Homemade Orange Chicken
This homemade orange chicken recipe is full of real ingredients, great fresh flavor, and is perfectly easy for any night of the week! Skip the takeout and try this easy orange chicken recipe! Ready in 30 minutes.
Some nights you want a dinner that feels a little special without requiring a lot of extra time or effort.
That’s exactly why this homemade orange chicken has become a regular part of our dinner rotation.
Tender bites of chicken are coated in a simple orange sauce made with real ingredients and ready in about 30 minutes. It has all the sweet, citrusy flavor you love from takeout, but it’s easy enough to make on a busy weeknight.
What I love most about this recipe is that it feels like a treat while still fitting into real life. Pair it with rice and a simple vegetable, and dinner is on the table without a lot of planning or fuss.
When you’re trying to make dinner feel easier, having a few reliable meals that everyone enjoys can make a huge difference. This is one of those recipes for our family.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Ready in about 30 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Made with simple ingredients and fresh orange flavor.
- A family favorite that helps bring variety to your dinner routine without adding extra stress.
How to make easy orange chicken
This recipe is simple to make! For the full set of directions, please scroll down to the recipe card below. This is just a general overview on how to make it to help you plan.
Step One: Make the orange chicken sauce
- Stir together orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, olive oil, ginger and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the sauce in a hot skillet and simmer, until thickened.
- Remove the sauce from the pan and set aside. Return the skillet to the oven and wipe out with a paper towel.
Step Two: Cook the chicken
- Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and coat in cornstarch.
- Cook in the hot skillet, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sauce back to the skillet and toss to coat.
- Serve with segmented oranges, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and rice.
Serve with your favorite white or brown rice (coconut rice would be awesome, too!) and a veggie like broccoli with garlic sauce.
Discover your next dinner favorite
If your family enjoys this homemade orange chicken, try another easy dinner recipe next week. Easy Korean beef bulgogi and slow cooker Mongolian beef are packed with flavor but simple enough for busy nights. Egg roll in a bowl is a great option when you want something quick and veggie-packed, while chicken pad Thai and kung pao chicken help bring variety to your dinner routine without adding extra stress.
One of my favorite ways to make meal planning easier is to pair a reliable main dish with a simple starch and vegetable.
Serve this orange chicken with rice and steamed broccoli, roasted vegetables, or a simple salad for a complete meal. You can even use microwave rice or prep the sauce ahead of time to make dinner come together even faster.
Having a handful of flexible meals like this makes it easier to answer the nightly question of “What’s for dinner?” That’s exactly the kind of simple system I teach inside my Dinner Rhythms Workshop, where you’ll learn how to build meal routines that work for your family’s real life.
For busy, real life families
A calmer way to figure out dinner
Dinner doesn’t have to feel like a daily scramble. In this short, practical workshop, you’ll learn a simple rhythm that helps you decide what to cook, use meals your family already likes, and make dinner feel manageable again, even on your busiest days.
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Easy 30 Minute Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add in the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
- Add in the orange juice mixture to the skillet.
- Bring to a low bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together 2 tsp of the hot sauce with the cornstarch, and then dump that back into the pan and whisk well.
- Boil for 2 minutes, and then turn down to a simmer and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until it thickens up.
- Transfer to a bowl and cover – allow to sit on the counter while you prepare the chicken.
- In a large skillet over medium/high heat, heat up the remaining olive oil.
- In a large ziplock bag, add the chicken, cornstarch and salt and pepper to taste. Seal and shake to evenly coat the chicken.
- Dump the chicken into the hot skillet and cook until brown and crispy (about 3 minutes per side)
- When the chicken is done, remove from heat.
- Add in the sauce and toss to coat.
- Top with sesame seeds, green onions, and segmented oranges.
- Serve with white rice and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a general estimate and may vary based on ingredients, brands, and substitutions. For specific dietary needs, we recommend calculating nutrition using your preferred tool.
Yes! Nate loves Asian-inspired food, and I struggle making it at home. Thanks, Jenni!
I’m always looking for ways to make Asian-inspired meals at home! Thanks, Jenni.
This looks great! Adding it to my meal plan this week!
Looks Delish! Can’t wait to try it.
This sounds so good! We love orange chicken! Definitely will be having this asap!