easy-orange-chicken

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Take-out Chinese chicken dishes are tasty! General Tso’s Chicken and Sesame chicken are among my favorites, but before you get mis-led on “Orange chicken,” let me say you will not taste any oranges here! Some add tons of orange juice and even zest but this recipe is so good that you could omit the orange juice all together and still not miss a thing! It’s incredibly easy to make and tastes like a five-star Chinese take-out dish! No fancy tools or ingredients needed just some happy eaters that love tasty food! Be prepared to impress!

Handy tools to use:

How to make Easy Orange Chicken with Step-by-Step Photos:

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Easiest Orange Chicken Recipe!

5 from 10 votes
By: Alyona Demyanchuk
The EASIEST Homemade Orange Chicken because the sauce is only 5 simple ingredients and tastes like take-out!
easy-orange-chicken
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Ingredients 

Breading:

  • 4 large chicken breasts, cubed
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp garlic salt
  • 2 Tbsp orange juice

Sauce:

  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 Tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

How to make Easy Orange Chicken:

  • Combine the orange juice and chicken. Add the flour and spices and toss to coat.
  • Heat 3/4 cup of oil over high heat. Fry chicken 5-6 minutes, turning once. Then Transfer to a large pot and continue frying remaining chicken in batches.
    general tsos chicken
  • Combine the sauce ingredients and pour over chicken.
  • Boil uncovered over high heat for 12 minutes to reduce the sauce. Sauce will thicken.
    general tsos chicken

Notes

Quick Meat Tenderizer: Add 1 tsp of baking soda and 2 tsp of vinegar to the chicken and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Then proceed with the recipe. This tenderizes the meat!
For Crockpot Instructions: Transfer the fried chicken to a crockpot and pour the sauce over. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on High for 4 hours. 
For Oven Orange Chicken: Place the fried chicken into a baking dish and pour the sauce over. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. 
Handy Tip: Place a colander of broccoli florets right on top of the pot when simmering the chicken in sauce. You'll have steamed broccoli in 7 minutes to serve as a side!

Nutrition (per serving)

1serving Serving194kcal Calories45g Carbs3g Protein1g Fat1g Saturated Fat1629mg Sodium60mg Potassium1g Fiber32g Sugar132IU Vitamin A2mg Vitamin C7mg Calcium1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Easiest Orange Chicken Recipe!
Serving Size
 
1 serving
Amount per Serving
Calories
194
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
1
g
2
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Sodium
 
1629
mg
71
%
Potassium
 
60
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
45
g
15
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
32
g
36
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
132
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
 
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
 
7
mg
1
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?

Mention @alyonascooking or hashtag #alyonascooking.

Q&A

Can I make this Spicy? 

Yes! Add a teaspoon of Sriracha or crushed red pepper flakes for some heat.

Can I make gluten-free Orange Chicken?

Yes! This can be gluten-free just substitute cornstarch for the flour.

How to make Orange Chicken in the crockpot/slowcooker?

To make this in the crockpot place the fried chicken pieces into the slow cooker. Pour sauce over chicken and keep on low for 6-8 hours or on High for 2-4 hours.

Can I make this Orange Chicken in the Oven? 

Yes! Just transfer your fried chicken pieces to a baking dish and pour the sauce over chicken. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Sauce will be runnier using the crock pot or oven version, unless cooked slowly for several hours.

How is Orange Chicken made?

Orange chicken is a sweet Chinese chicken dish similar to General Tso’s or Sesame chicken only with a hint of orange flavoring. Some recipes call for orange juice or zest. This recipe calls for minimum orange juice, so you will not be overcome by a strong orange flavor.

What is General Tso’s Chicken?

General Tso’s Chicken is sweet and supposedly spicy, although some Chinese Restaurants vary from place to place as some prepare sesame chicken spicer.

What is Sesame Chicken?

Sesame chicken is the darker and more sweeter version of General Tso’s Chicken.

Tips

  • Place a colander of broccoli florets right on top of the pot when simmering the chicken in sauce. You’ll have steamed broccoli in 7 minutes to serve as a side!