Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken

There’s no need to order out! This Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken is ready to go in a little over an hour.

Serve this Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken on a bed of Instant Pot Sticky Rice or Better Than Takeout Fried Rice. I love to whip up a batch of Homemade Potstickers to go with ALL of my Asian dishes!

Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken on top of a bed of white rice.

As good as the “real” thing

The other day I decided that I needed to search for a few recipes online and see if I could make some Orange chicken that would be equally as good as to the one I love. That’s not always easy to do, especially with Asian food.

I was really skeptical about the end results but I have to say, this orange chicken is by far better than any takeout we’ve ever had. It’s delicious! 

Prepare to spend a little extra time prepping this recipe and doing a few more dishes. Don’t worry guys, it’s worth it!

It’s got great flavor, an amazing texture to it and will have all of your family fooled. They’ll think you ordered out! Next up- sweet n’ sour and sesame chicken!

Dredging chicken for Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken.

Making better than take out orange chicken

PREP. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, lightly spray a 9×13 inch glass pan, set aside.

SAUCE. In a medium size mixing bowl (or a 2 c. measuring cup), whisk together the chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, Sriracha, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, set aside.

COAT CHICKEN. Place the cubes of chicken into a bowl with the whisked eggs, toss the chicken (taking care to let the egg drip off it) into a large Ziploc bag full of the cornstarch. Zip and shake until evenly coated.

FRY. Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Working in batches (3-4), add the chicken and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

COAT + BAKE. Add the fried chicken to the prepared 9×13 pan. Whisk together a slurry of 1 tbsp. of cornstarch and 1 tbsp. of water, add to the sauce and then pour over the chicken. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Remove and serve immediately.

Fried chicken for Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken.

Tips + Variations

This sweet and tangy orange chicken is sure to be a hit with your family any night of the week! Here are a few tips when making it:

  • Peanut or canola oil can be used to fry the chicken instead of vegetable oil.
  • Reserve some of the sauce (or make extra) to serve over white rice with your chicken.
  • If you don’t have a zester a cheese grater or vegetable peeler can be used instead. When using a cheese grater be sure to choose the side with the smallest holes and lightly zest the orange to get just the top layer of the peel. If using a peeler, be sure to use a light touch working from the bottom to the top to make sure no pith (or bitter white layer or the orange) is showing.
  •  ½ cup of honey or ⅓ cup of agave syrup can be swapped out for the sugar in the sauce.
Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken coated in orange sauce.

Storing Info

STORE leftover orange chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

FREEZE for up to 6 months.

Reheat chicken straight from the freezer by warming on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken topped with sliced green onion.

More take out inspired classics:

Baking Tools & Ingredients You Will Need For This Recipe:

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Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken

Better than Takeout Orange Chicken Recipe

There's no need to order out! This better than takeout orange chicken is ready to go in a little over an hour!
5 from 2 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 311kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup orange juice - freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic - minced
  • 1 Tbsp orange zest
  • 1 1/2 tsp Sriracha
  • 1/4 tsp ginger - freshly grated
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch or tapioca flour
  • 1 Tbsp water

For The Chicken

  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breasts - cut into 1" chunks
  • 3/4 cup cornstarch or tapioca flour
  • 2 large eggs - lightly beaten
  • 2 cups vegetable oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees, lightly spray a 9×13 inch glass pan, set aside.
  • In a medium size mixing bowl (or a 2 c. measuring cup), whisk together the chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, Sriracha, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, set aside.
  • Place the cubes of chicken into a bowl with the whisked eggs, toss the chicken (taking care to let the egg drip off it) into a large ziplock bag full of the cornstarch. Zip and shake until evenly coated.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Working in batches (3-4), add the chicken and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
  • Add the fried chicken to the prepared 9×13 pan. Whisk together a slurry of 1 tbsp. of cornstarch and 1 tbsp. of water, add to the sauce and then pour over the chicken. Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Remove and serve immediately.

NOTES

-This dish is best baked to help develop the flavor of the sauce, to thicken it and to make the chicken nice and tender. If you’re in a time crunch, you can fry the chicken and heat the sauce (with the cornstarch and water) in a small saucepan until thick, then pour over the chicken and eat immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 737mg | Potassium: 550mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 196IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

Recipe source: slightly adapted from Damn Delicious

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. ANY REVENUE MADE FROM SALES THROUGH THESE LINKS HELPS TO SUPPORT LIFE MADE SIMPLE. THANK YOU!

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About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

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Comments:

  1. This recipe is awesome! Made it yesterday, gave my friend some and she said it was the best fried rice she’s ever had! Hubby loved it too! I had some pre-cooked frozen shrimp in the freezer, cut into chunks and added at the end, OMG, sooo good! Thanks for sharing!