Crispy Orange Chicken
Better than takeout, tender pieces of chicken are lightly coated, cooked until golden and tossed in a glossy homemade orange sauce with fresh citrus, garlic, ginger and sesame. Make it on the stovetop or in the air fryer, then serve over jasmine rice with steamed broccoli or your favourite vegetables.
Prep time
20 min
Cook time
20 min
Serves
Ingredients
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Chicken
- 1½ lbboneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ tspfine sea salt
- ¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper
- 1 largeegg
- ⅓ cupall-purpose flour
- ⅓ cupcornstarch
- 3–4 tbspavocado oil or another neutral cooking oil, for the stovetop method
- As neededavocado oil or olive oil cooking spray, for the air-fryer method
Orange Sauce
- ¾ cuporange juice
- Zest of 1large orange
- ¼ cuplow-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsprice vinegar
- 2 tbsppacked brown sugar
- 2 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tbspfreshly grated ginger
- ¼ tspred pepper flakes, optional
- 1 tbspcornstarch
- 2 tbspcold water
For Serving
- As neededcooked jasmine rice
- 2green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbspsesame seeds, optional
- As neededsteamed broccoli or your favourite vegetable
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1½ lbboneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ tspfine sea salt
- ¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper
- 1 largeegg
- ⅓ cupall-purpose flour
- ⅓ cupcornstarch
- 3–4 tbspavocado oil or another neutral cooking oil, for the stovetop method
- As neededavocado oil or olive oil cooking spray, for the air-fryer method
Orange Sauce
- ¾ cuporange juice
- Zest of 1large orange
- ¼ cuplow-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsprice vinegar
- 2 tbsppacked brown sugar
- 2 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tbspfreshly grated ginger
- ¼ tspred pepper flakes, optional
- 1 tbspcornstarch
- 2 tbspcold water
For Serving
- As neededcooked jasmine rice
- 2green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbspsesame seeds, optional
- As neededsteamed broccoli or your favourite vegetable
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- 1
Pat the chicken dry with paper towel. Place it in a bowl and season with the salt and pepper.
- 2
Whisk the egg in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch.
- 3
Working in batches, dip the chicken into the egg, allowing the excess to drip off. Transfer it to the flour mixture and toss until each piece is evenly coated.
Stovetop Method
- 1
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- 2
Once the oil is hot, arrange half of the chicken in a single layer. Cook for approximately 3–4 minutes per side, turning as needed, until golden and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate.
- 3
Add another 1–2 tablespoons of oil and cook the remaining chicken. Avoid crowding the skillet so the chicken becomes golden rather than steaming.
- 4
Check that the thickest pieces have reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
- 5
Carefully wipe any dark or burned coating from the skillet before preparing the sauce.
Air-Fryer Method
- 1
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- 2
Arrange the coated chicken in the basket in a single layer, leaving a little space between the pieces. Lightly spray the chicken with oil, making sure to cover any visible dry flour.
- 3
Air-fry for 10–13 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through and spraying any remaining dry spots with a little more oil. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the chicken in batches.
- 4
The chicken is ready when crisp and golden and the thickest pieces have reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
Prepare the Orange Sauce
- 1
In a large skillet, combine the orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes.
- 2
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the brown sugar dissolves.
- 3
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water until completely smooth.
- 4
Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the simmering sauce while whisking. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce becomes glossy and lightly thickened.
- 5
Add the cooked chicken and gently toss until every piece is coated in the orange sauce.
- 6
Serve immediately over jasmine rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired, and serve with steamed broccoli or your favourite vegetables on the side.
Melissa's Notes
For the crispiest stovetop chicken, work in batches and avoid crowding the skillet. The chicken needs room to brown rather than steam.
For the air-fryer method, spray any visible dry flour before cooking and again after turning, if needed. My favourite Air Fryer makes this recipe especially easy.
Nutrition Information
Per serving (without rice)
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used.
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