Our easy orange chicken and rice recipe is full of classic take-out flavors you can enjoy at home. It's full of crispy, fried chicken chunks coated in a sweet and savory mix and served over rice with a sweet, savory citrus sauce.
We love takeout, but we don't always want to pay for delivery or head out to our local restaurant to pick it up. With this delicious orange chicken recipe, we don't have to.
We also love easy and fun recipes, and just like our air fryer boneless chicken bites and air fryer Greek meatballs, this recipe comes together quickly and leaves everyone asking for more. You can't beat it.
Like our air fryer Mongolian beef and air fryer crispy chilli beef recipes, this sweet, tangy chicken take out dinner recipe is loaded with all the classic flavors we love, and it's as fresh as it can possibly be. After all, it came from your kitchen!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Classic Flavor: This recipe is full of the sweet and savory flavors and crispy texture you love about orange chicken.
- As Fresh as It Gets: You can't get any fresher than straight from your kitchen.
- Convenient: You'll never have to wait for a delivery guy or head to your local take-out spot.
- Simple Ingredients: The flavor of this dish may be complex, but the ingredients aren't. You can find them all at your local grocery store, and some of them are probably in your kitchen right now.
- Easy: This is easy orange chicken recipe only takes a few minutes of prep. You make the chicken while your rice simmers, so it's made in just about 30 minutes time.
Fried Chicken Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: We love Springer Mountain Farms boneless skinless chicken breasts because they never add hormones or antibiotics, and they never use animal by-products in their feed.
- Corn Starch and Flour: A mix of corn starch and flour makes a coating that's not too thick and nicely crisp.
- Tamari Sauce: Tamari sauce adds a rich, mellow, soy sauce-like flavor with an umami note.
- 14 Spice All Purpose Seasoning: This seasoning blend is absolutely loaded with flavor and gives the chicken a big kick of savory flavor.
- Sesame Oil: Sesame oil adds a distinctive nutty flavor to the chicken.
Orange Sauce Ingredients
- Orange Juice and Zest: Freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest give the sauce a bright, citrus flavor.
- Tamari Sauce: Tamari sauce adds a mellow flavor similar to soy sauce.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar gives the sauce a tangy flavor that's perfect with the sweetness of the orange and sugar in the recipe.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce, balancing the acidity of the tamari and the orange.
- Sesame Oil: Sesame oil adds a savory, nutty note to the sauce.
- Ginger Paste: Ginger paste adds a bold kick of spicy, peppery flavor with a hint of sweetness.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce has a similar flavor to tamari and works well in this recipe.
- Bottled Orange Juice: While freshly squeezed orange juice is preferred, bottled orange juice is a good alternative in a pinch. Be sure it's 100% orange juice with no added sweeteners.
- Meat: You can use chicken thighs in place of breasts. You could also use pork or shrimp for a totally different dish with one easy change.
- Gluten-Free: If you can't have gluten, just use a 1:1 gluten free flour. It's an easy switch and won't alter the flavor in the slightest.
Fried Chicken Instructions
- Whisk the fried chicken ingredients in a medium bowl. Then, add the diced chicken cubes and stir to thoroughly coat them.
- Fry the chicken in batches until golden brown, placing them on a wire rack over paper towels to catch any excess oil.
- Fry the chicken in batches again for about a minute until they are a bit deeper golden brown and extra crispy. Place the cooked chicken back on the wire rack.
Orange Sauce Instructions
- While the chicken cooks, whisk all the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup.
- Pour the sauce into a large wok or pan over medium heat and stir well.
- Make a slurry of the cornstarch and cold water and add it to the sauce. Then, cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.
- Turn off the heat and add the chicken, stirring well to evenly coat.
- Serve in bowls over white or jasmine rice and top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Expert Tips
- To ensure your rice is cooked quickly and perfectly, use a rice cooker. Simply rinse 3 cups of rice and add them to a rice cooker along with 3 cups of water.
- To ensure your oil is the correct temperature, dip a piece of chicken into it. If the oil sizzles, it's ready to go!
- We prefer using a wok for this recipe whenever possible. The curved sides make it easy to ensure the chicken is fully coated in sauce.
- When washing chicken, use a deep sink and run the water on a low stream. This reduces splashing and spreading bacteria. Always wash your counters after rinsing chicken.
Pairing Suggestions
Serve this orange chicken with white or jasmine rice. You can also serve it with your favorite fried rice variation, as well. You can also make this part of a larger meal with classic sides like egg rolls and wontons.
For dessert, try these pumpkin cream cheese muffins. The warm, pumpkin flavor and sweet cream cheese frosting work very well with the citrus and savory flavors in the chicken.
FAQ
When it comes to frying, it's all about oil temperature. Your oil should be nice and hot, ideally between 330 to 350 degrees. Hot oil immediately crisps the outside of the batter or coating, forming a physical barrier that prevents the food from soaking up the oil as it cooks.
If your fried chicken is soggy, your oil wasn't hot enough. When the oil isn't hot enough, it won't crisp the outside of the food, allowing the coating to soak up the oil and get soggy. Be sure you preheat your oil and work in small batches to keep the oil hot.
Yes, you can. Simply use a 1:1 gluten free flour in the same amount as regular flour. You'll also want to use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce, as it's naturally gluten free. If you want to use soy sauce, be sure the label specifies gluten free.
You can use store-bought orange juice in place of fresh in almost any recipe so long as it's 100% juice with no added sweeteners.
📖 Recipe
Orange Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 ½ lbs Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 9 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoon tamari sauce
- ½ tablespoon 14 spices seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ⅓ cup water
- 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
Orange Sauce
- ¾ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 3 tablespoon tamari sauce
- 1 tbps rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
Chicken
- Wash the chicken and dice it into small cubes. Preheat the oil to 340 degrees in a large skillet or deep fryer.
- Whisk all the coating ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Add the chicken and mix well to coat.
- Fry the chicken in batches for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown. Place them on a wire rack with paper towels underneath it as you go.
- After the chicken is fried, double fry it one more time. Working in batches, fry the chicken again for about a minute until the color deepens and the coating is extra crispy. Place the chicken back on the rack.
Orange Sauce
- While the chicken is cooking, whisk the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup.
- Add the sauce to a large wok over medium heat and stir well. Then, make a slurry with the cornstarch and water and add it to the wok. Cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute until the sauce thickens.
- Turn off the heat and add the chicken to the wok. Stir well to coat evenly and serve with rice.
Notes
- Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months in an airtight container.
- To reheat, defrost the chicken overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Then, microwave at 1-minute intervals until heated through.
- Be aware that the coating won't be crispy when reheated in the microwave.
- If you don't have a wok, use a large pan so you have plenty of room to thoroughly mix in the chicken.
- We highly recommend getting a rice cooker if you don't have one. It makes it so much easier to cook the rice to perfection at the same time as the chicken.
Liz says
This was delicious!!! It was just as good or better than what I've gotten in a restaurant!
Nicole Kendrick says
What high praise! Thank you, Liz!!!!
Andrea says
The chicken came out perfectly crispy and tangy—I couldn’t believe I made something that tasted just like takeout at home!
Nicole Kendrick says
All the takeout flavor without the price - or the unhealthy oils!
Criss says
Made this orange chicken and rice the other night—super easy and full of that sweet and tangy kick. The sauce thickens up beautifully, and it goes so well with fluffy rice. Total weeknight winner!
Nicole Kendrick says
Tangy and loaded with fresh orange flavor! Perfect for any weeknight dinner!
Genevieve says
You can never go wrong with orange chicken and rice, it's one of my favorites!
Ben says
Booyah! This stuff is just as good as anything I've ever ordered from a restaurant.
Paula says
This orange chicken is 10x better than the takeout version. Love those simple ingredients and the results are unmatched!
amy liu dong says
This is one of my favorite chicken recipes. It is so easy, delicious, and quick!
Andrea says
Pretty easy for a fried dish and way cheaper than ordering out. Will make again.
Ashley says
I'm so glad I came across this recipe. Orange Chicken is one of our go-tos when we go to our favorite Chinese restaurant. Now I can make it at home when the craving hits!
Swathi says
Orange chicken and rice are delicious, a perfect treat, I have enjoyed as a family dinner.
Leslie says
I REALLY love this recipe! The orange sauce was perfection and in my opinion, better than take-out!!
Elisa says
This turns out delicious; it's the favorite of my kiddos. Thanks!
Michele says
Tasted even better than take out! Loved how quick it came together too.
Krystle Smith says
I whipped this up, and my kitchen absolutely smelled amazing. That crispy, double-fried chicken was chef's kiss!
Nicole says
This orange chicken and rice is amazing!! Love how easy it is to replicate some takeout at home.
Elizabeth says
This orange chicken and rice is so yummy and easy to make! Added to our weeknight dinner rotation. 🙂
Maggie says
This was delish! Adding it to our rotation!!
Jet says
Tried this for dinner and it was better than takeout. Super crispy chicken and that sauce is addictive!
Lora says
This orange chicken and rice recipe sounds like such a great way to enjoy takeout at home! I love that it has that crispy, sweet and savory combo—definitely adding this to my weeknight dinner plans.
Swathi says
Orange chicken and rice are so delicious that my picky eater enjoyed a lot, asked me to make it again.
Tisha says
I love orange chicken, and this makes it so easy to do from home!
Colleen says
My family loved this orange chicken. Will make again!
Nicole Kendrick says
Mine too! So glad to hear you are having a hot meal together!
Laura says
A delicious classic! This was a huge hit with the kids for dinner.
Nicole Kendrick says
This one is always a great option when trying to get dinner on the table! Enjoy!
Mia says
I cooked this orange chicken and rice today, and it came out sweet, sticky, and super easy—such a quick meal to pull off on a busy day.
Nicole Kendrick says
Sounds like perfection. Thanks for the lovely review!
Sabrina says
A little sweet, a little tangy, and completely satisfying — exactly the kind of dinner I crave some nights, and why I love and appreciate such easy recipes. It tastes like takeout!
Nicole Kendrick says
Nothing better than a fresh bowl of Orange Chicken and Rice after a long day of work!
Michelle says
Easy and the orange flavor was just right! This will def become a regular in our dinner line up.
Nicole Kendrick says
LOVEEEE this. Glad we could help you out!!!
Helen says
My all time favorite takeout order. This tastes so much better with the fresh orange flavor really coming through.
Nicole Kendrick says
I couldn't agree more! The fresh orange makes all the difference!
Liz says
Super yummy and so easy to make! We'll be having it again for sure!
Nicole Kendrick says
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Enjoy the orange Chicken and Rice!
Audrey says
A quick, easy dinner that’s full of flavor! The orange sauce is sweet, tangy, and really comforting over rice. Simple ingredients and great for a busy weeknight!
Nicole Kendrick says
Simple ingredients always wins! Thanks so much for stopping by!