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    You are here: Crunchy Creamy Sweet / Asian / Orange Chicken

    Orange Chicken

    Published: Jan 14, 2020 · Modified: Mar 5, 2020 by Anna 43 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Orange Chicken - quick and easy Chinese dish with chicken in a citrus sauce. Perfect served with rice and steamed vegetables.

    Citrus and chicken go so well together in this dish, just like in my Firecracker Chicken. I serve it with my perfect Instant Pot Rice.

    Close up shot of Skinny Orange Chicken with broccoli and rice in a bowl.

    If you are a fan of quick takeout inspired dinners, like my Sesame Chicken, you will love this Orange Chicken. I skipped the heavy breading and frying the meat to simply saute it in oil and then simmer in a delicious honey orange sauce. It's easy yet bursting in flavor. A perfect quick meal for busy weekdays! This Orange Chicken is as quick and easy as browning the chicken, mixing the sauce ingredients in one bowl and letting everything simmer together. Serve with rice and steamed vegetables, like broccoli or Asian vegetable mix for a simple yet flavorful meal. You can use this recipe for meal prep and keep portions in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    Ingredients

    • boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
    • salt and pepper
    • olive oil
    • orange juice
    • honey
    • low-sodium soy sauce
    • apple cider vinegar
    • minced garlic
    • orange zest
    • cornstarch

    Instructions

    • Start by dicing the chicken into bite-size pieces. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
    • In a mixing bowl or a measuring cup, combine orange juice, honey (or brown sugar), soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger and orange zest. Whisk well. Add cornstarch and whisk well. Set aside.
    • Heat up olive oil in a skillet. Add chicken and cook until done and starts to brown. Add sauce to the pan and cook on medium-low heat until it thickens.
    • Serve with rice and steamed vegetables.
    Overhead shot of chicken in bite size pieces in orange sauce in white skillet.

    Panda Express copycat

    To make this Orange Chicken just like the restaurant, you need to coat the chicken pieces in a simple breading. Mix 1 large egg with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Dip each chicken piece in the batter, then cook on the pan or fry in oil. Follow the recipe below for the sauce.

    What to serve with orange chicken?

    • You can serve this Orange Chicken with rice and steamed broccoli, as shown in the photos.
    • You can add Asian vegetable mix right to the pan with chicken and sauce, stir fry style.
    • You can skip the rice and serve the saucy chicken in lettuce wraps for an even healthier, low-carb meal.

    Can I make it ahead of time?

    Yes! You can make this chicken two ways: cook the chicken, cool completely and store in a container, in your fridge. At the same time, cook the sauce in a saucepan and keep in a jar in the fridge. When ready, heat up everything together in a skillet and serve over rice. You can also follow the recipe and cook chicken and sauce together, cool completely and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. The sauce will thicken so you may need to add a little water to it while reheating.

    How to store leftovers?

    Keep any leftovers of this dish in a container with lid, in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    Orange chicken in sauce in a pan.

    More Asian dinner recipes:

    • Honey Lemon Chicken
    • Easy Sesame Chicken
    • 10-Minute Teriyaki Shrimp
    • Quick Sweet and Sour Chicken

    If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

    Orange Chicken with rice and broccoli in a bowl.

    Orange Chicken

    Author: Anna
    This Orange Chicken is a quick and easy Chinese dish with chicken breast or thighs simmered in a citrus sauce. Perfect served with rice and steamed vegetables.
    4.96 from 22 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    Total Time 17 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Asian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 322 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ cup orange juice
    • ¼ cup honey
    • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • zest of ½ orange
    • ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger

    Instructions
     

    • Cut chicken into bite size pieces, season with salt and pepper.
    • Heat up olive oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook until done and it starts to brown.
    • In a mixing bowl or measuring glass cup, whisk together orange juice, honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, orange zest and cornstarch. Whisk well.
    • Add to chicken and cook on medium-low heat until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
    • Serve with steamed vegetables and rice or in lettuce cups.

    Notes

    1. You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe.
    2. The nutrition value does not include rice and broccoli.
    3. Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1021mg | Potassium: 731mg | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 17.7mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!

    This recipe was originally posted on January 11th, 2019 and updated on January 14th, 2020.

    More Asian Recipes

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      Ginger Soy Chicken
    • Shrimp with broccoli and sauce in a pan.
      Shrimp and Broccoli
    • Noodles with sesame sauce in a bowl.
      Sesame Noodles
    • Chicken in Mongolian sauce in pan.
      Easy Mongolian Chicken

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jacki says

      February 10, 2022 at 8:47 pm

      Hoping to try this very soon! If making the sauce ahead of time, do you think this would work well freezing just the extra sauce in jars?

      Reply
    2. Beverly says

      February 08, 2021 at 1:54 pm

      5 stars
      There are only 2 of us. Can I freeze half after it's made.

      Reply
      • Anna says

        February 17, 2021 at 5:27 pm

        Absolutely! Just make sure to cool it completely first, then place it in a freezer bag.

        Reply
    3. Dakota Tannery says

      January 19, 2021 at 7:31 pm

      4 stars
      I used fresh orange zest, don’t do it. The flavoring overpowered the taste of the actual sauce.

      Reply
    4. Krissy Allori says

      January 14, 2020 at 10:08 pm

      5 stars
      Orange chicken is a favorite of my sons. I loved being able to make this for him. It was good and really easy to make.

      Reply
      • Anna says

        January 15, 2020 at 1:46 pm

        That's wonderful, Krissy! Thank you!

        Reply
    5. Beth says

      January 14, 2020 at 9:56 pm

      5 stars
      This was so tasty! Used chicken breast and it came out great!

      Reply
      • Anna says

        January 15, 2020 at 1:47 pm

        Awesome! Thank you, Beth!

        Reply
      • Angelia Carter says

        April 22, 2020 at 6:04 pm

        Do you think any other types of meat can go with the sauce

        Reply
    6. Laura Reese says

      January 14, 2020 at 9:52 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for such a delicious recipe. The flavors are so good. We will make it again.

      Reply
      • Anna says

        January 15, 2020 at 1:47 pm

        Thank you, Laura!

        Reply
    7. Kara says

      January 14, 2020 at 9:50 pm

      5 stars
      I added peppers and thinly sliced carrots. Oh goodness, so yummy!

      Reply
      • Anna says

        January 15, 2020 at 1:47 pm

        Perfect! Thanks, Kara!

        Reply
    8. Grace says

      June 18, 2019 at 1:13 am

      Hi, just wondering how much ginger and what type to use. Ingredients list doesn’t have it but your blog. Sauce mix tastes great so far, just wondering if the ginger should be fresh or powder? Love your site, already picked a few more recipes to try.

      Thanks Grace

      Reply
      • Anna says

        June 18, 2019 at 10:39 am

        Hi Grace! I apologize for that. It should be 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger or 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger. I hope this helps! PS: If you like the sauce already, you can skip the ginger.

        Reply
    9. Joan says

      January 15, 2019 at 10:39 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight. It was delicious and easy and we would make it again for sure. My husband did his with chicken thighs and I did my with chicken breast. We doubled the sauce so we could each add to our pans. We also added carrots, celery, onions, sugar snap peas, and water chestnuts. We garnished with sliced green onions. The dish was perfect and tasty and we loved the sauce. Thank you!

      Reply
    10. Sandra says

      January 15, 2019 at 1:39 pm

      5 stars
      This looks like a great meal!

      Reply
    11. Erin says

      January 15, 2019 at 6:19 am

      5 stars
      Get in my belly! This looks so good. So hungry for this!

      Reply
    12. Sharon says

      January 15, 2019 at 12:47 am

      5 stars
      This was dinner tonight and it totally earned a permanent spot on our weekly menu. SO GOOD! Can't beat an easy dinner recipe with lots of flavor! Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 15, 2019 at 12:07 pm

        Yay! That's wonderful! Thank you, Sharon!

        Reply
    13. Krista says

      January 14, 2019 at 1:06 pm

      5 stars
      I love the citrus flavors in that dish!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 15, 2019 at 12:33 am

        Thanks, Krista!

        Reply
    14. Brandy says

      January 13, 2019 at 8:11 pm

      Love an easy and delicious dinner idea! Adding to my dinner menu!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 15, 2019 at 12:31 am

        Thanks, Brandy!

        Reply
    15. Catalina says

      January 13, 2019 at 5:15 am

      5 stars
      This is my kind of dinner! I love the orange flavor!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 15, 2019 at 12:09 am

        Thank you, Catalina!

        Reply
    16. Amanda says

      January 12, 2019 at 6:58 pm

      5 stars
      I was looking for a quick and easy dinner and tried this. OMG! So good! I absolutely love the honey orange sauce. YUM!

      Reply
    17. Lora says

      January 12, 2019 at 6:46 am

      5 stars
      This is a chicken my kids would just love!! How wonderful that it's so easy to put together!

      Reply
    18. Chrissie Baker says

      January 12, 2019 at 5:29 am

      5 stars
      This was SOOO INCREDIBLY DEEELICIOUS!!! Best orange sauce I have ever had!
      My taste buds thank you for the AHHHMAZING healthy orange chicken recipe! 🙂
      Will def. be making again and again. My daughter gave me the idea to add pineapple chunks to it. We sure loved the pineapple addition! 🙂

      Reply
    19. Becky Hardin says

      January 11, 2019 at 6:17 pm

      5 stars
      What a simple but delicious meal!!! Orange chicken is one of our favorites.

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 12, 2019 at 1:06 am

        Thank you, Becky!

        Reply
    20. Natasha says

      January 11, 2019 at 4:52 pm

      5 stars
      what a great recipe to kick off the new year! can’t wait to try!!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 12, 2019 at 1:07 am

        Thanks, Natasha!

        Reply
    21. lauren kelly says

      January 11, 2019 at 3:47 pm

      5 stars
      This is one of the few meals that my entire family will eat!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 12, 2019 at 1:08 am

        That's awesome! Thank you, Lauren!

        Reply
    22. Taylor W. says

      January 11, 2019 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      I love orange chicken and love that this is a skinny version! Making soon!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 12, 2019 at 1:08 am

        Thanks, Taylor!

        Reply
    23. Julia says

      January 11, 2019 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      I cannot believe how easy this orange chicken was to make! I love the orange honey sauce. It's delicious! Do you think I can make a bigger batch of the sauce and keep it in a jar in my fridge?

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 12, 2019 at 1:09 am

        Hi Julia! Yes! You can make the sauce in a saucepan, even double the ingredients and keep it in the fridge. I hope this helps!

        Reply
    24. Kristyn says

      January 11, 2019 at 2:40 pm

      5 stars
      Oh, my gosh, I love orange chicken & to have a skinny version..give it all to me! I love how quick this is to make, also!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 12, 2019 at 1:09 am

        Thanks so much, Kristyn!

        Reply
    25. Kathy says

      January 11, 2019 at 2:12 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, that looks so bright and fresh. Reminds me of summer. Will try it out this weekend!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        January 12, 2019 at 1:09 am

        Thank you, Kathy!

        Reply

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