This Easy Orange Chicken Recipe is quick and simple to make for any night of the week. Featuring tender pieces of chicken coated in a sweet and tangy orange sauce, it’s flavorful, healthier than takeout, and can be on your table in less than 30 minutes!
Easy Orange Chicken Recipe
Orange chicken is a very popular American-style Chinese dish. And for good reason — it tastes SO GOOD! I choose it almost every time we order takeout. That sweet and tangy orange sauce is what makes it so dang tasty, I’m sure of it!
What I don’t love about it is that it’s often deep-fried and made with artificial ingredients. That was part of the reason why I wanted to come up with my own easy orange chicken recipe to make at home. My version isn’t fried and comes together with some really simple ingredients. No artificial nasties found here, I promise.
When I say this orange chicken recipe is easy, I’m not kidding. If you can cut chicken and mix some ingredients to make a sauce, that’s really all you need to know! It’s faster than driving to pick up take-out GUARANTEED.
And if you’re like my husband and like Lemon Chicken better, I’ve got you covered too. We love both dishes because they are easy to make right at home and use easy-to-find, real ingredients!
Why You’ll Love Easy Orange Chicken
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- No weird or hard-to-find ingredients
- It’s healthier because we aren’t frying the chicken
- Coated in a thick sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce, YUM!
- A great recipe for any night of the week
Key Ingredients to Make My Simple Orange Chicken Recipe
- CHICKEN – You can use chicken breast or thighs for this recipe. I find that thighs stay juicier, but breasts will work in a pinch.
- ORANGES – The star ingredient of my easy orange chicken recipe, of course! You need both the juice and zest of oranges. With all that fresh fruit flavor, you know this is going to be good.
- SAUCE – You’ll need soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili sauce, ginger, honey, garlic, water, and cornstarch to make the orange sauce for orange chicken. These ingredients are pretty much a staple in most Chinese-American dishes and are all easy to find in any grocery store. You can use reduced-sodium soy sauce too! Also, if you don’t want to grate the fresh ginger, you can find ginger in a squeeze tube in the produce section next to the fresh herbs.
Instructions to Make My Orange Chicken Recipe the Easy Way
PREP & COOK THE CHICKEN: Start by cutting the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces. Then, cook in a skillet with a little oil until the chicken is no longer pink.
MAKE THE SAUCE: In the meantime, make the orange sauce for the orange chicken. Add the orange zest and juice, water, honey, garlic, cornstarch, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and ginger to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
ASSEMBLE THE EASY ORANGE CHICKEN: When the chicken is done, add the sauce the the pan and stir to combine. Continue to stir as it cooks until the sauce is thickened to your liking. Remove from heat, serve immediately, and enjoy!
FAQ
Both Chinese-American dishes are made with chicken and oranges, but mandarin chicken tends to be sweeter. Most recipes call for brown sugar in the sauce, so it makes sense! The sugar makes the sauce thicker and stickier too.
Deep-fried orange chicken can come out soggy if the oil temperature isn’t hot enough. My easy orange chicken recipe isn’t deep-fried, so you don’t need to worry about soggy or mushy results!
My simple orange chicken recipe moves very quickly once you get started. That said, you could cut the chicken ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Let leftovers cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
You can reheat leftovers in the microwave in 30-second bursts until heated through, or gently on the stovetop. If reheating from frozen, it’s better to let the chicken thaw in the fridge overnight first.
Orange Sauce for Orange Chicken Pro Tips
- Fresh is best! Bottled orange juice could work in a pinch, but your best bet is to use freshly squeezed juice. Your sauce will have a much brighter flavor, color, and aroma. You need orange zest anyway, so might as well make the most out of your orange!
- Taste and adjust if you need to. Make sure to taste the sauce as it cooks. If it’s too sweet, add a bit more rice vinegar or chili garlic sauce. If it’s too sour, add a touch of honey. Play around with it until it’s to your liking.
- Simmer, but don’t boil. While the sauce thickens in the pan with the chicken, be sure to keep it at a simmer — this will allow the flavors to meld. Boiling could cause the sauce to thicken too much, or even separate.
Serving Suggestions
Not only is my orange chicken recipe easy, but it’s also versatile! It pairs great with any cooked rice — white, brown, jasmine, or basmati are all delicious choices. You can even try cauliflower rice if you prefer.
A steamed or roasted veggie would round everything out and make it a meal. I’ve served it with broccoli, carrots, green beans, and zucchini in the past… choose your favorite!
More Chicken Dinners To Try
- Cashew Chicken
- Asian Chicken Salad
- One Pot Chicken Florentine Pasta
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Crisy Oven Fried Chicken Thighs
Thanks so much for reading! Let me know if you think this orange chicken recipe is easy too!
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Easy Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds (1.1kg) boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- zest of 1 orange
- ⅔ cup (160ml) fresh orange juice
- ⅔ cup (160ml) water
- ⅓ cup (80ml) honey
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
Instructions
- Cut chicken into small bite sized pieces. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. May need a little oil.
- While the chicken is cooking combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. When the chicken is done cooking give the sauce mixture a stir and pour over the chicken. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened.
Notes
- STORAGE: Store completely cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- FREEZER FRIENDLY: Freeze cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stove top, stirring constantly until heated through. Or reheat in the microwave.
- MAKE AHEAD: This really is an easy dish to make start to finish but you can cut up the chicken in advance. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- GINGER: Use fresh ginger for this recipe. You can also find grated ginger in a squeeze tube in the produce section next to the fresh herbs.
Made this dish a few nights ago, it is a keeper! Loved the ginger and orange in it and it had just the right amount of heat to it. I will be making this often. Thanks!
Thank you very much!! So glad you liked it!!
This sounds absolutely delicious! Always buy this meal frozen. It’s on my to do list! Thanks for this recipe!
Let me know how you like it!