• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Cook with Kushi

  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy policy
  • Advertise
  • FAQ
  • Contact Me
  • Media
  • Blog
You are here: Home / Cookbook Recipes / ORANGE CHICKEN

ORANGE CHICKEN

October 8, 2020 by Kushi 12 Comments

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

Orange Chicken – best and easy chicken side dish or appetizer for any dinner party. Crispy fried chicken thighs are tossed in flavorful and finger licking, homemade orange sauce.

crispy orange chicken recipe, orange chicken sauce healthy chicken recipes - side dish and appetizers for dinner parties, thanksgiving, Christmas, football party, super bowl, sticky honey sesame chicken

You can also call this dish or appetizer as tangerine chicken, orange peel chicken, orange flavored chicken, etc. I wanted to copycat Panda express but let me tell you, this recipe is better than any restaurant take out.

One of the best side dish or appetizer or even main dish when served with steamed rice for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, Football or Super Bowl party, Easter brunch, tailgating events, picnic or potluck.

Crispy Orange Chicken recipe - copycat panda express recipe, orange sauce, orange marinade, chicken dishes, chicken appetizers and side dishes for thanksgiving, christmas, football, superbowl, dinner parties

I first had this dish in America at Panda Express which is a popular American-Chinese fast-food chain. It was one of the popular, signature item in the Panda Express menu. When I read more about this dish, I found out that this dish is purely American invention and not a Chinese inspired one. You will not find this in any authentic Chinese restaurants.

Does orange chicken taste like orange?

You are not alone. This was the first thought I had when I saw this item on the Panda Express menu. Because orange juice is used in the preparation of the sauce, this definitely has an orange flavor. Plus, its sweet and salty, with the right amount of spiciness.

air fryer chicken recipes, orange chicken, recipes with chicken thighs, crockpot chicken recipes, make ahead sides, traditional thanksgiving dinner, sesame chicken, general tso's, sweet and sour chicken

Is orange chicken healthy?

Traditionally, this chicken recipe is deep fried. If you want to go for a healthier version, you can either stir fry the chicken thighs or use air fryer. It tastes great both the ways.

What is orange chicken sauce made of ? Panda Express copycat Orange  sauce

Orange sauce is a mixture of freshly squeezed orange juice and its zest to give the fresh orange flavor, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cayenne powder or red chile powder, sesame seeds, and oil. For extra flavor I add garlic cloves and ginger.

Is Orange chicken Spicy?

This chicken dish is generally sweet and sour with savory glaze. It is not spicy or hot because the red chilies or cayenne powder used in this dish is optional ingredient.

What is the difference between Orange chicken, General Tso’s chicken and Sesame Chicken?

All three dishes are quite similar, chicken is fried and coated in sauce but all the difference comes in sauce with addition or subtraction of just one ingredient. In this dish below, sauce is mainly based on flavor from orange, General tso chicken is chile based, its sweet but with little more heat from chiles and served with broccoli and carrots. Sesame chicken uses sesame oil which makes it salty and nutty.

Crispy Orange chicken American Chinese dish from scratch, gluten free chicken recipes, chicken recipes on crockpot, instant pot, air fryer, honey sesame chicken drumsticks

How do you make orange chicken from scratch?

First, you will have to marinate the chicken thighs in orange juice and keep it in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Next, double fry or deep fry or air fry or stir fry the chicken according to your preference. Then, toss the chicken into the prepared orange sauce till it is well coated.

You can also call this dish or appetizer as tangerine chicken, orange peel chicken, or orange flavored chicken.

Orange chicken, sesame chicken, sticky chicken, sweet and sour chicken, general tso chicken , simple and easy chicken recipes for dinner.

Orange Chicken Marinade

It is recommended to marinate the chicken.  Marinating chicken makes lot of difference. Marinade prevents chicken or any meat from drying out and becoming chewy. It makes chicken more tender and juicy.

For the marinade, I have used freshly squeezed orange juice, black pepper powder and salt and kept it in refrigerator for 30 minutes. You can also use the zest of orange for marination if desired.

simple and crispy orange chicken, football party food, super bowl food, dinner sides and appetizers, chicken dinner ideas

Orange Chicken Batter

I have kept the batter for frying the chicken thighs as simple as possible. In a bowl, whisk egg and corn starch together. To this mixture, add the marinated chicken and mix until well coated. Now, double fry in oil till they are crispy and golden brown in color.

Can I make orange chicken vegan?

Yes, yes, yes. All vegetarians and vegans can now enjoy this orange sauce. Simply substitute chicken with tofu or combination of veggies like mushroom, cauliflower and tofu along with some onions and bell peppers. For the batter instead of egg use milk or non dairy milk. Rest of the ingredients and steps remain the same. You can add this version to your menu for Thanksgiving vegan sides and surprise your guests.

Easy homemade orange chicken from scratch, orange marinade, orange sauce, famous chicken recipes for dinner, potluck, picnic, party

Make ahead or Freezer Orange Chicken

This is one of the best make ahead sides for Thanksgiving or Christmas and Holiday gatherings, your next football party or game night. Simply add all the ingredients mentioned under orange sauce in the recipe below and whisk so that there are no lumps. This can be kept in a container or jar for upto 3 days. Or you can simply put the sauce in sealed bag or freezer container and keep it in freezer. Place the cooked and fried chicken in another freezer bag. Use as and when required. For cooking instructions see the following section.

Orange chicken recipe, chicken appetizers and side dishes, vegan orange chicken using homemade orange sauce, thanksgiving dinner, holiday recipes, football and super bowl party food

How to reheat orange chicken?

Thaw the frozen sauce mix. Preheat the oven to 350 F degree . Place the frozen chicken onto baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until it is heated through completely.

Pour the thawed orange sauce in a pan. Bring it to boil, stirring it continuously. Reduce heat to low and simmer till the sauce is thickened. Pour the sauce over chicken thighs and enjoy.

Orange chicken North American Chinese dish, is orange chicken spicy?, difference between orange chicken and general Tso's

Happy Thanksgiving 2020

Detailed Recipe for Simple and Easy Homemade Orange Chicken
5 from 12 votes
Crispy Orange chicken recipe - panda express copycat, chicken recipes for dinner, general tso, sesame chicken, sticky chicken, sweet and sour chicken
Print
SIMPLE AND EASY HOMEMADE ORANGE CHICKEN
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Marination
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Keyword: Best Chicken recipes, chicken thighs, football party food, general tso's chicken, healthy and simple meal recipe, honey sesame chicken, orange sauce, sesame chicken, sticky chicken thighs, Super Bowl Food, sweet and sour chicken, Thanksgiving Dinner, Thanksgiving sides
Servings: 6 people
Author: Kushi
Ingredients
Orange Chicken Marination
  • 4 Chicken thighs, chopped to 1 inch thick
  • 1 tsp Black pepper powder
  • 1/4 cup Orange juice, freshly squeezed (approx. 1 orange)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 cup Corn starch
  • 2 cups Oil, for frying
For the Orange Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • 2 tbsp Garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Ginger, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup Brown sugar, packed (check tips)
  • 1/2 cup Orange juice, freshly squeezed (approx. 2 oranges)
  • 1 tbsp Orange zest
  • 1 tbsp Honey (optional)
  • 4 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Vinegar
  • 1 tsp Red chile powder or Cayenne powder (optional) check tips
  • 1 tbsp Corn starch
  • 1 tbsp Water
  • 2 Green onions, chopped (for garnish)
  • 2 tbsp Sesame seeds, roasted (for garnish, optional)
  • 1/2 tsp Salt (optional)
Instructions
For the chicken Marination
  1. In a large bowl, add chopped chicken thighs, salt, black pepper powder, and 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice and mix well. Keep this is refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Double Fry Chicken thighs
  1. In a frying pan on medium high heat, add two cups of oil and let it come to temperature.

  2. Meanwhile, in a bowl crack in two eggs and whish until light yellow.

  3. To this add a cup of corn starch and continue whisking until there are no lumps, and the batter is smooth and shiny, about 3 minutes.

  4. To this add marinated chicken and mix until all the chicken pieces are coated.

  5. Fry the chicken for the first time for 4 to 5 minutes in two or three batches. The fried batter will look pale yellow, but that is okay.

  6. Rest the fried chicken for at least 10 minutes before frying them again in two batches for the second time. The frying time will be about 5 minutes per batch, or until the chicken is golden brown and crispy. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

For Orange Sauce
  1. In a large pan or wok on medium heat, add oil and finely chopped ginger and garlic and saute until it is fragrant, about 2 minutes.

  2. Add freshly squeezed orange juice, zest, brown sugar, honey, and simmer for 5 minutes.

  3. To this, add soy sauce, vinegar, chilli powder, salt, corn starch slurry (mix 1 tbsp of corn starch with 1 tbsp of water), and mix well. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened.

  4. Add double fried chicken thighs into this thickned sauce and toss until well coated.

  5. Your dish is now ready. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions, and serve. Enjoy.

Recipe Notes
  • You can use red pepper flakes instead of chile powder.
  • You can add orange zest about 1 tsp to marinade for fresh flavor if desired. 
  • Brown sugar can be substituted with fine sugar.
  • Please go through this post above to check how to make ahead  or freezer orange chicken and then reheat the same 

If you like this chicken recipe,

Don’t miss to check out Vienna bread that garnered more than a million page views which makes perfect side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. also check out other delicious side dishes recipes that can be served for lunch or dinner.

Cheesy potato Casserole, potato side dishes Mushroom in garlic cream sauce for football party, thanksgiving sides, dinner recipes, mushroom sauce for steak, chicken, pasta

Cheesy potato casserole

Garlic Butter Shrimp, side dishes for thanksgiving dinner, appetizers for football party food, healthy dinner sides, shrimp recipes, lemon garlic butter sauce

Garlic butter shrimp

Vienna Bread Austrian braided bread

Vienna Bread

Thai Roti Bread

Parker House Rolls

cranberry chicken, Oven Rosted Rosemary garlic potatoes, side dish for Thanksgiving, potato sides

Cranberry Chicken

Sweet Potatoes side dishes for thanksgiving, healthy dinner ideas, christmas dinner

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

For more recent updates, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter

***Click below to save it on Pinterest***

Orange Chicken - best and easy chicken side dish or appetizer for any dinner party. Crispy fried chicken thighs are tossed in flavorful and finger licking, homemade orange sauce. #orangechickensauce #crockpotorangechicken #ketoorangechicken #instantpotorangechicken #dinnerrecipes #chickendinnerideas

Share & Enjoy!

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Yummly.com (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Mix app (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Stumbleupon (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Flipboard (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Appetizer, Cookbook Recipes, Lunch and Dinner Recipes Tagged With: air fryer chicken recipes, Best Chicken Dishes, best sides for Thanksgiving, Chicken Breasts, chicken dinner ideas, Chicken recipes, Chicken thighs, Crockpot chicken recipes, dinner recipes with chicken, dinner sides, easy chicken recipes for dinner, easy dinner ideas, famous chinese chicken dishes, Football party food, gluten free chicken recipes, Healthy chicken recipes, honey sesame chicken, indian chicken dishes, indian chicken recipes, Instant pot Orange Chicken, keto chicken, Make ahead sides, panda express copycat, side dishes for thanksgiving, simple chicken recipes, Spicy Chicken recipes, sticky chicken, thanksgiving appetizers, traditional thanksgiving dinner

Previous Post: « GARLIC BUTTER SHRIMP
Next Post: PANETTONE CAKE »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gloria

    October 12, 2020 at 4:49 pm

    5 stars
    Better than takeout. I know this would be a hit on the dinner table. I would make lots so I could have some leftovers.

    Reply
  2. Heidy M

    October 13, 2020 at 6:43 am

    5 stars
    I love Orange Chicken and make it often! When I noticed your recipe on Pinterest I was so excited to try it! The Orange Chicken came out perfect. The recipe is definitely a keeper. We are super excited to make it for the boys when they get back from vacation.

    Have a beautiful day!!!

    Heidy

    Reply
  3. Chef Dennis

    October 13, 2020 at 6:24 pm

    5 stars
    I made this for dinner last night and it was better than our favorite Chinese Restaurant! Thanks for such a delicious recipe

    Reply
  4. Marta

    October 14, 2020 at 9:49 am

    5 stars
    My kids always order orange chicken when we go to Chinese restaurants, so it was great to make it at home instead. They said it was better than what they’ve had at restaurants.

    Reply
  5. Aleta

    October 14, 2020 at 10:03 am

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness, this orange chicken is absolutely delicious! That sauce is more than fingerlickin good… I want to drink it from the bowl!

    Reply
  6. jenny

    October 15, 2020 at 10:12 am

    5 stars
    Now that’s a fabulous recipe! It looks amazing and delicious. Your recipe is so well detailed and explained and I appreciate that. I am craving this orange chicken and with the help of your instructions I will make it for our dinner tonight. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  7. Farrukh Aziz

    October 18, 2020 at 1:02 pm

    5 stars
    This orange chicken looks so delicious, the recipe is amazing and look at that gorgeous picture, it has tempted me and I am making this for tomorrow’s dinner with steamed rice. My kids are surely gonna love this as Chinese dishes are their favorite. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Farrukh Aziz

    October 18, 2020 at 1:05 pm

    5 stars
    This Orange Chicken looks so delicious, the recipe is amazing. And look at that gorgeous picture, it has tempted me and I am making this for tomorrow’s dinner with steamed rice. My Kids gonna love this surely as they love to eat Chinese dishes. Thank you for sharing this detailed recipe. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Rebecca Blackwell

    October 18, 2020 at 10:03 pm

    5 stars
    Orange Chicken is my husband’s favorite take-out meal, but I’d never tried to make it at home. I gave it a go this weekend and we both loved it so much! We might never get it take-out again!

    Reply
  10. Moop Brown

    October 18, 2020 at 11:23 pm

    5 stars
    This chicken looks super flavorful and perfect for any meal. Can’t wait to try making this one!

    Reply
  11. Jo

    October 19, 2020 at 6:54 am

    5 stars
    This is flavor bomb! I LOVE orange chicken. It’s so easy to make and so full of flavors. My kinda of meal!

    Reply
  12. shanky

    January 27, 2021 at 3:26 am

    5 stars
    Made this around evening time and it was awesome! A debt of gratitude is in order for this formula. Doing the egg/corn starch part was a torment however justified, despite all the trouble. I’m additionally happy I perused one of the remarks that told how she warmed it.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hello, I am Sridevi

On this blog, I share tried and tested, easy and delicious recipes from around the world made using simple ingredients. Read More…

Popular Posts

Milk Barfi, Burfi, Indian fudge, Milk powder recipes, Milk cake

MILK BARFI | MILK POWDER BURFI

Enchilada Style Burritos - Dinner recipes

ENCHILADA STYLE BURRITOS

Mushroom In Garlic cream sauce, appetizer or side dish for weekend, weeknight dinner or lunch, football party food

MUSHROOM IN GARLIC CREAM SAUCE

BLACK BEANS RICE / MEXICAN RICE / SPANISH RICE

BLACK BEANS RICE

Vienna Bread (Pain Viennois / Sandwich rolls / Dinner rolls/ yeast rolls / Sourdough vienna / Vienna sandwich bread / austrian bread rolls, EASY HOMEMADE BREAD LOAF RECIPE

VIENNA BREAD – EASY AND HOMEMADE

SWEET RICE APPO

Recent Posts

Easy Mango White Chocolate Mousse or Mousse Au Chocolat Mangue, Make ahead dessert recipe for parties, get together, romantic date, july 4th, memorial day, Easter, thanksgiving, Christmas, mango recipes, chocolate recipes, summer food recipe, no bake desserts, eggless sweets and desserts, pudding recipes, cream cheese, keto mousse, fancy dessert

EASY MANGO WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Jeev kadgi podi | Breadfruit rava Fry | Fritters | Fried breadfruit, breadfruit recipes, ackee, dinner sides, evening snacks, shallow fry, how to eat breadfruit, breadfruit vs jackfruit, konkani food recipes, coastal karnataka, ugadi recipes, ganesh chaturthi recipes, bajo, pakora, pakoda, fish rava fry, vegetarian meal, mangalore and udupi recipes, stir fry

JEEV KADGI PODI | BREADFRUIT RAVA FRY OR FRITTERS

Tender Cashewnut Stir Fry | Bibbe Upkari , Konkani food recipes, amchi recipes, vegetarian meal, sides for lunch and dinner, cashew recipes, vegetarian and vegan breakfast, snack, accompaniments for flatbread, Ugadi and gudi padwa recipes, summer food recipes, seasonal recipes, coastal karnataka food, Indian festival recipes

TENDER CASHEWNUT STIR FRY | BIBBE UPKARI

Categories

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Footer

Privacy policy

Copyright © 2021 Cook with Kushi on the Foodie Pro Theme