This homemade orange chicken is a great way switch up your dinner routine. In this quick and easy recipe, cubed chicken breast is cooked with a sweet and savory orange sauce.
The sauce is made with orange marmalade and orange juice, giving you a burst of orange flavor!We get even more orange flavor, by garnishing the dish with orange zest. Serve the orange chicken on a bed of white rice, noodles or with a side of steamed vegetables for a delicious meal your family will ask for again!
Finding quick and easy recipes is important if you want to serve your family home-cooked meals, even on busy weeknights. This orange chicken, along with other Asian inspired take-out favorites are great for this.
Put together an Asian food pantry with some basics. The ingredients have a long shelf life, especially if you refrigerate items like soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, etc., after opening. If you have what you need on hand, you’re more likely to get dinner ready and skip the drive through or take out.
Here are a few take-out favorites to try:
- Beef and Broccoli
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Asian Marinated Pork Tenderloin
- Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry
- Orange Beef
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Ingredients for the orange chicken
- 1½ pounds Chicken Breast, cut into 1 inch cubes. Try to make the chicken pieces roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- 1½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1½ tablespoon Flour
- ¾ cup Orange Juice, fresh squeezed is best – about 2-3 oranges depending on how juicy they are
- ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Orange Marmalade
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper, optional – leave it out if you don’t like spicy
- 3 tablespoons Canola Oil
You will also need
- Large re-sealable plastic bag
Optional Garnishes
- Sesame Seeds
- Sliced Green Onions
- Orange Zest
Prep work
There’s not a lot of prep work required with this dish. Just make the homemade orange sauce and cut the chicken, that’s it!
If you’re serving the chicken with white rice, noodles or vegetables, make sure to get them started first. This chicken cooks in less than 10 minutes so we want to have everything pretty much ready to go.
Make the Orange Sauce
- Use a zester to zest the orange before juicing if you plan on using it as garnish.
- Juice the oranges. We used 2½ oranges to get ¾ cup of juice. How many oranges you’ll need will depend on how juicy they are. You can use bottled orange juice, but fresh squeezed really does make a difference.
- Add the orange juice, soy sauce, orange marmalade, rice vinegar, ginger powder and crushed red pepper (if using) to a jar or a medium bowl.
- I like using canning jars to make sauces and marinades. They’re super convenient, and if you make the sauce ahead of time, you can cover it with a lid and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Stir the sauce with a fork or small whisk until well combined. Give the sauce a good stir right before using too.
Coat the chicken
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and cut it into roughly 1 inch cubes. Keep the chicken bite sized and roughly the same size so that they cook at the same rate.
- Sprinkle the chicken with the salt.
- Add the cornstarch and flour to a large, re-sealable plastic bag.
- Add the chicken to the bag and seal it tightly leaving air inside the bag.
- Shake the bag from side to side and up and down to coat the chicken with the cornstarch and flour. Do this several times.
Brown the chicken
Heat the canola oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken pieces.
The chicken should be completely coated with the cornstarch and flour, so it should be fine to carefully, empty the contents of the bag into the skillet. Next, arrange the chicken so that it is in one layer.
Cook the chicken for 2½-3 minutes. Turn each piece and cook for another 2 minutes so that they brown on both sides. Use a spatula or tongs to turn the chicken pieces.
Finish the orange chicken
Now, lower the heat to medium and add the prepared orange sauce to the skillet and stir. Remember to give the sauce a good stir before adding it to the chicken.
Cook the orange chicken simmering for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
Keep the sauce at a simmer. If it starts boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.
The chicken is cooked through when it’s no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear. Use an instant read thermometer to be sure. Take the internal temperature of the largest piece. Make sure it’s at least 165°F.
Garnish the chicken with orange zest, sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired.
Serve this delicious homemade orange chicken with white rice and steamed veggies for a fantastic meal your family will really enjoy!
For more take-out favorites made better at home, try one of these recipes:
- Stir Fry Sauce
- Asian Chicken Skewers
- Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry
- Bacon and Eggs Fried Rice
- Shrimp Lo Mein
Homemade Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Orange Juice fresh squeezed is best – about 2-3 oranges depending on how juicy they are
- ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Orange Marmalade
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper optional
- 1½ pounds Chicken Breast pat dry and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1½ teaspoons Salt
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1½ tablespoons Flour
- 3 tablespoons Canola Oil
Instructions
- Optional Garnishes: Sesame Seeds, Sliced Green Onions, Orange Zest
- Add the orange juice, soy sauce, orange marmalade, rice vinegar, ginger powder and crushed red pepper to a jar or a medium bowl.
- Stir the sauce with a fork or small whisk until well combined. Give the sauce a good stir right before using too.
- Sprinkle the chicken with the salt. Add the cornstarch and flour to a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag and seal it tightly leaving air inside the bag.
- Shake the bag from side to side and up and down to coat the chicken with the cornstarch and flour. Do this several times.
- Heat the canola oil in a large, non-stick over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken pieces.
- Arrange the chicken so that it is in one layer.
- Cook the chicken for 2½-3 minutes.
- Turn each piece, then cook for another 2 minutes or so to brown.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the prepared orange sauce to the skillet and stir. Remember to stir the sauce well before adding it to the chicken.
- Cook the orange chicken simmering for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F), stirring occasionally. Keep the sauce at a simmer. If it starts boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.
- Garnish the chicken with orange zest, sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired.
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