Homemade Spicy Orange Chicken is better than takeout and the BEST easy orange chicken recipe! Skillet cooked chicken coated in a sticky, tangy, spicy orange marmalade sauce and ready to serve in just 30 minutes makes this Chinese orange chicken a meal the whole family will love.
When it comes to ordering delivery, Chinese takeout is not usually my thing.
I am a pizza girl through and through but when it comes to Spicy Orange Chicken .. well, I’m a bit of addict.
My only issue with ordering Chinese Orange Chicken from our tried and true Chinese restaurant is that the chicken is fried and it costs me approximately 2 million dollars.
Yes, 2 million dollars.
Ok, that may be a slight exaggeration!
But if you knew how much my husband loves Chinese takeout you would understand why my take out bill is that high.
So what’s a foodie girl to do? Easy! Make my own homemade Chinese food with a few changes.
what is orange chicken?
So what is Spicy Orange Chicken? When it comes to popular American-Chinese recipes, Orange Chicken is a family favorite.
Basically Chinese Orange Chicken is fried chicken pieces coated in a sweet orange-flavored chili sauce glaze.
(drool!)
Serve over some white rice with some steamed veggies and you have happiness on a plate.
why homemade orange chicken is the BEST
- This homemade orange chicken recipe is made using chicken breasts, not chicken thighs.
- The spicy orange marmalade sauce can be made as mild or spicy as you like.
- Easy to make, this orange chicken recipe comes together in under 30 minutes.
- Perfect Chinese orange chicken recipe to save you from having to wait on delivery.
- Chicken breast bites are cooked in a skillet on your stove top so no messing with fried chicken. #healthier
- The orange marmalade sauce is pantry friendly. That means you probably already have the ingredients on hand!
- The orange sauce is perfect!! Sweet, sour, tangy with a hint of heat!!
To make skillet Orange Chicken, you will need:
- Chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Orange marmalade
- Fresh orange
- Orange juice
- Soy sauce
- Vinegar
- Chicken stock
- Cornstarch
- Garlic powder and ground ginger
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
- Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- White rice and/or steamed veggies
how do you make orange chicken
To make homemade Orange Chicken, start by heating olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Saute chicken breast bites for 5-7 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Once cooked, remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Using the same skillet, add marmalade, orange juice and zest, seasonings, chicken stock, soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch.
Whisk ingredients together and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium/low and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add chicken back to skillet and stir to coat with orange marmalade sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired and serve over rice, cauliflower rice or with steamed vegetables.
pro tips for perfect spicy Chinese chicken
- Cut your chicken breasts into 1″ bite size pieces before adding it to your skillet.
- Taste your spicy orange marmalade sauce! This orange sauce is perfect for ME but you may want yours a bit spicier or even more mild.
- Speaking of heat, if you are unsure of how spicy you and your family may like homemade orange chicken, start low. Add a bit of the cayenne to see if it suits you and add more if desired.
- Cook your rice and/or veggies while your sauce is thickening. Your dinner will be ready in under 30 minutes.
- Follow your taste! Make this YOUR own homemade Orange Chicken recipe by making it sweeter, tangier, or spicier if desired.
- I, personally, prefer cayenne powder in this recipe over red pepper flakes when looking for that kick of heat. I started with red pepper flakes (see pictures!) but when it was cooked, I added cayenne to the party. Choose your heat 🙂
how to adjust the orange marmalade sauce
Adding cornstarch to your orange sauce is what will thicken it. The longer your sauce cooks, the thicker it will become.
If you want to make your sauce thicker, whisk in more cornstarch.
If you want to thin out your sauce, whisk in a bit more chicken stock or orange juice while it is heating on the stove-top.
what vegetables can I add to orange chicken
Homemade Orange Chicken is perfect served over rice, low-carb cauliflower rice or with vegetables. Vegetables can be stir-fried separately or added directly to the dish.
Here are some suggestions:
- Broccoli
- Sugar snap peas
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Snow Peas
- Zucchini
- Baby corn
- Edamame
more 30 minute meals
- White Feta Cheese Pizza
- Loaded Sheet Pan Beef Nachos
- Ham and Cheese Stromboli
- Easy Skillet Lasagna
- Baked Taco Pasta Casserole
Enjoy ♥ Heather
If you’ve tried this Homemade Spicy Orange Chicken recipe, please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you it came out in the comments below.
Share a photo of your creation on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM or save it to PINTEREST and tag #AWICKEDWHISK. I can’t wait to see your work!
Homemade Spicy Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1 large orange, juice and zest
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder or red pepper flakes depending on taste
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- green onions and sesame seeds for garnish optional
Instructions
- To make homemade Orange Chicken, start by heating olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute chicken breast bites for 5-7 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Once cooked, remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Using the same skillet, add marmalade, orange juice and zest, seasonings, chicken stock, soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch. Whisk ingredients together and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium/low and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chicken back to skillet and stir to coat with orange marmalade sauce. Let simmer 5 minutes. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired and serve over rice, cauliflower rice or with steamed vegetables.
Notes
- Cut your chicken breasts into 1" bite size pieces before adding it to your skillet.
- Taste your orange marmalade sauce! This orange sauce is perfect for ME but you may want yours a bit spicier or even more mild.
- Speaking of heat, if you are unsure of how spicy you and your family may like it, start low. Add a bit of the cayenne to see if it suits you and add more if desired.
- Cook your rice and/or veggies while your sauce is thickening. Your dinner will be ready in under 30 minutes.
- Follow your taste! Make this YOUR own homemade Orange Chicken recipe by making it sweeter, tangier, or spicier if desired.
- I, personally, prefer cayenne powder in this recipe over red pepper flakes when looking for that kick of heat. I started with red pepper flakes (see pictures!) but when it was cooked, I added cayenne to the party. Choose your heat 🙂
Hi! I can’t wait to try the recipe tonight! However, I’m looking for some clarification. In the article you stated soy sauce is in the recipe but no amount; how much should I add? And, is the 1/3c orange juice separate from the juice from one large orange? Thanks for your feedback!
Hi Maura! I have updated the recipe with the soy sauce (thank you!) and yes, the orange juice is separate than the orange.