Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest
- ½ cup fresh orange juice, from ~3 oranges
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- ¾ tsp chili-garlic sauce, plus more to taste
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
- Steamed white rice for serving
- Sesame seeds, optional
- Chopped green onions, optional
Prep the Chicken and Get it in the Oven
Preheat your oven to 375F with a rack in the center position.
Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or grease it with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the salt and vegetable oil until evenly coated.
Arrange the chicken on the prepared sheet pan in a single layer – don’t overcrowd or it’ll steam instead of roast.
Transfer to the oven and bake until cooked through, ~20 minutes. The pieces should be golden and hit 165F internal.
Make the Orange Sauce While Chicken Cooks
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and ¼ cup water to form a slurry. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, and rice wine vinegar.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Once simmering, stir the cornstarch slurry into the sauce – it’ll look cloudy at first.
Reduce the heat to low and cook until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, ~3-5 minutes.
The sauce should be glossy and coat easily but not be gummy.
Toss Everything Together and Serve
Remove the sheet pan from the oven.
Pour the orange sauce over the hot chicken and toss until every piece is fully coated.
The hot chicken helps the sauce stick better than if you waited for it to cool.
Serve immediately over steamed white rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onions if using.
Easy Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest
- ½ cup fresh orange juice from ~3 oranges
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- ¾ tsp chili-garlic sauce plus more to taste
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1½ Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
- Steamed white rice for serving
- Sesame seeds optional
- Chopped green onions optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Toss chicken pieces with salt and oil, then spread in a single layer on the pan.
- Bake chicken for 20 minutes until golden and reaches 165F internal temperature.
- Whisk cornstarch with ¼ cup water to make a slurry.
- Combine orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and vinegar in a saucepan.
- Simmer sauce, then stir in cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened, 3-5 minutes.
- Pour sauce over hot chicken and toss to coat completely.
- Serve over steamed rice, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions if desired.
