This Skillet Orange Chicken Recipe is so easy to make — it comes together in 30 minutes or less! Serve it with rice and steamed vegetables or salad and you have an easy weeknight meal.
This recipe for Orange Chicken has a crispy exterior and a sweet, sticky, tangy sauce that comes together all in one pan. It’s loaded with flavor and sure to please the whole family!
I don’t know about you, but Chinese food is one of our favorite things, especially when it can be made completely in 30 minutes!
Takeout can be a lifesaver some days when you just can’t get dinner on the table but I love having a wide range of easy substitutes on hand for when I need something quick but still want something homemade and relatively healthy.
If you’re looking for the Panda Express orange chicken, this Skillet Orange Chicken Recipe is so easy to make — it comes together in 30 minutes or less! Serve it with rice and steamed vegetables or salad and you have an easy weeknight meal.
This Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce, one pan Chicken Chow Mein, and Meatballs in Orange Sauce are a few more of my favorites!
This easy Orange Chicken recipe is a pan-fried version of the traditional deep-fried Orange Chicken often found in Chinese restaurants.
We like to serve it with this Easy Fried Rice or instant rice to cut down on time, but long grain rice works just as well, and cauliflower rice can be a great option if you’re looking for a low carb substitute.
How to Make Orange Chicken
- First, I lightly coat the chicken pieces in corn starch to ensure a crispy exterior without breading or deep frying. We brown just the outside with a little oil, and then add the sauce.
- The Orange Chicken sauce is made of orange juice, orange marmalade, soy sauce, garlic and a few other tasty ingredients. I like adding a bit of orange marmalade because it makes the sauce extra sticky and it really clings to the chicken!
- If you like things extra spicy, feel free to add an extra pinch or two of red pepper flakes — I like to keep things pretty mild so the kids will enjoy it too!
How to Make Crockpot Orange Chicken
This recipe can easily be adapted to the crockpot! Here’s how:
- Coat and brown the chicken in a frying pan according to the original instructions.
- Add the chicken and the sauce mixture to the crockpot, and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3-4 hours until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through. It couldn’t be easier!
- This is a great way to prepare orange chicken for a potluck because it is so easy to keep warm without overcooking. And I guarantee it will be one of the first things to disappear!
Skillet Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1″ cubes
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
- ½ cup orange marmalade
- ½ cup orange juice unsweetened
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
-
Place chicken pieces in a large bowl and add 3 tablespoons corn starch, salt and pepper. Stir to coat.
-
Heat a large pan over high heat and add oil (add more oil if needed to coat the bottom of your pan).
-
Add chicken to the pan and cook over high heat, turning once, just until browned, about 2 minutes per side.
-
Meanwhile, make the Orange Chicken sauce. Whisk together the marmalade, juice, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, chicken broth and 2 tablespoons corn starch.
-
Once chicken is browned, reduce heat to medium and add the sauce. Cook and stir until sauce has thickened and chicken is cooked through (165° F minimum), about 10 minutes.
-
Serve over rice as desired.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
More Recipes You’ll Love
For the orange juice- can I use fresh squeezed? I have regular orange juice or oranges. Which is better?
Either one will taste great, Marlee!