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    Homemade Orange Chicken

    Easy Chicken Recipes 30-Minute Meals Dairy-Free Recipes Kid Friendly Main Courses April 12, 2023 | By Kristen Chidsey | 34 Comments | *This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe
    So much better than take-out, this Homemade Orange Chicken comes together in less than 30 minutes for an easy, healthy meal!

    This recipe for Homemade Orange Chicken is a copycat of a take-out favorite made with tender chunks of chicken in a sweet and savory citrus sauce.

    Looking for an Instant Pot Version? Check out my recipe for Instant Pot Orange Chicken or use your instant pot to make Instant Pot Jasmine Rice or Instant Pot Brown Rice to soak up the delicious sauce in this orange chicken.

    Bowl of orange chicken next to fresh orange slices


    From dishes like Hunan Beef to Moo Goo Gai Pan to this simple recipe for Copycat Orange Chicken, I love recreating restaurant favorites to enjoy at home.

    Not only does preparing these recipes at home save my family money, but I also get to be in charge of the quality of ingredients. Meaning I can serve my family a lower fat, lower sodium, wholesome, YET easy, meal while keeping money in my wallet. That is what I call success!

    This recipe for Orange Chicken is a favorite copycat take-out recipe. It is sweet enough that the kids love it, yet complex enough in flavors, that it still pleases the more sophisticated palates--AKA the adults!

    Made with garlic, ginger, soy, and orange juice, the orange sauce is bright and refreshing yet balanced with earthy, bold flavors and a bit of spice. And the chicken becomes tender as it is coated in the ridiculously delicious orange sauce.

    The best part? Homemade Orange Chicken is ready in just over 20 minutes using just a handful of simple ingredients, making this quick and easy flavor-packed recipe one of my all-time favorite healthy 30-minute meals.

    Notes on Ingredients for Orange Chicken

    Ingredients for Orange Chicken labeled.
    • Chicken: You can use cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or chicken tenders.
    • Fresh Oranges: This recipe calls for both orange zest and orange juice. Instead of using bottled or prepared orange juice, it is best to juice the zested orange to use for the sauce.
    • Rice Wine Vinegar: If you don't happen to have rice vinegar on hand, you can use rice vinegar or mirin. Even distilled vinegar will work. Just don't replace it with strong vinegar such as balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
    • Fresh Ginger: For the best flavor, use peeled grated gingerroot, not ground ginger. Pro Tip: You can store leftover peeled ginger in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Grate the ginger directly from the freezer for future recipes. 
    • Oil: Use an oil with a high smoking point such as canola, avocado, peanut, or coconut oil.
    • Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce and help it coat the chicken. If needed or desired, use tapioca starch in place of cornstarch.

    How to Make Orange Chicken

    • Cube the chicken into bite-sized pieces, removing any fat if needed.
    • In a small bowl, combine the juice, zest, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, vinegar, ginger, and cornstarch together. Whisk well until the sugar and cornstarch have dissolved. Set aside to add to the chicken later.
    Sauce for Orange Chicken in glass mixing bowl.
    • Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat.
    • Once a drop of water sizzles in the oil, add the cubed chicken to the pan and saute the chicken until golden on all sides. This will only take a couple of minutes.
    Pan with sauteed chicken.
    • Once the chicken is golden, remove it from the skillet and place the chicken on a plate. We will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce once the sauce has thickened.
    • Add the prepared orange sauce to the same skillet that you browned the chicken, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
    • Once the sauce is bubbling, turn the heat to medium-low, return the chicken to the pan, and finish cooking the chicken in the sauce for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    Skillet with orange chicken bubbling in sauce.

    Serving Suggestions

    Copycat Orange Chicken is fabulous when paired with Instant Pot White Rice or Instant Pot Brown Rice. To keep the carbs on the lower end, you may opt to pair this chicken over cauliflower rice or in lettuce cups.

    For a fun spin on take-out at home, pair this Orange Chicken with Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls and a side of Stir-Fried Bok Choy.

    Chopstick holding piece of orange chicken.

    How to Store Orange Chicken

    Allow leftover orange chicken to cool slightly and then store in a sealed container for 3-4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze the leftover for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. To reheat the frozen orange chicken, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then warm it in a skillet over medium-low heat.

    More Easy Copycat Asian-Inspired Recipes

    • Vegetable Potstickers
    • Hunan Chicken
    • Easy Fried Rice
    • Thai Noodles
    • Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy
    • Homemade Ramen

    Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.

    If you enjoyed this Copycat Orange Chicken, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

    Bowl of orange chicken on top of rice.

    Orange Chicken

    So much better than take-out, this Homemade Orange Chicken comes together in less than 30 minutes for an easy, flavorful meal!
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 218kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    • zest of 1 orange
    • ½ cup orange juice from about 1 large orange
    • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 1 garlic clove minced
    • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon canola oil
    • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
    • 1 bunch of green onions chopped (optional)
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl, combine the juice, zest, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, vinegar, ginger, and cornstarch together and whisk until the sugar and cornstarch are fully dissolved.
    • In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once a drop of water sizzles in the oil, add the chicken to the pan. Allow the chicken to saute until browned on each side for about 3-4 minutes, and then remove the chicken from the skillet and place it onto a large plate.
    • Add the sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once bubbling, turn the heat to medium-low and return the chicken back to the pan. Simmer the chicken in the sauce for about 3-5 minutes.
    • Serve the chicken with the sauce over steamed rice or quinoa and garnish with green onion slices if desired.

    Notes

    Vinegar: Use white distilled vinegar in place of rice wine vinegar if desired.
    Fresh Orange Zest and Juice: Wash and dry the orange before using. Then use a microplane to grate just the orange part of the orange peel. Cut the orange in half and use your hands or juicer to squeeze out the fresh orange juice into a measuring cup. You can substitute bottled orange juice if needed. 
    Sodium-Content: Be sure to use low-sodium soy sauce to keep the sodium content lower in this dish. 
    Gluten-Free Modifications: To keep this dish free from gluten, use Tamari sauce in place of the soy sauce. 
    Corn-Free Modifications: If you need this Orange Chicken to be free from corn, use tapioca starch in place of the corn starch.
    Add Spice: Feel free to add up to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the orange sauce to add some kick to the final dish. 
    Storage: Allow leftover orange chicken to cool slightly and then store in a sealed container for 3-4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze the leftover for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. To reheat the frozen orange chicken, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then warm in a skillet over medium-low heat.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 573mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 96IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!
    « Pickled Red Onions
    Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken »

    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Lisa

      June 28, 2021 at 12:11 am

      Hi, I could only find “seasoned rice wine vinegar” and “rice vinegar” instead of rice wine vinegar without it saying “seasoned” or the other one omitting the “wine” part. Does that make a difference? Which one should I go with? Thank you! I’m preparing to make it; looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        June 28, 2021 at 9:34 am

        I would select rice vinegar! But either will work 🙂

        Reply
    2. Lisa Horner

      April 09, 2021 at 9:19 am

      5 stars
      One of our favorite dishes!

      Reply
    3. Renee Goerger

      March 02, 2021 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      I like this orange chicken recipe even better than what I can get from my local take-out place! YUM!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 02, 2021 at 1:23 pm

        YAY! So happy to hear that Renee.

        Reply
    4. Katie

      March 02, 2021 at 11:19 am

      5 stars
      Looks so delicious! Can't wait to try this with my family.

      Reply
    5. Jody Thorson

      January 04, 2020 at 7:39 pm

      5 stars
      This was an excellent recipe! I will definitely make this again. I served it with long grain and wild rice. An absolute hit, and most of the ingredients are things we already have in the kitchen!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 05, 2020 at 8:01 am

        YAY! I am so glad you enjoyed so much Jody! I love how easy this recipe is myself.

        Reply
    6. Eileen

      March 27, 2017 at 11:43 am

      This look so delicious. I could imagine that kids would love it!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 27, 2017 at 12:59 pm

        Thanks Eileen--this is very popular with kids.

        Reply
    7. Denise Wright

      March 27, 2017 at 7:51 am

      This is on my to-do list this week! Love the new design by the way.

      Reply
    8. Cindy

      March 27, 2017 at 6:28 am

      I'll be making this soon!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 27, 2017 at 7:45 am

        Enjoy!!

        Reply
    9. Denise Wright

      March 27, 2017 at 6:13 am

      This is definitely on my to make list. I love the new look of your site too!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 27, 2017 at 7:46 am

        Thanks so much Denise <3

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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    So much better than take-out, this Homemade Orange Chicken comes together in less than 30 minutes for an easy, healthy meal!

    Meet a Mind "Full" Mom

    A Picture of A Mind"Full"Mom

    Hi! I'm Kristen. I want to welcome you into my kitchen and my REAL, imperfect life. Let me share with you tips and tricks to help you make healthy eating a reality for your family in the chaos of life and on the constraints of a budget. Read more

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