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Close-up of a plate of delicious easy orange chicken, garnished with fresh cilantro.

Easy Orange Chicken Recipe

A delicious and easy-to-make orange chicken dish with crispy chicken coated in a tangy orange sauce, perfect for a quick dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese-American
Servings 4 people
Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients
  

Chicken and Batter

  • 1 lb chicken thighs cut into 1-inch cubes
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup cold water
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1½–2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Sauce

  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (for slurry)
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Instructions
 

  • Make Batter: In a bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, egg, cold water, salt, and pepper until smooth.
  • Fry Chicken: Coat chicken in batter. Heat oil in a pan on medium-high. Fry chicken in batches 4–5 mins until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
  • Make Sauce: In a saucepan, heat orange juice, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and zest. Bring to simmer. Add cornstarch slurry, cook until thick.
  • Combine and Serve: Coat crispy chicken with orange sauce. Serve hot with rice or noodles.

Notes

For extra crispiness, let the battered chicken rest for 10 minutes before frying. Adjust the sauce's sweetness by adding more sugar to taste.
Keyword chicken