This quick and easy AirFryerOrangeChicken is just as delicious as your favorite local Chinese restaurant, yet made entirely from scratch! Crispy breaded chicken air fried until crispy and golden, then tossed in a homemade orange chicken sauce that'll have everyone coming back for seconds. All you need is 35 minutes!
1cupfreshly squeezed orange juice (from about 3 to 4 medium-sized navel oranges)
½cupgranulated sugar
2tablespoonsunseasoned rice vinegar
2tablespoonslow sodium soy sauce
2tablespoonswater
1tablespooncornstarch
2tablespoonsolive oil
1tablespoonminced garlic (about 2 garlic cloves)
¼teaspoonminced fresh ginger (about a ½-inch piece)
¼teaspoonred pepper flakesoptional, if you don't like spice
Instructions
Cube the chicken into 2-inch cubes. Don't cut them too small, as this will cause them to dry out in the air fryer.
Add cubed chicken to a large mixing bowl. Top with cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix together to fully coat all sides of the chicken.
Spray the air fryer basket or tray with nonstick spray. Add chicken in a single layer. Spray the tops of the chicken with more nonstick spray.
Air fry at 400 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the outside of the chicken is golden brown and the inside reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Repeat until all of the chicken is cooked.
Meanwhile, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients, besides the olive oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Whisk thoroughly until it is smooth and there are no clumps of cornstarch remaining. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so the garlic and ginger do not burn.
Pour in the sauce, increase the heat to medium, and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Add the chicken to the skillet and fully coat it in the thickened sauce.
Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve with a side of white or brown rice.
Notes
Make sure you finelychop both the garlic and ginger. Grating them instead will cause them to stick and burn to the bottom of the skillet.
Make sure to zest the orange before cutting it and juicing it. This makes it much easier to zest!
If you’d prefer to make lemon chicken instead, just substitute the orange juice and orange zest for lemon juice and zest.
To make orange chicken in the oven, follow the same instructions, making sure to spray the tops of the chicken with the nonstick spray. Then, bake the chicken on a sheet pan at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. While the chicken is in the oven, prepare the sauce. Once the chicken is done, either pour the sauce on top or place it in a bowl to coat.