Easy Orange Chicken

Close up of a bowl of orange chicken over rice with chopsticks

Craving a quick and fuss-free meal that's seriously scrumptious? Say hello to our easy orange chicken. It uses only five ingredients and is done in 15 minutes or less!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Servings: servings

Calories: 226kcal

Author: Sandra

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts Cut into bite-sized pieces. Note 1.
salt and black pepper To taste.
½ cup cornstarch Note 2.
vegetable oil For frying

For the Orange Sauce:

¾ cup orange marmalade Store-bought
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar Note 3.

Instructions

Season the chicken pieces with salt and black pepper to taste.
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, salt and black pepper
Add the cornstarch to a shallow bowl. Dredge each chicken piece in the cornstarch, shaking off any excess.
½ cup cornstarch
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to fully coat the bottom of the pan. It should be about ¼ inch deep from the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the coated chicken pieces about 1 inch apart. Do not add too many chicken pieces at once. Fry them until they are golden brown and fully cooked, typically taking about 1 to 1.5 minutes per side. Be careful not to overcook the chicken. Remove them from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Repeat with any remaining chicken pieces. Note 4.
vegetable oil
In a small bowl, add the orange marmalade, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Whisk until it's well combined. Heat it in the microwave on high for 40 seconds to 1 minute until it is heated through. If the sauce is too thin, mix some cornstarch with water and stir it in until thickened or you can add a bit more marmalade. Note 5.
¾ cup orange marmalade, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Pour it over the chicken and toss to coat. Serve it over cooked rice or noodles.

Notes

Traditionally, orange chicken recipes use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you prefer chicken thighs, you can substitute an equal amount of those instead. Cut the chicken into relatively evenly sized, bite-sized pieces. This helps the chicken cook faster and more evenly.
Cornstarch is the key to a crispier crust. I don't recommend substituting all-purpose flour.
Rice vinegar has a light, subtle flavor. If you don't have this on hand, you can substitute white wine or apple cider vinegar.
Add enough oil so it is about ¼ inch deep from the bottom of the pan and then allow the oil to heat to about 350-375 F (175-190°C) before adding the chicken. This will ensure that the chicken gets crispy without absorbing too much oil. Also be sure to space the chicken pieces about 1 inch apart. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook it in a couple of batches. It usually takes less than two minutes per side to cook the chicken (mine took only 1 minute per side on a gas stove). It is done when it turns a light golden brown. Be careful not to overcook!
I love the convenience of the microwave here. By heating the sauce in the microwave, rather than returning the chicken to the skillet and tossing it with the sauce over heat, you avoid the risk of overcooking the chicken. If you find that the sauce is too thin, you can combine some cornstarch and water and stir that mixture into the sauce to thicken it up. You can also add a bit more marmalade if you don't mind a sweeter sauce.

Nutrition