This Air Fryer Orange Chicken is a flavorful 30-minute dinner featuring air-fried chicken bites in a sweet and tangy orange sauce. It's a family favorite take-out classic from the comfort of home!
What is Orange Chicken?
Orange chicken is an American-Chinese dish created by Panda Express in the late 80s. It's become the signature dish of the popular chain restaurant and is now commonly found in Chinese restaurants in the U.S. It features crispy fried bites of chicken in a sweet and tangy, orange-flavored sauce with a slight spice from crushed chili pepper flakes.
Why This Recipe Works
With this homemade orange chicken recipe, you can recreate the delicious sweet and savory flavor of take-out at home using fresh, natural ingredients. And using the air fryer, you can avoid the messy deep frying and cut a lot of the fat and calories from frying in oil.
Best of all, this easy orange chicken recipe is done in just 30 minutes, so it's perfect for a weeknight chicken dinner the whole family will love!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken - Boneless skinless breasts or chicken thighs will work for this recipe.
- Orange Juice - Use high-quality orange juice for the best flavor.
- Soy Sauce - Use low-sodium soy sauce to control the salt level of the dish.
- Ginger and Garlic - Fresh grated ginger and garlic add flavor to the sauce. You can swap in powdered ginger and garlic if needed, but the flavors will be milder.
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken - Mix the eggs and soy sauce together in a large bowl, then add the chicken and stir until the pieces are well coated. Let sit for at least 15 minutes. If marinating for longer, refrigerate the chicken.
- Coat the Chicken - In another bowl, stir together the flour and cornstarch. Working in batches, add the marinated chicken pieces and toss to coat. Shake off any excess coating and set aside, then repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
- Cook the Chicken - Preheat your air fryer to 390℉. Spray the chicken with cooking spray to coat each piece, then flip and spray the other side. Add the chicken to the basket in a single layer and cook for around 10 minutes, shaking the basket occasionally, until they reach an internal temperature of 165℉. Cook in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the air fryer.
- Prepare the Sauce - While the chicken cooks, heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sesame oil and vegetable oil, then add the ginger and garlic, and cook for around 45 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until the sauce is thickened.
- Sauce the Chicken - Toss the cooked chicken in the sauce to coat, then serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer when cooking the chicken. Leave a little space between the chicken pieces so the air can circulate. You may need to cook the chicken in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Shake the basket every 3-4 minutes when cooking the chicken to help it brown more evenly.
- If the sauce is too thin, combine 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water, then stir into the sauce and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat if needed until it reaches your desired consistency.
- If the sauce is too thick, stir in a tablespoon of water at a time and cook for another minute. Repeat if needed.
What to Serve with Orange Chicken
This Air Fryer Orange Chicken Recipe is great for a flavorful weeknight dinner. You can serve it with a simple side of steamed rice and veggies like broccoli for a balanced meal.
It's also a great choice as part of a larger spread of Chinese take-out classics like my veggie lo mein and sesame chicken.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat leftovers in your air fryer at 350°F for 5-6 minutes is best to maintain the crispy texture. You can also reheat smaller portions of orange chicken in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Orange Chicken features a sweet, orange-flavored sauce made with a base of orange juice, rice vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce.
Orange chicken and General Tso's chicken are American-Chinese dishes featuring fried chicken bites coated in sauce. Orange chicken has a sweet, orange-flavored sauce, while General Tso chicken has no orange flavor and is spicier and not as sweet.
More Asian Chicken Recipes
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- cooking spray
Orange Chicken Sauce
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, or other light cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon finely grated garlic
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix the eggs and soy sauce together in a large bowl, then add the chicken and stir until the pieces are well coated. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.
- In another bowl, stir together the flour and cornstarch. Working in batches, add the marinated chicken pieces and toss to coat. Shake off any excess coating and set aside, then repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
- Preheat your air fryer to 390℉. Spray the chicken with cooking spray to coat each piece, then flip and spray the other side. Add the chicken pieces to the basket in a single layer and cook for around 10 minutes, shaking the basket occasionally, until they reach an internal temperature of 165℉. Cook in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the air fryer.
- While the chicken cooks, heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sesame oil and vegetable oil, then add the ginger and garlic, and cook for around 45 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until the sauce is thickened.
- Toss the cooked chicken in the sauce to coat, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer when cooking the chicken. Leave a little space between the chicken pieces so the air can circulate. You may need to cook the chicken in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Shake the basket every 3-4 minutes when cooking the chicken to help it brown more evenly.
- If the sauce is too thin, combine 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water, then stir into the sauce and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat if needed until it reaches your desired consistency.
- If the sauce is too thick, stir in a tablespoon of water at a time and cook for another minute. Repeat if needed.
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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