Go Back
Crispy orange chicken in glossy sauce over jasmine rice, a homemade orange chicken recipe for weeknights

Crispy Orange Chicken Recipe Ready in 50 Minutes

Crispy chicken thigh pieces tossed in a sauce of fresh orange juice, zest, ginger, and garlic. A shallow fry at 350°F keeps the crust crunchy, and the sauce goes on at the last second.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 About 1 1/4 cups
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Calories: 570
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups canola peanut, or vegetable oil
For the Orange Sauce
  • 2/3 cup fresh orange juice from 2 large navel oranges, plus 2 tablespoons for loosening
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest plus 1 teaspoon for finishing
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
For Serving
  • 2 green onions thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 4 cups cooked jasmine rice

Equipment

  • 5-quart Dutch oven
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Wire rack set over a rimmed sheet pan
  • 3-quart saucepan
  • Microplane zester

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 200°F and slide in a wire rack set over a rimmed sheet pan.
  2. Freeze the thighs for 15 minutes, then trim them, cut them into 1-inch pieces, and pat them dry with paper towels.
  3. Zest both oranges, then juice them. Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the green onions.
  4. Whisk the cornstarch and flour in a small bowl. Combine the orange sauce ingredients in a medium bowl, and stir the slurry in a cup. Pour the frying oil into the Dutch oven with the burner off.
  5. Whisk the egg, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and pepper in a large bowl, then toss in the chicken for 30 seconds, until every piece looks evenly glossy.
  6. Add the cornstarch and flour, toss for 1 minute, then rest the pieces for 5 minutes, until the coating looks pale and slightly damp and clings when you lift a piece.
  7. Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in the saucepan over medium heat and cook the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, until pale gold, never brown.
  8. Pour in the juice, zest, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, pepper flakes, and sesame oil. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring, until the sugar dissolves completely.
  9. Whisk in the slurry and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce coats a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clear line. Remove the pan from the heat.
  10. Heat the frying oil over medium-high heat to 350°F, about 5 minutes, until it shimmers with faint ripples.
  11. Fry one third of the chicken, adding pieces one at a time, for 5 to 6 minutes, flipping once halfway, until deep golden brown and 165°F inside. Keep the oil between 325°F and 350°F.
  12. Move the pieces to the oven rack with a slotted spoon, wait 1 minute for the oil to return to 350°F, and fry the remaining two batches until the pieces look dry and crackly.
  13. Rewarm the sauce over low heat for 1 minute, adding the extra 2 tablespoons of juice if it has tightened. Off the heat, toss in all the chicken for 30 seconds, until every piece wears a glossy amber coat.
  14. Top with the green onions and sesame seeds, and sprinkle the reserved 1 teaspoon of zest over the plated chicken.

Notes

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days with the sauce in a separate jar. Freeze plain fried chicken, without sauce, for up to 3 months.
Chicken breasts work. Cut 1-inch pieces and fry them 4 to 5 minutes, until 165°F in the center.
Nutrition does not include rice and was calculated with regular soy sauce. Reduced-sodium soy sauce lowers the sodium.