Easy Orange Chicken

homemade orange chicken over rice in a bowl

4.95 from 36 votes

This takeout inspired 30-minute orange chicken recipe has crispy chicken in a bright and flavorful savory-sweet sticky sauce! It's easier to make than other versions out there.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese American

Keyword: orange chicken

Servings:

Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts
Salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
Chopped scallions optional, for serving

Sauce:

3/4 cup orange juice see note
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Zest from 1 orange see note
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

With this recipe, it's important to prep everything ahead of time as the cooking part goes fast. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and place it in a medium bowl. Season with some salt & pepper and sprinkle the cornstarch over it. Toss until coated.
Add the sauce ingredients to another bowl and whisk together.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes.
Once the pan is HOT, add half of the chicken to the skillet and ensure each piece isn't crowded so it browns better. Cook for 4 minutes and then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes or so using cooking tongs. Chicken should be browned and cooked through (165F). For the second batch, add another tablespoon or so of olive oil to the pan. Transfer the chicken to a plate once it's done.
Turn the burner off, and pour the sauce into the skillet. The pan should still be screaming hot, so the sauce will thicken in about a minute. As the sauce bubbles, stir/scrape it to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken back in and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Notes

For the orange juice, I use a Simply Orange brand variety with no pulp. You can use freshly squeezed orange juice if you prefer.
For the orange zest, I would not go over 1 tablespoon unless you want it very orangey. 1/2-3/4 tablespoon or so will be fine (one medium orange). Oranges vary in size, so you don't need to be too precise.
I love to serve this recipe with rice, but that's totally optional! I typically measure out 1 cup of uncooked rice to serve 4, but feel free to make as much rice as you normally do. Start the rice before the chicken so that it's ready at the same time.

Nutrition