I love ordering Zesty Orange Chicken for takeout, but now I'd rather make it myself at home! This recipe is incredibly easy and adds a great zesty kick to the chicken. The most challenging part is probably cutting the orange peel, but it's not too difficult. The sweet orange flavor perfectly complements the spicy chicken, making it taste like candy. If you're a beef lover, we also have an Orange Beef Stir Fry recipe that's sure to satisfy you.
Key Tips for Making Zesty Orange Chicken
The best tip for any recipe is to get all the ingredients out first. This is a very quick recipe to make.
There are three ways to prepare the chicken for this recipe: air frying, baking, or stir-frying. Each method is simple, and it depends on your preferred way of cooking chicken. In the end, stir-frying is the easiest because it only requires one pan for cleanup. The steps for preparing the chicken are the same for all three methods (air fry, bake, or stir fry).
Preparing the Chicken
To create zesty orange chicken, start by cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Then, marinate the chicken in orange juice - believe it or not, it really enhances the orange-y flavor. Using fresh-squeezed orange juice is ideal, but bottled OJ works just as well and is more affordable than buying whole oranges. If using bottled juice, make sure to have one or two oranges on hand to use the peel in the recipe. Place the chicken in a bowl with the juice and marinate for at least 30 minutes but no more than an hour.
Once the chicken has marinated for 30 minutes, drain and discard the orange juice. Toss the chicken in a mixture of spices, including cornstarch, cumin, garlic, salt, and turmeric. There are three ways to prepare the zesty orange chicken:
- Air Fry - Season the chicken and cook it in the fryer for 18 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Bake - Place the chicken on a baking sheet and cook in a 400-degree oven for 25 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Stir Fry - Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saute pan and cook the chicken in the pan. Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the pan and use the same pan for the sauce.
Making the Sauce
Peel the oranges and remove as much of the white part of the orange peel as possible. Don't forget to wash off the orange prior to peeling. Cut the orange peel into strips. (One of the best parts of this zesty orange chicken is the orange peel!!) Heat one Tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan. Add the minced ginger and minced garlic, and if you're all about some sweet and spicy, add the chopped Habanero. Saute for a couple of minutes, then add the sliced orange peel. Continue to saute for 3 minutes or so. Add Orange Juice, soy sauce, and maple syrup (or honey). Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce just reduces to about half.
First, cook the chicken and then coat it with the sauce. If the sauce is too runny, you can create a cornstarch slurry by mixing one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water. Pour the slurry into the sauce and chicken and stir it well. The sauce will start to thicken and glaze the chicken.
Serve the zesty orange chicken with rice or cauliflower rice. Enjoy!
Zesty Orange Chicken
A Few Things We Use
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Chicken Breast
- 1 Cup Orange Juice
Spice Mix for Chicken
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
Sauce (Glaze)
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic Finely chopped or minced
- 2 Tablespoons Ginger Finely chopped or minced
- 2 Orange peels Cut into strips
- 1 Tablespoon Habanero Optional
- 1 ½ Cups Orange Juice
- ¼ Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch Optional
Instructions
Prepare Chicken
- Cut chicken breast into bite size pieces2 Pounds Chicken Breast
- Marinate the Chicken in one cup of orange juice for at least 30 minutes No more than one hour1 Cup Orange Juice
- Drain the chicken and discard the orange juice marinade. Toss the chicken in seasoning (cornstarch, cumin, garlic, salt, turmeric)2 Tablespoons Cornstarch, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Sea Salt, 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- To prepare the cooking surface, spray the air fryer with cooking spray (olive oil spray was used in this case). If baking, apply cooking spray to a baking sheet. If stir-frying, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan.For air frying, put the chicken in the air fryer basket and cook it at 400 degrees for 18 minutes. If baking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the chicken for 25 minutes until done. When stir-frying, cook the chicken in a sauté pan with oil until it is fully cooked.
Orange Glaze
- Peel the oranges and remove as much of the white part of the orange as possible. Cut the orange peel into thin strips.2 Orange peels
- In a large sauté pan, heat some olive oil and add finely chopped ginger and garlic. Ensure that the pan is big enough to accommodate the cooked chicken later.2 Cloves Garlic, 2 Tablespoons Ginger, 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- If you're using habanero, add it to the pan with the orange peel. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes.1 Tablespoon Habanero
- In a separate bowl, combine the orange juice, maple syrup, and soy sauce to create the sauce.1 ½ Cups Orange Juice, ¼ Cup Maple Syrup, 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Simmer the sauce, stirring often, until it has reduced by half. This should take around 10 minutes.
- Once the sauce has reduced, add the cooked chicken, whether it's air fried, baked, or stir-fried. Stir the chicken in the sauce and cook until the sauce coats the chicken in a glaze. If the sauce needs to thicken, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the pan and stir until the sauce thickens.1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- Serve with rice or cauliflower rice. Or enjoy on its own.
Please let us know what you think