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Orange Chicken Sauce Recipe

Orange Chicken that is baked, NOT FRIED, smothered in an irresistible sweet and tangy orange sauce on your table in 35 minutes! To make this easy orange chicken recipe, the bite-size chicken gets tossed in a simple breading then is baked and broiled to crispy perfection then is bathed in the most-lick-the-plate alluring, multidimensional orange sauce ever! It’s sticky, sweet and tangy infused with orange juice, orange marmalade and a splash of lemon juice for plenty of citrus punch all balanced by sugar, soy sauce, hoisin, garlic and ginger. The layered complex flavors combined with the crispy, juicy chicken is out of this world! Serve this Orange Chicken with rice and stir fried vegetables and you have an easy weeknight meal your whole family will love!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 -5 servings

Ingredients

Breading

  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into 1" pieces
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 eggs

Orange Sauce

  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup sweet orange marmalade (not regular, see notes)*
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar, more or less to taste
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons quality hoisin sauce like Lee Kum Kee or Kikkoman
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Asian hot red chili sauce optional
  • 1/2 tsp EACH salt, garlic powder, ginger powder, onion powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick mat or foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Place baking sheet in the oven to heat up.
  • Meanwhile, whisk the Breading flour, salt and pepper together in a freezer bag. Whisk eggs together in a separate freezer bag or shallow bowl.
  • Add chicken to eggs and turn/stir to coat. Working in batches, remove coated chicken from bag, dabbing off excess egg wash with paper towels then add chicken to Breading bag. Seal bag and toss until chicken is evenly coated.
  • Carefully place chicken on the hot baking sheet in an even layer and spray generously with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes then move the baking sheet about 8" away from broiler and broil until crispy, watching closely so the chicken doesn't burn (about 2-4 minutes). Flip chicken pieces over and broil another 2-3 minutes, or until crispy.
  • While the chicken is baking, make the Orange Sauce. Whisk all of the Orange Sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly then reduce to a simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
  • Add baked chicken to a large bowl then pour sauce over chicken. Stir until evenly coated. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions if desired.

Notes

TIPS AND TRICKS 

  • Sweet orange marmalade:  adds multidimensional fruity sweetness and intense orange flavor with just the right amount of zip from orange peel. Sweet orange marmalade is made using Valencia, navel, or similar oranges and will be called out on the label as “SWEET Orange Marmalade.” I used Smuckers brand. Bitter or Seville marmalade is traditional and will just be labeled "orange marmalade." If you can only find orange marmalade (without the sweet), increase the sugar to taste by a few tablespoons.
  • Don’t chop chicken to small.  The chicken should be chopped 1” thick, erroring on the side of larger so that it doesn’t overcook and dry out.
  • Bread the chicken in small batches.  By adding only half of the chicken to the flour, it is able to move around and shake around better to become fully coated.  If you notice any of the chicken isn’t fully coated when you’re removing it, give it another toss in the flour with a clean hand.
  • Use clean hands.  I love using a bag to shake the chicken in the breading because it keeps the chicken from becoming a gooey mess.  Just make sure your hands are clean and dry when you remove the chicken.
  • Remove excess flour.  Even if you shake the chicken as you remove it from the breading, a lot of flour can end up on the baking sheet.  To remedy this, I like to place the chicken in a strainer after dredging to help shake off any excess.
  • Don’t let chicken touch.  Space the chicken apart on the baking sheet so the pieces aren’t touching – chicken will never get crispy if it’s hidden/touching other chicken.
  • Broil chicken.  Don’t skip broiling the chicken because that is what makes it truly crispy.
  • Keep on eye on the chicken. Don’t walk away from the chicken while it is broiling become it can turn from crispy to burnt in a flash!
  • Serve immediately. Whether Orange Chicken is baked or fried, it can get soggy if left to sit for too long once combined.  To prevent soggy chicken, serve immediately or store the chicken and sauce separately, then combine when reheating.
  • Use quality ingredients.  Only use QUALITY hoisin sauce like Lee Kum Kee or Kikkoman because you can taste the difference!
  • Customize!  Make this YOUR Orange Chicken by making it sweeter, tangier, or spicier if desired.

Make Ahead 

Even though this homemade Orange Chicken is quick to make, you can still prepare it in stages if that works better for you.
  • Orange Sauce:  Whisk the orange sauce ingredients together but do not simmer/thicken.  Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 
  • Breading:  Whisk the flour breading ingredients together in a Ziploc freezer bag.  You can store the breading for weeks or proceed to dredge chicken then refrigerate.
  • Chicken:  Prepare chicken through dredging but instead of placing on a baking sheet, place on a greased cooking rack placed on a baking sheet.  The elevated cooking rack will help crisp up the chicken when it’s time to bake since we are eliminating the step of heating the baking rack before adding the chicken.  Cover the chicken tightly with foil or plastic wrap.  Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking.  

STORAGE 

This Orange Chicken recipe is best served fresh because it is at peak crispiness, sauciness and the chicken is the juiciest.  You will find leftover chicken is not quite crispy or as flavorful.  
  • How to store:  Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • How to reheat on the stove:  Leftovers are best reheated on the stove, even if they are small portions.  To reheat, heat a drizzle of vegetable, canola or peanut oil over medium heat.  Once hot, add the chicken, stirring occasionally until warmed through. 
  • Reheating in microwave:  Microwaving leftovers is not advised as the chicken can become rubbery and the breading will definitely not be crispy.  It is better to reheat in the skillet.    

How to FREEZE

If you are making Orange Chicken specifically to freeze, then I recommend freezing the chicken and sauce separately so the chicken doesn’t get soggy. 
TO FREEZE CHICKEN WITHOUT ORANGE SAUCE:
  1. Cook chicken according to directions.
  2. Let chicken cool to room temperature (on the baking sheet) then transfer baking sheet to the freezer.
  3. Let freeze for 1-2 hours or until the chicken is solid. This prevents the chicken from clumping together.
  4. Add chicken to a freezer size bag, squeeze out excess air and label.
  5. Add orange sauce to a separate airtight container.
  6. When ready to use, defrost chicken and sauce in the refrigerator overnight.
TO FREEZE CHICKEN IN ORANGE SAUCE:
  1. Let Orange Chicken cool completely.
  2. Transfer chicken to either a large freezer size bag or divide into smaller size bags.  Alternatively, transfer to airtight container(s).
  3. Press air out of the freezer bag, seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months.
  4. When ready to eat, defrost in the refrigerator.
  5. Heat on the stove until warmed through.