Easy Orange Chicken

Name: Easy Orange Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch cubes; 1 tsp kosher salt; 2 Tbsp vegetable oil; 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch; 1/4 cup cold water; 2 tsp orange zest; 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice; 3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari; 1/2 tsp chili-garlic paste, plus more to taste; 2 Tbsp brown sugar; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar; steamed rice; sesame seeds, optional; chopped green onions, optional

Our easy orange chicken recipe puts a healthy spin on the sweet-savory Chinese takeout favorite.

Categories:

baked orange chicken on white rice topped with sesame seeds and green onions

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Step Away From the Takeout Menu

We’ve been on a Chinese food kick lately—hello, Kung Pao chicken!—and no one is complaining. What is it that’s so satisfying about recreating your favorite take out dishes at home? It’s hard to say exactly what it is—it’s sort of a puzzle-solving high, plus it fills our frugal hearts with joy. Oh, and it’s nice to control exactly what’s in your food—homemade is always going to be healthier than takeout! Baked instead of fried means way less oil, we use a little less salt than your favorite Chinese restaurant would, and you’ll find no MSG on our ingredients list.

TMP Orange Chicken Sauce—With A Not-So-Secret Ingredient

If it’s not coated in a slightly sticky, tangy-sweet sauce, then it’s just not orange chicken. Our easy orange chicken sauce hits all of the right notes—a little sweet, a little tart, a little savory, and a little spicy. Here’s what you’ll need:

An orange! Yes—a real, actual orange. Believe it or not, using freshly squeezed orange juice and zest really sets this recipe apart. Fresh orange juice, plus a little zest will make your orange chicken sing with flavor.
Soy sauce—or you can use gluten-free tamari, which makes the whole dish gluten-free!
Chili-garlic paste—any brand you love works just fine.
Brown sugar.
Garlic.
Rice wine vinegar.
Water + cornstarch—this forms a slurry, which is the key to giving the sauce a classic Chinese restaurant texture. Just sticky enough to cling to tender, roasted chicken bites.

Easy baked orange chicken on a sheet pan

How To Make Orange Chicken (but Healthier & Easier!)

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again—making Chinese dishes at home is not just healthier than takeout, it’s also way, way faster than waiting for delivery. This easy orange chicken comes together in about 20 minutes.

Roast the chicken pieces until they’re cooked through.
Simmer the orange chicken sauce until it’s thick—it’ll just take a couple of minutes.
Toss the chicken pieces with the orange chicken sauce, and serve!

Easy baked orange chicken over rice with green onions and white rice

sheet pan of easy orange chicken topped with sesame seeds and green onions

Tools You’ll Need:

Baking sheet.
Small saucepan.
We love to serve this with steamed white rice, so we always break out our rice cooker when we make Chinese orange chicken.

Other Asian Chicken Recipes We Love:

Orange You Glad You Tried This Chicken Recipe?

Sorry, we just had to. But seriously—it’s so good, right? Show us how your orange chicken turned out! Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!