Orange Chicken - Better Than Takeout! (VIDEO) - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

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If you love American Chinese Take-Out, you have come to the right place – I absolutely love recreating BETTER versions of all of your favorite Chinese takeout dishes! Here’s how to have the perfect American Chinese Take-Out meal at home:

• You’re going to want to start with the crispiest Egg Rolls as your appetizer!
• Don’t forget about soup! Make Egg Drop Soup (or Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup, if you want a heartier version) or Hot and Sour Soup.
• Pair your Orange Chicken with Chicken Fried Rice (if you want shrimp instead, try Shrimp Fried Rice)and Shrimp Lo Mein (if you need a chicken option, try Chicken Lo Mein)!
• You need some vegetables, so make my super easy Garlic Bok Choy or Din Tai Fung Garlic Green Beans!

Ingredients for Orange Chicken

Chicken

• 1lbchicken – I like to use 1″ pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thigh for Orange Chicken. You want to cut them into similar sized pieces so the chicken can cook evenly.
  • You can substitute with chicken breast if you prefer.
  • If you want to make something beef instead, check out Beef and Broccoli!
• 2clovesgarlic,grated
• 1tbspginger,grated
• 2tbsplight soy sauce – You will need “light” (not “low sodium”) or “all-purpose” soy sauce. Do NOT use dark soy sauce, as it is too intense for this recipe.
• 1tbspShaoxing wine – This is one of my favorite Chinese pantry staples. It adds a depth of flavor and complexity to the sauce and truly one of my “secret ingredients” for making restaurant quality Chinese food. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with mirin, sherry, or even chicken broth.
• 1/2tspwhite pepper – I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier flavor than black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry but if you can’t find it, you can always substitute with black pepper.
• 1tbspsesame oil
• orange zest,of 1/2 orange

Dry Batter

• 1/2cupall-purpose flour – Combining flour and cornstarch is how you get an addictively crispy and delicious batter. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.)
• 1/2cupcornstarch
• 1/2tspbaking powder – Baking Powder is one of my favorite tricks in frying foods that still taste light and airy. The baking powder reacts with the oil and creates tiny air bubbles, which helps the outer layer get crispy while keeping it light and airy.
• 1tspkosher salt
• 1tspwhite pepper – I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier flavor than black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry but if you can’t find it, you can always substitute with black pepper.
• neutral oil,for frying – My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. The flavor profile does not work with the flavors of Chinese cooking.

Sauce

• 1/4cuplight soy sauce
• 1/4cuporange juice – If you love orange sauce and want a beef dish, try Orange Beef!
• 3tbspbrown sugar
• 1/4cupchicken stock – if you don’t have chicken stock on hand, you can substitute with water
• orange zest,other 1/2 orange

Other Ingredients

• 2clovesgarlic,chopped
• 1tbspginger,minced
• 1/2tbspcrushed red pepper
• 2tbspdistilled white vinegar

Cornstarch Slurry

• 1tbspcornstarch – Cornstarch slurry is used in a lot of Asian cooking to thicken sauces and soups. A slurry means a mixture of liquid (usually water) and a thickening agent (in this case, cornstarch). TIP: Make sure to re-mix your cornstarch slurry right before using it.
• 1/4cupwater

Recipe Instructions for Orange Chicken

1. Marinate the Chicken

Cut boneless, skinless chicken thigh into 1″ pieces and marinate with garlic, ginger, light soy, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, sesame oil, and orange zest for 30 minutes.

2. Prepare the Sauce

For your sauce: mix together light soy, orange juice, water or stock, brown sugar, and orange zest until sugar is dissolved.

3. Mix the Dry Batter

Whisk together AP flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in some of the extra chicken marinade and mix to create more craggily bits.

4. Dredge the Chicken

Dredge your chicken and pack the coating in well. Let rest on a sheet tray while you heat up the frying oil. Letting the chicken rest for a few minutes will help the batter stick to the chicken when frying.

5. Fry and Double Fry the Chicken

Fry at 350F for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil and set aside. Fry at 350F for another 1 min for extra crispiness.

6. Sauté The Aromatics and Thicken the Sauce

Over high heat, sauté garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper for 15 seconds until fragrant. Immediately add in your sauce and cook until just bubbling. Add in the vinegar and quickly mix. We mix in the vinegar once the sauce is bubbling to preserve the potency of the vinegar.

To thicken the sauce, remix the cornstarch slurry to remix any cornstarch that has sunk to the bottom, then add it straight into the orange sauce. Mix until thickened (about 30 seconds). The consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Notice how much thicker the sauce has become after the cornstarch slurry is added!

Storage and Reheating

You can store Orange Chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I like reheat Orange Chicken in the air fryer in order to crisp up the chicken (if you love air fryer recipes – try my Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, or Air Fryer Orange Chicken). When reheating the chicken in the air fryer, the sauce with further caramelize and infuse into the crispy batter! Air fry at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until warmed through and crispy.

Alternatively, reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. I don’t recommend reheating Orange Chicken (or any fried chicken) in the microwave unless you don’t care about the texture and just want to heat it back up as quickly as possible.

What to Serve with Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken was actually invented by the head chef at Panda Express, so I can’t think of a better dish to serve this with than my Panda Express Chow Mein and a fluffy Egg Fried Rice! You can’t forget about the Honey Walnut Shrimp and Beef and Broccoli for a multi-course meal!

If you want to try other chicken Chinese Takeout dishes, try my sticky Sesame Chicken, tangy Sweet and Sour Chicken, or String Bean Chicken! If you love the bright citrus of Orange Chicken, you definitely have to try Chinese Lemon Chicken!

Cooking with a Wok

By now, you know that I LOVE cooking with my wok! It is my #1 most recommended kitchen tool, as I believe it is perfect for high-heat cooking and results in restaurant quality Chinese food! Cooking in a wok will give your dish that signature “wok hei” or “breath of the wok”, which is a beautiful smoky flavor profile to your dish. The best part is, the wok will only get more seasoned with time, adding more flavor to your food!

If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my “How To Season a Wok” post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years.

If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.