Easy Skillet Orange Chicken Recipe

Easy Skillet Orange Chicken Recipe is a skillet meal perfect for busy weeknights. Anytime our family wants take out, I make this instead. The orange sauce is divine and the recipe is super easy.

Orange Chicken Skillet Recipe:

This Orange Chicken Recipe is quick and easy when made in the skillet. The crispy chicken texture mixed with the sweet and tangy sauce makes this a family favorite. We love this meal for a quick dinner.

It tastes like our favorite take out meal but for less money. Honestly, I can cook this in about 30 minutes which is faster than going to get take out too. This full of flavor meal is made with easy ingredients and simple process.

Our family loves Chinese Restaurant takeout but it sure does add up. This is a healthier version of our favorite takeout meal. It taste better and we know exactly the ingredients that make up this recipe.

You should also try 3 Ingredient Orange Chicken Recipe.

Best Skillet for Orange Chicken:

We use a cast iron skillet and it’s perfect for this recipe. I have the Lodge cast iron skillet but you there are many different brands.

Cast iron is amazing. You can make so many different recipes and they are great for skillet recipes. If you are not already cooking with one, you should. They are amazing and the food cooks so evenly.

Don’t be hesitant to use cast iron because it really is simple to use and maintain. It cooks the food so evenly and recipes turn out great.

What is Orange Sauce Made of?

The Orange Sauce is made with easy ingredients. It starts with a fresh squeeze orange and then mixed with orange zest. Add in some honey, soy sauce, ginger, vinegar and garlic.

Heat this mixture over medium heat and add in some cornstarch to thicken the sauce. This full of flavor sauce is then tossed with crispy Chinese orange chicken.

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

• Chicken Breasts, diced into 2 inch pieces
• Eggs 
• All Purpose Flour 
• Cornstarch 
• Vegetable Oil for Frying  

For the Orange Sauce: 

• Oranges, Juiced 
• Orange Zest from 1 Orange 
• Honey 
• Soy Sauce 
• Rice Wine Vinegar 
• Ground Ginger 
• Minced Garlic 
• Cornstarch

How to Make Orange Chicken:

To Make the Chicken: 

• Mix together the breading for the chicken – Mix the flour and cornstarch together in a small bowl.  Then whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.  
• Prepare Chicken – Dip the chicken pieces in the beaten eggs and then dip them in the flour mixture.  Move them to a separate plate while you prepare the oil. 

• Heat Oil – Heat approximately 3 inches of the vegetable oil in a large saucepan or large skillet to approximately 350 degrees F.  

• Cook Chicken – Then work in batches, to cook the chicken in the oil for 4-6 minutes until the chicken is browned and cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  

• Cool Chicken – Move the chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil. 

How to make the Orange Sauce

• Mix together Orange Sauce Ingredients – Place the orange juice, orange zest, honey soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and garlic in a medium saucepan.  Whisk together and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium high heat.
• Add in Cornstarch – Then mix the cornstarch with approximately 2 Tbsp of water in a small bowl to make a slurry and whisk this mixture into the sauce in the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. 

• Cover the chicken with sauce – Then coat the chicken with the orange sauce.
• Serve and Enjoy – Serve over rice topped with green onions and salt and pepper and enjoy.

How to Make Crockpot Orange Chicken:

If you prefer to make this Orange Chicken in your Crock Pot, it is easy to do.

• Prepare Chicken – If you prefer the chicken to be crispy, fry the chicken is indicated in the recipe. You can also put uncooked chicken in the crock pot and cook.
• Orange Sauce – In a large bowl, whisk together the orange sauce ingredients and pour over chicken and cook.
• Cook and Serve – If your chicken is already cook, cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours. Add on about and hour if you chicken is not cooked.

How do you Keep Orange Chicken from getting soggy:

To keep you orange chicken from getting soggy, make sure that after frying chicken that you let it cool completely. Once the orange sauce is heated and chicken is cooled, add the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

Side Dishes for Orange Chicken:

• White Rice – We love to serve this orange chicken over white rice.
• Cauliflower Rice – If you prefer, this recipe served great over cauliflower rice.
• Steamed Broccoli – Serving orange chicken with rice and steamed broccoli completes this meal.

Variation:

• Change the Chicken – You use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast.
• Add in Vegetables – Mix in some steamed vegetables to complete this meal.
• Gluten Free Option – Instead of using flour, use almond flour to bread the chicken with. Soy sauce has gluten in it, so use coconut aminos instead.
• Add Brown Sugar – To sweeten the orang sauce, add in some brown sugar.

Print this Skillet Orange Chicken Recipe below:

More Asian Recipes:

• Asian Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Easy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
• Instant Pot Mongolian Beef Recipe