Easy Orange Chicken

A white bowl filled with orange chicken and broccoli

5 from 17 reviews

This Easy Orange chicken is crispy, sticky and delicious! A lighter and healthier version than the traditional Chinese takeout favorite!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Chinese

Keyword Orange Chicken, Skinny Orange Chicken

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 301kcal

Author Chef Kathy McDaniel

Ingredients

For the Orange Sauce

1 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed is best)
1/2 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ginger, peeled and grated
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon orange zest (or zest of 1/2 orange)
3 teaspoons corn starch
3 teaspoons water

For the Chicken

2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4 to 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2-3 tablespoons cooking oil (canola, vegetable, coconut, peanut or olive oil)

Instructions

To Make the Orange Sauce

Combine the orange juice, mirin, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and orange zest in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 6-8 minutes.
Make a slurry by combining the water and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Add the slurry (cornstarch/water mixture) to the sauce. Mix well and allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes. The sauce should be a bit thicker than maple syrup. If you would like a thicker sauce read notes.

For the Chicken

Place the chicken into a medium mixing bowl. Add the soy sauce and mix to combine. Add the cornstarch and mix well.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add the chicken, making sure they are all in a single layer touching the bottom of the skillet. You may have to cook the chicken in batches to make sure you get a crispy and golden layer. Too much chicken at one time can result in "steamed chicken" instead.
Let the chicken cook until golden, flip and cook the other side until golden and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes total.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Continue until all the chicken is cooked.
To serve, turn off the heat from under the skillet and discard any remaining oil. Return the crispy chicken to the skillet and pour in the orange sauce. Stir to coat the chicken with the sauce. Serve.

Notes

If you would like a thicker sauce, make more slurry by mixing same amounts of water and cornstarch. Start with 1 teaspoon water + 1 teaspoon cornstarch. You can always add more until the desired consistency is reached.

Nutrition