Better-Than-Takeout Crispy Orange Chicken Recipe
This crispy orange chicken combines tender, golden-fried chicken with a tangy and sticky orange glaze for a restaurant-style meal at home.
Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl Large
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 2 lbs Boneless skinless chicken breast, thighs, or a mix
- 1 Large egg
- 1 tablespoon Oil for batter mix
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper adjust as needed
- ½ cup plus 1 tbsp Cornstarch for crisp texture
- ¼ cup All-purpose flour for extra crunch
- Oil for frying enough to fry chicken
- 2 tablespoon Oil from frying pan reserved for sauce base
- 1 teaspoon Minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoon Grated orange zest avoid white pith
- 1 cup Fresh orange juice
- ½ cup Hoisin sauce
- 1 pinch Cayenne pepper optional
- ¼ cup White granulated sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- In a bowl, whisk egg, oil, salt, pepper, cornstarch, and flour into a thick batter.
- Coat chicken in batter, mix well so each piece is fully coated.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat and fry chicken in batches for 4–5 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Drain fried chicken on paper towels and discard excess oil, reserving 2 tbsp.
- Sauté garlic in reserved oil for 30 seconds.
- Add orange juice, zest, hoisin sauce, sugar, and cayenne. Bring to simmer and stir until thickened.
- Toss fried chicken in sauce and cook 2-3 more minutes until well coated.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve hot over rice or vegetables.
- Garnish with sesame seeds or green onions if desired.
Notes
Best served hot with steamed rice and optional sesame seed garnish. Store leftovers in airtight container and reheat in skillet or air fryer for best crispiness.