tastes similar to the orange chicken from a popular Chinese restaurant in the mall! It's easier to make than you think for delicious takeout at home. Submitted by HARRY WETZEL Updated on September 24, 2024 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 230 230 230 230 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Additional Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins Servings: 4 Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe Make your own orange chicken at home with this top-rated recipe. You don't have to go out to enjoy delicious, Asian-inspired cuisine! Over 1,300 Allrecipes community members have rated this recipe 5 stars, so you already know it's going to be great! Have some rice on deck because you won't be able to resist the temptation of immediately biting into this sweet and sticky chicken. What Is Orange Chicken? Orange chicken is a popular item at Chinese restaurants. It consists of small cubes of chicken that are breaded, pan-fried, and coated in an orange sauce. The orange sauce is sweet with a little tang and a hint of spice. It's mainly known for its orange flavor (as you can guess from the name). It's typically made with orange juice and orange zest to achieve the citrus flavor. Is Orange Chicken Chinese? Even though you see orange chicken at Chinese restaurants in America, it's not a typical Chinese dish. Instead, it was popularized by American Chinese restaurants — alongside General Tso's chicken, which is also not traditional Chinese food. How to Make Orange Chicken You'll find the full step-by-step recipe below, but here's what you can expect when making orange chicken: Make the Sauce Combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then let cool. Once cool, transfer to a zip-top bag with chicken and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours. Make the Chicken After the chicken is marinated, coat it in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook it in a skillet until it's brown on both sides. Combine Sauce and Chicken Add the sauce to an empty skillet and bring it to a boil. Add cornstarch and water (to thicken it), then the chicken pieces. Let it simmer until everything is combined. How to Store Orange Chicken Store orange chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for three to five days. Reheat the chicken in a skillet — you may need to add water to fix the sauce's consistency. How to Freeze Orange Chicken Freeze orange chicken in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag for up to three months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise "I made this for my family and got raves. I didn't have any green onions so I left onion out and I cut back a little bit on the red pepper flakes. It was so good. I served it with brown rice and it was perfect. I didn't have any leftovers even though I used 4 chicken breasts. I will definitely be making this again," according to Carol. "Delicious!" raves elcue. "Made as written, plus a spoonful of OJ concentrate because we like bold flavor. Marinated the chicken for about 4 hours. Thanks to the cook who suggested pouring the sauce over the chicken when serving. None of the coating fell off!" "My family, even my 13 year old grandson, loved it. The only change was the marinating for 2 hours. It was a last minute dinner idea and I didn't have 2 hours so I put it in the freezer for 20 minutes and it worked out fine," says Firebird91. Editorial contributions by Bailey Fink Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings Sauce: 1 ½ cups water ⅓ cup rice vinegar ¼ cup lemon juice 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons chopped green onion 1 tablespoon grated orange zest ½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger root ½ teaspoon minced garlic ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons water Chicken: 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch cubes 1 cup all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil Directions Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Combine water, rice vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, and orange juice for sauce into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar, green onion, orange zest, ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag. Pour in 1 cup cooled sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Reserve the remaining sauce. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Mix flour, salt, and pepper in another resealable plastic bag. Remove chicken from the marinade and place into the bag of seasoned flour. Seal the bag and shake to coat. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in the hot skillet until browned on both sides. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and cover with aluminum foil. Wipe out the skillet. Pour reserved sauce into the skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together cornstarch and water until completely smooth. Stir into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the chicken, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Serve over rice and enjoy! DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS I Made It Print 2,895 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 445 Calories 11g Fat 69g Carbs 18g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 4 Calories 445 % Daily Value * Total Fat 11g 14% Saturated Fat 2g 9% Cholesterol 34mg 11% Sodium 763mg 33% Total Carbohydrate 69g 25% Dietary Fiber 1g 5% Total Sugars 37g Protein 18g 36% Vitamin C 15mg 16% Calcium 54mg 4% Iron 3mg 14% Potassium 309mg 7% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.