This sweet & savory Orange Chicken recipe is quick, easy and on the table in less than 30 minutes! Perfect for a weeknight fakeaway (sorry, Panda Express), this version is better for you than the fast food version and uses real ingredients. The whole family will enjoy this copycat Chinese Orange Chicken recipe that is packed full of flavor!
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT10M
Total time: PT25M
Rating
4.75 stars (12 reviews)
Keywords
chinese orange chicken, chinese takeout, orange chicken
Zest of 1 orange (optional - leaving it out tastes more like Panda Express)
Chopped green onions
Orange zest
White rice (for serving)
Categories
Main Course
Cuisine
Chinese
Steps
Combine flour, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a shallow dish or pie plate. Beat the eggs in a separate shallow dish. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg wash, then the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour and transfer to a plate. Set aside.
Whisk the orange juice, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger powder, garlic, sesame oil, and red chili flakes together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F. Work in batches to cook the chicken, being careful not to crowd the pan which will cause the oil temperature to drop significantly. Cook for 2-3 minutes, turning frequently until brown and crispy on the outside and cooked through. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to drain and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Drain most of the oil from the pan, leaving only about 1 tablespoon in the bottom. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, then pour in the sauce mixture. Heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest.
Toss the cooked chicken pieces with the orange sauce. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and orange zest, then serve with rice or noodles.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 269 kcal
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Protein: 19 g
Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 103 mg
Sodium: 836 mg
Sugar: 20 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Reviews
Laura on 2025-10-08 (5 stars): Amazing recipe! By far the best orange chicken I’ve ever made and better than any restaurant! Thank you House of Nash!
Sherry Salas on 2025-08-25 (5 stars): This recipe is very easy to make and tastes every bit as good as the Panda’s. I didn’t have green onions but it didn’t make a difference. We had it with white rice and broccoli sides
Suzanne on 2025-04-15 (2 stars): Unless you are extremely proficient at the technical parts of keeping oil at the right temperature, cutting the chicken to proper size, dredging the pieces only a few pieces at a time so as to keep them from sticking to each other, draining the oil from the pan in order to make the sauce (why not use another pan?), this recipe will take much longer than 30 minutes to complete.
Barbara on 2025-04-07 (5 stars): Look forward to making this. Could I use boneless, skinless thighs instead?
Loralei on 2023-08-18 (5 stars): It took about 5 navel oranges to get enough juice for the recipe. Used boneless, skinless thighs instead (very tender), and ground Chipotle Chili pepper in place of red chili flakes. Next time, I will make more of the breading and keep it on hand, since the last batch of chicken didn't have quite enough. I may also pre-make part of the sauce (sugar to chili) and store in the fridge to save prep time. Very tasty!
CHRISTINE on 2023-01-24 (5 stars): Thank you, Amy! What a great recipe! DELICIOUS! I had some bell peppers to use fast, so I chopped them up and cooked them with the chicken pieces.
This is going to be a regular meal in this house!
Suzie on 2022-08-18 (5 stars): So tasty I reduced the red pepper flakes to half of what was listed. We aren’t spicy eaters. There was a mention in the recipe for “onion zest” I think you meant orange zest that’s what I used…
