The Best Easy Orange Chicken Recipe

4.48 from 78 votes

The Best Easy Orange Chicken Recipe

This delicious orange chicken is coated with a flour mixture, fried until crispy and covered in sweet, fresh, orange sauce. Serve over rice or a noodle stir-fry, This is a family favorite recipe that is better than takeout!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: orange chicken

Servings:

Author: Lisa Bass

Equipment

1 Cast Iron Skillet (any skillet or saucepan will do)

Ingredients

For the chicken:

4 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch chunks
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup neutral oil for frying This depends on the size of your skillet. I aim to coat the bottom of the pan about 1/2 inch.

For the sauce:

Juice and zest from 3 oranges
3 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tablespoon corn starch + 1 tablespoon water can omit but does help to thicken it up

For the rice:

1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
3 cups water
3 green onions

Instructions

Add rice and water to a saucepan or Dutch oven. Cook for about 30 minutes on low heat with the lid on.
Turn heat off and allow it to steam with the lid on while you’re frying the chicken and making the sauce.
To a large skillet (I like to use a cast iron skillet), add oil and place over medium heat.
To one bowl (I like using a shallow bowl or dish, like a pie plate), add flour and salt and stir. To another bowl, crack and whisk the egg.
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and dip in a bowl with the egg, coating the chicken on both sides. Then dip the chicken in the bowl with salt and flour mixed together.
Place the chicken pieces into the pan, in a single layer with the hot oil, and fry until golden brown on both sides. When done, place on a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack to allow the excess oil to drain off.
Combine all orange sauce ingredients (except cornstarch) in a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat until combined and lightly simmering.
Create a cornstarch slurry by mixing together corn starch and cool water.
Stir in cornstarch slurry. Cook five more minutes, whisking constantly, until it thickens a bit. Take off the heat.
Add chicken to sauce and gently toss. Serve it on a bed of rice and top with green onions.

Video

Notes

I like to use einkorn flour for a recipe that cannot be fermented. This is because einkorn flour is naturally lower in gluten and is one of the oldest heirloom varieties that hasn’t been hybridized.
I recommend using coconut oil or avocado oil for frying. These are the healthiest oils to fry in, since they are non-GMO, have a high smoke point, and are not highly refined.
If you don’t have maple syrup, you can substitute it for honey. It will have a slightly different flavor, but still very yummy.
Use organic corn starch whenever possible as corn is one of the most genetically modified foods.
Try not to overcrowd the pan when frying the chicken, small batches are better. Too much chicken frying at once will lower the oil temperature and the result will not be as crispy.
When zesting your oranges for the sauce, be sure to only zest the orange colored part of the rind to avoid a bitter taste.
Like it spicy? Add some red pepper flakes to the sauce!

Nutrition