How thick should the orange sauce be?

The sauce is ready when it thickens after mixing in a cornstarch and water mixture․ The instructions say to cook the sauce for five minutes after mixing in a cornstarch and water mixture and remove it from the heat to add zest․ A less thick sauce won't stick to the chicken as well․ You can stir the cornstarch and water mixture well in a separate small bowl to avoid clumping when mixing cornstarch with dry ingredients․

Can I use chicken thighs?

Yes‚ you can use boneless‚ skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts․ Cut the thighs into pieces the same size as the breast pieces․ Cook the thigh pieces as you would the breasts․ Boneless‚ skinless chicken thighs vary in thickness․ Cooked chicken should be assessed as a group‚ not individual pieces․ Stir often‚ but do not mix pieces of greatly different sizes․

Can I use white vinegar instead?

Use rice vinegar or white vinegar․ The recipe for orange sauce calls for these two items․ Rice vinegar is not as acidic as white vinegar․ The orange sauce will have a slightly different flavor if you use white vinegar․ Do not replace vinegar with orange juice in the orange sauce recipe to prevent changes in flavor․ Two tablespoons of vinegar are needed for the orange sauce recipe․

Can I make the orange sauce ahead?

Yes‚ you can make the orange sauce in advance and fry the chicken separately․ The orange sauce will thicken as it cools because it contains cornstarch․ The orange sauce will be more viscous when cooled than when freshly removed from the pan․ Warm and stir the orange sauce before adding the chicken to make sure the sauce is fluid enough to coat the chicken․ Add orange zest to the sauce according to the recipe․

Can I double this orange chicken recipe?

Yes‚ you can double the chicken and sauce‚ keeping the same ratios․ You'll need a large enough sauce pot to combine and cook the slurry mixture to thickening․ Frying will be the rate-limiting step‚ if you add twice as much chicken at once‚ you'll get a much lower frying temperature and underbrowning․ Try frying additional batches of chicken and draining them before adding them to the sauce․

Chinese Orange Chicken with Crispy Fried Chicken and Sweet-Spicy Orange Sauce

By Liam CarterSep 27, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Servings

Jump to recipe

Frying the egg and batter at 350 degrees browns the chicken to prevent it from becoming dry․ Chinese orange chicken consists of cut chicken pieces covered with a thick‚ sweet-spicy sauce made with orange juice and peel‚ ginger‚ garlic‚ and red chili peppers․ Dishes of Chinese orange chicken are served with browned chicken and an orange sauce poured over the top․

Chinese Orange Chicken with Crispy Fried Chicken and Sweet-Spicy Orange Sauce

Chicken breast is diced and coated with beaten eggs and a seasoned mixture of flour and cornstarch․ Sauce ingredients include orange juice‚ sugar‚ vinegar‚ soy sauce‚ ginger‚ garlic‚ and chili peppers․ Orange zest and cornstarch slurry are added to the sauce to help it retain the orange flavor․ Instructions for preparing the sauce include heating other sauce ingredients and adding the slurry to thicken the sauce․

Use an oil thermometer to check and control oil temperature․ The ideal oil temperature is 350 degrees Fahrenheit․ Chicken pieces should cook and turn light golden in about 2 or 3 minutes‚ flipping frequently․ Fry chicken in small batches and drain on paper towels․ The main risk is adding too many chicken pieces to the fryer at once‚ which will lower the oil temperature and compromise the crisp coating․ Avoid overcooking the chicken․

Combine the fried chicken with sauce․ Reserve some sauce for rice‚ if desired․ Top the fried chicken with green onions and more orange zest․ This dish is intended for immediate serving․ To prepare ahead of time‚ avoid combining the chicken and sauce to prevent sogginess․ Serve with rice if you have reserved some sauce․

Why you'll love this recipe

Frying at 350 degrees helps the egg and starch mixture brown and crisp without overcooking the pieces of chicken․
Cooking the sauce with a cornstarch slurry to thicken it helps the sauce stick to fried chicken instead of falling off the bottom․
Batch preparation keeps the oil temperature consistent and helps the chicken cook more thoroughly without steaming from contact with other chicken pieces․
Orange zest should be added at the end of cooking‚ after the sauce has thickened․
This will help ensure that the orange flavor is noticeable but not overwhelmed by other sauce ingredients‚ such as ginger and chili flakes․
Drying the chicken on paper towels removes excess grease and helps keep the crust from being soggy when served with an orange sauce․
Separate dredges of eggs and flour and cornstarch keep the ingredients from combining and help the chicken cook more evenly‚ allowing the sauce to stick to all parts of the chicken․

Instructions

Add the orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red chili flakes to a medium pot.

Heat the sauce mixture for 3 minutes.

Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl to form a paste.

Add the cornstarch paste to the orange sauce and whisk together.

Cook for 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.

Remove the thickened sauce from the heat and stir in the orange zest.

Place the flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish or pie plate, add a generous pinch of salt, and stir.

Whisk the eggs in a shallow dish.

Dip the chicken pieces in the egg mixture, then in the flour mixture, and place them on a plate.

Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.

Working in batches, cook several chicken pieces for 2 to 3 minutes, turning often until golden brown.

Place the fried chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Toss the chicken with the orange sauce, reserving some sauce for rice if desired.

Serve with green onions and orange zest, if desired.

FAQ

Use a thermometer when frying at 350 degrees․ Coated chicken pieces will take 2 to 3 minutes to brown at 350 degrees․ Pieces coated at lower temperatures will be overly oily․ Pieces coated at higher temperatures may burn before the chicken is fully cooked․ Fry chicken pieces in small batches and turn often to keep the temperature of the oil consistent․

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Dinner Chicken Asian Chinese Quick Meals

Chinese Orange Chicken with Crispy Fried Chicken and Sweet-Spicy Orange Sauce

Name: Chinese Orange Chicken with Crispy Fried Chicken and Sweet-Spicy Orange Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces); 3 eggs (whisked); 1/3 cup cornstarch; 1/3 cup flour; salt (generous pinch); 2 inches oil (2-3 inches, for frying); 1 cup orange juice; 1/2 cup sugar; 2 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar; 2 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free dish); 1/4 tsp ginger; 1/4 tsp garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves, finely diced); 1/2 tsp red chili flakes; orange zest (from 1 orange); 1 tbsp cornstarch (for the sauce slurry); 2 tbsp water (for the cornstarch slurry); green onions (for garnish); orange zest (for garnish)

By Liam CarterSep 27, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Servings

Jump to recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

Frying at 350 degrees helps the egg and starch mixture brown and crisp without overcooking the pieces of chicken․
Cooking the sauce with a cornstarch slurry to thicken it helps the sauce stick to fried chicken instead of falling off the bottom․
Batch preparation keeps the oil temperature consistent and helps the chicken cook more thoroughly without steaming from contact with other chicken pieces․
Orange zest should be added at the end of cooking‚ after the sauce has thickened․
This will help ensure that the orange flavor is noticeable but not overwhelmed by other sauce ingredients‚ such as ginger and chili flakes․
Drying the chicken on paper towels removes excess grease and helps keep the crust from being soggy when served with an orange sauce․
Separate dredges of eggs and flour and cornstarch keep the ingredients from combining and help the chicken cook more evenly‚ allowing the sauce to stick to all parts of the chicken․

Ingredients

Servings4

•4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces)
•3 eggs (whisked)
•⅓ cup cornstarch
•⅓ cup flour
•salt (generous pinch)
•2 inches oil (2-3 inches, for frying)
•1 cup orange juice
•½ cup sugar
•2 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
•2 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free dish)
•¼ tsp ginger
•¼ tsp garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves, finely diced)
•½ tsp red chili flakes
•orange zest (from 1 orange)
•1 tbsp cornstarch (for the sauce slurry)
•2 tbsp water (for the cornstarch slurry)
•green onions (for garnish)
•orange zest (for garnish)

Instructions

1
Add the orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red chili flakes to a medium pot.
2
Heat the sauce mixture for 3 minutes.
3
Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl to form a paste.
4
Add the cornstarch paste to the orange sauce and whisk together.
5
Cook for 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
6
Remove the thickened sauce from the heat and stir in the orange zest.
7
Place the flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish or pie plate, add a generous pinch of salt, and stir.
8
Whisk the eggs in a shallow dish.
9
Dip the chicken pieces in the egg mixture, then in the flour mixture, and place them on a plate.
10
Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.
11
Working in batches, cook several chicken pieces for 2 to 3 minutes, turning often until golden brown.
12
Place the fried chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
13
Toss the chicken with the orange sauce, reserving some sauce for rice if desired.
14
Serve with green onions and orange zest, if desired.