Homemade Orange Chicken

The sauce is made with orange marmalade and orange juice, giving you a burst of orange flavor! We get even more orange flavor, by garnishing the dish with orange zest. Serve it on a bed of white rice, noodles or with a side of steamed vegetables for a delicious meal your family will ask for again!

If you’re serving the chicken with white rice, noodles, or vegetables, make sure to get them started first. This chicken cooks in less than 10 minutes so we want to have everything pretty much ready to go.

Finding quick and easy recipes is important if you want to serve your family home-cooked meals, even on busy weeknights. This recipe along with other Asian inspired take-out favorites are great for this. Try our beef and broccoli, and this chicken fried rice that's always a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds Chicken Breast, cut into 1 inch cubes. Try to make the chicken pieces roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate.
• 1½ teaspoon Salt
• 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1½ tablespoon Flour
• ¾ cup Orange Juice, fresh squeezed is best – about 2-3 oranges depending on how juicy they are
• ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 3 tablespoons Orange Marmalade
• 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Ginger Powder
• ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper, optional – leave it out if you don’t like spicy
• 3 tablespoons Canola Oil
• You will also need: Large re-sealable plastic bag
• Optional Garnish: sesame seeds, sliced green onions, orange zest

Make the orange sauce

• Zest the orange before juicing if you plan on using it as garnish.
• Juice the oranges. We used 2½ oranges to get ¾ cup of juice. How many oranges you’ll need will depend on how juicy they are. You can use bottled orange juice, but fresh squeezed really does make a difference.
• Add the orange juice, soy sauce, orange marmalade, rice vinegar, ginger powder, and crushed red pepper (if using) to a jar or a medium bowl.
• Stir the sauce with a fork or small whisk until well combined. Give the sauce a good stir right before using too.

How to make orange chicken

• Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and cut it into roughly 1 inch cubes. Keep the chicken bite sized and roughly the same size so that they cook at the same rate.
• Sprinkle the chicken with the salt.
• Add the cornstarch and flour to a large, re-sealable plastic bag.
• Add the chicken to the bag and seal it tightly leaving air inside the bag.
• Shake the bag from side to side and up and down to coat the chicken with the cornstarch and flour. Do this several times.
• Heat the canola oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken pieces.
• The chicken should be completely coated with the cornstarch and flour, so it should be fine to carefully, empty the contents of the bag into the skillet. Next, arrange the chicken so that it is in one layer.
• Cook the chicken for 2½-3 minutes. Turn each piece and cook for another 2 minutes so that they brown on both sides. Use a spatula or tongs to turn the chicken pieces.

Finish the dish

Now, lower the heat to medium and add the prepared orange sauce to the skillet and stir. Remember to give the sauce a good stir before adding it to the chicken.

Cook the orange chicken simmering for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Keep the sauce at a simmer. If it starts boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.

The chicken is cooked through when it’s no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear. Take the internal temperature of the largest piece. Make sure it’s at least 165°F.

Garnish the chicken with orange zest, sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired.

Serve this delicious homemade orange chicken with white rice and steamed veggies for a fantastic meal your family will really enjoy!

If you like this recipe try our orange beef and this simple shrimp lo mein recipe.