Chicken with Orange Sauce Recipe

Our chicken with orange sauce recipe will help you make a well-known Chinese takeout dish.

This recipe utilizes the vibrant flavors of orange juice to stand out among numerous Chinese fried chicken takeouts. Every bite of chicken will allow you to taste multiple layers of flavors and leave a lasting impression on your taste buds.

What’s the Difference Between Orange Chicken vs General Tso’s Chicken?

Both dishes feature deep-fried chicken with a glossy and flavorful sauce. The sauce is what separates them.

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The main ingredient in the orange chicken sauce is orange juice, which gives the chicken bright colors and a sweet and sour flavor. As for General Tso’s chicken, it has a deeper color and a spicier flavor thanks to the combination of hoisin sauce, chili paste, soy sauce, etc.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Chicken: Skinless and boneless chicken breast is a perfect cut for this recipe because of its low-fat content. The sauce does most of the heavy lifting flavor-wise in this recipe, so we only season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. We make a batter with equal parts of all-purpose flour and cornstarch to give the chicken a crispy outer layer. Paprika adds a bit of color to the batter, and water helps the ingredients combine.
• Sauce: Orange juice, soy sauce, Sriracha, honey, ketchup, and red pepper flakes make up the orange sauce. The mixture may seem a bit overwhelming with all the bold flavors. Still, the result is a flavorful and glistening coating for the fried chicken.
• Vegetables: Orange chicken is often served with sautéed broccoli, so we keep the vegetable but cook in a way that brings out its authentic flavor. Boiling broccoli is also easier and costs less time. We also add orange slices and scallions as garnish.
• Rice: Last but not least, Chinese takeouts like orange chicken are best served over a bed of steaming white rice.

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How Healthy Is Our Chicken With Orange Sauce?

Orange chicken is a healthy option.

With 506 calories and 1.4 g of saturated fat in each serving, it is a fulfilling dish without too much fat. We use a moderate amount of seasoning for the orange sauce to keep the level of sodium at 584 mg sodium, within the limits of our nutrition guidelines.

Canola oil plays a role in keeping the level of saturated fat low, which makes it one of the ideal options for deep-frying.

Another ingredient that is low in fat is skinless and boneless chicken breasts, it provides 37.6 g of lean protein per serving. Meanwhile, orange juice is an excellent source of vitamins, especially vitamin C.

How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers

Orange chicken can last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and for 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Store the leftovers in airtight containers or resealable bags to maintain their best condition.

There are three ways to reheat orange chicken:

• On the stovetop: Stir the chicken over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
• In the oven: Reheat the leftovers in the oven at 350 °F for 10 to 15 minutes.
• In the microwave: Cook in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.

Side Dishes

An Asian meal won’t be complete without a bowl of soup on the side. Here are some of our favorite soups for you to serve with this tasty chicken.

• Cabbage Soup
• Cabbage Potato Soup
• Chicken Tinola
• Winter Melon Meatball Soup
• Stracciatella Soup

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These Chicken and Rice Dishes Are Also Golden

This lemongrass chicken recipe is a casual way to put together a decent dinner. The chicken is rubbed with spices, air-fried, then served with cucumber, tomato, and fish sauce. We’re talking a sweet, salty sauce made using fish sauce, beautifully tying the whole dish together.

Our chicken fried rice recipe is also a great option. It combines rice, corn, peas, carrots, and chicken thighs to make a colorful main course for the whole family.

Chicken with Orange Sauce Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Our chicken with orange sauce recipe features the classic battered fried chicken chunks in a tasty and flavorful orange sauce.

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• cook TIME 35 mins
• prep TIME 15 mins
• total TIME 50 mins

• COURSE Main Dish
• CUISINE Chinese
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 506 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 20 oz skinless boneless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized chunks)
• 4 fl oz orange juice
• 2 oz orange (cut into quarters)
• 6 oz broccoli (cut into florets)
• 2 1/2 cups cooked medium-grain rice (from 1 1/4 cups uncooked)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 cup canola oil (*)
• 1 tbsp Heinz ketchup
• 1 1/2 tsp Sriracha
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp scallions (sliced)

INSTRUCTIONS

Image instructions

Prep:

1

Cut the chicken: Cut the chicken breast lengthwise into 2-inch wide strips, then cut the strips into bite-sized cubes.

2

Cut the broccoli: Place the broccoli on the cutting board with the stem pointing upwards. Cut the florets from the large stem, then cut the florets in half or quarters to get smaller pieces.

3

Cut the orange: Cut the orange in half, then cut the half into thin slices. Cut the slices into small quarters.

4

Cook the rice: Cook white rice with a pot, rice cooker, microwave, or Instant Pot.

5

Slice the scallions: Bunch the scallions together and slice them into thin rounds.

Cook:

1

Season the chicken: Season 20 oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Mix the seasoning thoroughly with the chicken.

2

Make the batter: Prepare a bowl. Mix 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp paprika until fully combined.

3

Cover the chicken: Cover the chicken pieces with the batter.

4

Fry the chicken: Prepare a pot with 1 cup of canola oil. When the oil is hot, deep fry the chicken in 3 different batches, each will take 7 minutes.

5

Re-fry the chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer them onto a plate lined with oil-absorbing cooking paper. Fry the chicken one more time for 3 minutes for crispiness. Move them back to the oil-absorbing paper when done.

6

Boil the broccoli: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil 6 oz broccoli for 3 minutes then remove from the heat.

7

Make the sauce: Add 4 fl oz orange juice, 2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp Heinz ketchup, 1 tbsp honey, 1 1/2 tsp Sriracha, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes to a pan. Mixed until combined.

Reduce the mixed sauce over low heat until thickened.

8

Mix the chicken with the sauce: Add the fried chicken to the sauce. Mix them until the sauce fully covers the chicken.

9

Garnish: Add 2 oz orange and sprinkle 2 tbsp scallions on the chicken.

10

Serve and enjoy: Serve the chicken with broccoli and 2 1/2 cups of cooked medium-grain white rice.

(*) Only part of the oil will end up in the final product, and we have calculated nutritional values based on that amount. The whole amount is needed for frying, but what ends up being consumed is 2 tbsp of canola oil for four servings.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

Chicken with Orange Sauce Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 506

% Daily Value*

Fat 11.3g

17%

Saturated Fat 1.5g

9%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2.8g

Monounsaturated Fat 5.5g

Cholesterol 103.5mg

35%

Sodium 584mg

25%

Potassium 750.7mg

21%

Carbohydrate 61g

20%

Fiber 2g

8%

Sugar 10.2g

11%

Protein 37.7g

75%

Vitamin A 755IU

15%

Vitamin C 61mg

74%

Calcium 45.6mg

5%

Iron 1.7mg

9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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