Chinese Orange Chicken Recipe Tutorial Step by Step
This easy orange chicken recipe brings crispy bites of chicken and a bright, citrusy sauce together in one skillet. Quick, flavorful, and ready in 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cubed
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2–3 tbsp oil for cooking
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar or honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (for sauce)
- ¼ cup water
- Optional: ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- Optional garnish: green onions, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Toss chicken with flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
- Heat oil in skillet and cook chicken until golden and cooked through. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, sauté garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.
- Whisk together orange juice, zest, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, water, and red pepper flakes.
- Pour sauce into skillet and stir until thickened.
- Return chicken to skillet and toss to coat in sauce. Simmer 2–3 minutes.
- Serve hot over rice and garnish if desired.
Notes
Use freshly squeezed orange juice for best flavor. Adjust sweetness or acidity to your taste. To make gluten-free, use tamari and all cornstarch.