Air fryer orange chicken is healthy orange chicken made without the deep frying of takeout! Crispy chicken tossed in the BEST orange sauce is an easy dinner idea the whole family will love.
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Easy Air Fryer Orange Chicken
This air fried orange chicken is a wonderful alternative to the famous Chinese takeout dish without the extra oils involved with traditional frying. Little crispy golden pieces of chicken tossed in a homemade sweet and savory orange sauce made with soy sauce, fresh orange juice, orange zest, and some hot sauce for a kick! I think homemade is so better than takeout on many Asian dishes!
Make the entire dish in under 30 minutes and serve it with rice and steamed veggies for a homemade meal that is great for busy weeknights or Friday night “takeout” night.
If you’re up for adding to your Asian-inspired menu, try it with egg fried rice and kung pao brussels sprouts or Chinese eggplant.
The air fryer does a great job of crisping up the battered chicken pieces so that you won’t miss the deep-frying at all! We love to make air fryer chicken nuggets a lot too! It’s such an easy recipe that truth be told, the hardest part of the entire process is trying your best not to eat the chicken right out of the air fryer basket.
Ingredients Needed to Make This Recipe
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card for the specific amounts.
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1″ pieces. Try it using chicken thighs instead of breasts too.
- Large egg and cornstarch: A beaten egg and cornstarch make up the crispy coating.
- Seasoning: Paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Vegetable oil spray: Spraying the chicken with nonstick cooking spray helps to get the golden brown color on the chicken.
For the Orange Sauce
- Orange juice and orange zest: For that real orange flavor! Zest the orange and then cut it in half to use the fresh-squeezed orange juice. If you don’t have enough, you can certainly supplement with store-bought OJ or make it from orange concentrate.
- Honey: For the sweet element in the sauce. Substitute brown sugar or raw cane sugar for the honey if you’d like.
- Soy sauce: Gives the sauce its savory, umami flavor. For a gluten-free version, swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos.
Rice wine vinegar: I love using rice vinegar, as I find it gives more of an authentic feel to my homemade orange chicken, but white vinegar can also be used. - Minced garlic and ginger: Adding these aromatics is a game changer! Without them, the sauce just isn’t the same.
- Hot sauce: For a kick. Use as much or as little as you’d like. Red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce are other options.
- Cornstarch and water: These two get mixed together to form a cornstarch slurry, which thickens the sauce. You can use potato starch or all purpose flour instead of the cornstarch.
- Sesame oil: For a nutty flavor. Even more pronounced when you add sesame seeds for garnish.
Variations You Can Try
1. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
2. If you prefer a less pronounced orange flavor, feel free to skip the zest.
3. You can turn this into a lemon chicken by swapping the orange juice and zest for equal parts lemon!
How to Make Orange Chicken in the Air Fryer
This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes! Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk the egg, cornstarch, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Step 2: Add the chicken into the batter and use tongs to coat the chicken pieces well. Preheat your air fryer to 350° F.
Step 3: Add the coated chicken in a single layer to the air fryer basket, leaving space between each piece. You may need to work in batches to not overcrowd the basket. Spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray.
Step 4: Cook the chicken for 4 minutes and pause to give the basket a shake or flip the chicken over individually. Cook for another 4 minutes until no longer pink in the center, then transfer the crispy chicken to a large bowl and continue with the remaining pieces.
Step 5: while the chicken cooks, add the sauce ingredients (except the sesame oil) to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce until it thickens.
Step 6: Pour the finished sauce over the air fried chicken, drizzle with the sesame oil, and toss to coat. Enjoy!
Tips
The chicken is done once it has reached an internal temperature of 165° F.
Serve with broccoli, zucchini, green beans, or snow peas.
Jasmine rice is what I typically serve it with, but you could serve it with brown rice or even lo-mein noodles.
How to Store Leftovers
Refrigerate: Leftover chicken can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It will lose its crispness sooner rather than later; however, you can always reheat it in the air fryer to regain some of that texture.
Reheat: Reheat the chicken in the microwave on a microwave safe plate for 30 seconds. Then stir and repeat for 10-15 more seconds if necessary. You can also reheat in the skillet over medium heat until heated through.
FAQ’s
No, but it’s certainly authentic to Panda Express! It’s popular among many American Chinese restaurants, but has no ties to cuisine in China.
You can. Just remember the air fryer basket can only hold so much, so you’ll need to work in batches.
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Crispy Air Fryer Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For the orange sauce:
- ⅔ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- ½ tablespoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon orange zest freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons corn starch + 2 tablespoons water mixed together before adding in.
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the egg, cornstarch, paprika, salt, and pepper and whisk together.1 large egg, 2 tablespoons corn starch, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Add in the cubed chicken and stir to coat the meat.1 pound chicken breasts
- Preheat the air fryer at 350° F
- Place the coated chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket leaving a little space in between each piece for even cooking. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Spray the chicken with a little vegetable oil to crisp the outside even more and cook for 4 minutes.1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Then shake the basket and cook for an additional 4 minutes until no longer pink in the center. Remove the chicken and place in a large bowl.
- While the chicken is cooking, add the sauce ingredients (except the sesame oil) to a small pot and bring to a slow boil over medium heat and then simmer over low heat until it thickens.⅔ cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, ½ tablespoon hot sauce, ½ teaspoon orange zest, 2 tablespoons corn starch + 2 tablespoons water
- Pour the sauce over the chicken, add the sesame oil for extra flavor and toss to coat well.1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Serve over white rice with a favorite vegetable.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
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