Deep fried and juicy chicken chunks get tossed in a wicked delicious sauce to make this spicy orange chicken - that's not just a treat for your taste buds, but for your eyes too!
The chicken is cooked to perfection and is juicy and succulent, and the sauce has a beautiful balance of sweet, tangy and spicy flavors (just like my Teriyaki chicken) that will give your favorite Chinese takeout spot a run for its money.
There's just something about the umami depth of Asian food that makes me crave it more often than I'd like. But hey- I'm not complaining. It actually gives me a chance to try out lots of new recipes, and I'm up for it.
Recently, I tried a nice baked Teriyaki tofu and honey Sriracha shrimp rice bowl, and they both turned out incredible, so I thought of going ahead and recreating a restaurant classic that everyone will enjoy. And I did!
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
This recipe, just like my scallion oil chicken and most other Asian stir fry recipes, is really easy to make, and comes together super quick, making it great for a rushed weeknight meal.
Plus, you can tweak and play around with the seasonings and mix-ins to make it more suited to your preference too.
Recipe Ingredients
Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped up into large cubes.
Oranges: About 2-3 fresh oranges, juiced. You can also zest them if you want some of that extra bright orange flavor.
Garlic: Fresh garlic, sliced.
Hot sauce: Use any hot sauce you like. I love using my fermented jalapeno hot sauce and garlic habanero hot sauce here.
Flour: To coat the chicken. I used all purpose flour, but you can also use a gluten free flour of your choice if you want to.
Vinegar: To add that tanginess to the sauce. You can use apple cider vinegar or a spicy pepper vinegar if you want some extra flavor.
Baking soda: Baking soda reacts with the vinegar to bubble up and create that crunchy coating around the chicken.
Egg: To create that nice coating around the chicken.
Seasonings: I kept it simple and just used some salt and red pepper flakes. You can use a seasoned salt like Sriracha salt if you want some extra flavor.
Oil: Any regular cooking oil will do.
Sesame seeds: Black sesame seeds, to garnish.
See recipe card for quantities.
This Apple Cider vinegar is made from select varieties of organic apples. It's perfect as an addition to poultry, pork and seafood, or to wake up the flavor of barbecue sauce or baked beans.
Substitutions & Variations
- I used black sesame seeds to garnish the chicken, but you can also chop up some fresh green onions (if you have them at hand) and sprinkle them on the top, before you serve. I did the same when I made my Air Fryer Bang Bang cauliflower too.
- Feel free to use packaged orange juice if you can't find fresh oranges. Just remember that it can be slightly sweeter, so you'll need to adjust the amount of vinegar and spices you're using to balance it out.
How to Make Spicy Orange Chicken
Step 1: In a bowl, combine the chicken with an egg, all purpose flour, salt, vinegar and baking soda. Mix well.
Step 2: Heat oil in a pot and fry the coated chicken on medium-high heat until light golden brown. Drain and set aside.
Step 3: In a jar, combine hot sauce and orange juice.
Step 4: In a pan, heat oil and sauté the sliced garlic for a minute or two. Pour in the prepared orange juice mixture.
Step 5: Allow the mixture to cook down and then add the fried chicken and red chili flakes.
Step 6: Prepare a simple mixture of cornflour and water and pour it into the pan, stirring continuously until it thickens. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
💭Top Tip
Remember to cook the sauce on medium-low heat, especially after you add in the cornflour slurry- you don't want it to burn.
How to Store Leftover Orange Chicken
You can store your leftover orange chicken for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, simply pop it back in a pan and cook over medium heat until warmed through.
You may also need to add a splash of water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
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Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Fry the chicken on medium-high heat and make sure the oil is hot enough before you add the chicken in, or the coating will soak up a lot of oil.
- To bulk up the dish, you can add some diced veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli and carrots into the mix too. Add them into the sauce and let them cook and soften before you add the chicken and the slurry.
- To add a more pronounced flavor to the dish, you can finely mince the classic aromatics- ginger and garlic, and add them to the sauce. I like drizzling some of my homemade scallion ginger oil over the top, for some extra oomph.
- Make sure you add the chicken to the pan with the sauce right when you want to serve the dish. This will ensure the coating absorbs the sauce beautifully, but the chicken still retains a bit of that crispy texture on the outside.
How to Serve Spicy Orange Chicken
Enjoy this spicy orange chicken with some steamed rice and a simple salad like my Asian spicy cucumber salad or a veggie side like my Air Fryer Teriyaki cauliflower or spicy stir fried edamame.
And of course, you can't really go wrong when you team it up with some classic fried rice. If you want to go the extra mile though, pair it with a nice soup like Napa cabbage soup or some Tom Yum Gai.
Recipe FAQs
Of course you can. I like using chicken breasts and thighs for the best, juiciest texture. You can even use chicken wings if you want to.
Absolutely! To make this dish healthier, you can even bake or air fry the chicken until cooked through, and then toss it into the sauce.
More Asian Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this spicy orange chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Spicy Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 200 g chicken
- 2 oranges juiced
- 2-3 garlic sliced
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- Oil for cooking
- Salt to season
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the chicken with an egg, all purpose flour, salt, vinegar and baking soda. Mix well.
- Heat oil in a pot and fry the coated chicken on medium-high heat until light golden brown. Drain and set aside.
- In a jar, combine hot sauce and orange juice.
- In a pan, heat oil and sauté the sliced garlic for a minute or two. Pour in the prepared orange juice mixture.
- Allow the mixture to cook down and then add the fried chicken and red chili flakes.
- Prepare a simple mixture of cornflour and water and pour it into the pan, stirring continuously until it thickens. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Notes
- Fry the chicken on medium-high heat and make sure the oil is hot enough before you add the chicken in, or the coating will soak up a lot of oil.
- To bulk up the dish, you can add some diced veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli and carrots into the mix too. Add them into the sauce and let them cook and soften before you add the chicken and the slurry.
- To add a more pronounced flavor to the dish, you can finely mince the classic aromatics- ginger and garlic, and add them to the sauce. I like drizzling some of my homemade scallion ginger oil over the top, for some extra oomph.
- Make sure you add the chicken to the pan with the sauce right when you want to serve the dish. This will ensure the coating absorbs the sauce beautifully, but the chicken still retains a bit of that crispy texture on the outside.
