Categorized:

  • Asian
  • Main Dish
  • Poultry

Tagged:

  • chicken
  • chicken broth
  • cornstarch
  • oranges
  • vegetable oil
Up close photo of Chinese Orange Chicken with chopsticks grabbing one piece of chicken - 1

Chinese Orange Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 - 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (zest of 1 1/2 fairly large oranges)
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp dried ginger
  • 2 Tbsp grated yellow onion (be sure to get some of the juices when measuring)
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
  • Freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste
  • 1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp cold water
  • 2 large eggs
  • vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
  • Chopped green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Place chicken pieces in a gallon size resealable bag, set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan combine chicken broth, orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, granulated sugar, ginger, yellow onion, garlic, Sriracha and pepper.
  • Whisk mixture well, then measure out 2/3 cup of the mixture and pour it over the chicken in resealable bag.
  • Seal bag while pressing excess air out, and press chicken into marinade.
  • Place bag in a bowl or baking dish and refrigerate 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, return remaining sauce mixture over medium heat and bring mixture just to a boil, stirring frequently.
  • In a small bowl whisk together 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water then stir mixture into sauce.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 1 - 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until thickened, remove from heat.
  • Pour vegetable oil into a large cast iron dutch oven, filling pot about 1 1/2 - 2-inches deep and heat oil to 350 degrees.
  • Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a shallow dish until well blended.
  • Pour remaining 1 1/4 cups cornstarch into a separate shallow dish.
  • Remove chicken from refrigerator and drain and discard marinade from chicken.
  • Dip chicken pieces into egg followed by cornstarch and toss pieces to evenly coat in cornstarch, then carefully place 1/3 of the chicken pieces into preheated oil and cook for 5 - 7 minutes until golden, turning once during cooking.
  • Using skimmer, remove fried chicken from oil and transfer to a paper towel lined cookie sheet to drain excess oil.
  • Repeat process with remaining chicken working in two more batches. Pour drained fried chicken into a bowl and toss with sauce.
  • Serve warm over white or brown rice garnished with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

Notes

  • Fry the chicken in batches to prevent the oil temperature from dropping. The oil needs to stay hot enough to fry the chicken properly.
  • Recipe source: Cooking Classy

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