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Bring takeout flavors home with Baked Orange Chicken, made with seasoned, breaded chicken pieces cooked in the oven and tossed in a sweet and tangy homemade orange sauce.
A great alternative to deep-frying, oven-baked orange chicken uses less oil and skips the mess of frying on the stovetop.
Tender chicken with a lightly crisp coating and a delicious orange glaze makes it a great choice for dinner. Serve this crispy baked orange chicken with steamed rice or roasted broccoli for an easy weeknight meal.
If you’re looking for another way to prepare orange chicken, try my Easy Orange Chicken Recipe for the pan-fried version or Air Fryer Orange Chicken for an air-fried option.
Why You’ll Love This Baked Orange Chicken Recipe
- No deep-frying required. Enjoy a lightly crisp coating and tender chicken without the extra oil or mess of deep-frying.
- Homemade orange sauce. Fresh orange juice, zest, honey, ginger, and garlic give the chicken its sweet and tangy flavor.
- Great for weeknight dinners. An easy homemade takeout-style meal the family can enjoy.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Tenderloins: Use boneless chicken tenderloins cut into 1-inch pieces. Boneless chicken breasts or thighs are good alternatives.
- Breading: Use whole wheat flour or whole wheat panko crumbs along with almond flour. Panko gives the chicken a more textured, crispy coating.
- Homemade Orange Chicken Sauce: Fresh orange juice and zest provide the citrus flavor, while honey adds sweetness. Low-sodium chicken broth, low-sodium light soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, and vegetable oil complete the sauce.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, Spanish paprika, and onion powder add flavor to the breading.
- Eggs: Beat the eggs and dip the chicken pieces into them before adding the breading mixture.
- Olive Oil Spray: Spray the breaded chicken generously before baking to help the coating turn golden and crispy.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the orange sauce as it cooks. Arrowroot powder can also be used as a substitute.
- Garnish: Sprinkle sesame seeds and chopped green onions over the finished chicken.
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Baked Orange Chicken
Step 1: Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Step 2: Mix the orange sauce. Mix all the orange sauce ingredients in a cup or bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Coat the chicken and mix the breading. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the cubed chicken and mix until well coated. In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat flour or whole wheat panko crumbs, almond flour, and seasonings to make the breading mixture.
Step 4: Bread the chicken. Lightly coat the chicken pieces with the breading mixture and arrange them on a large, lined baking sheet without overcrowding.
Step 5: Bake the chicken. Spray generously with olive oil spray and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy, browned, and cooked through.
Step 6: Cook the orange sauce. Pour the sauce mixture into a deep frying pan or skillet about 5 minutes before the chicken finishes baking. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until thickened, whisking occasionally to prevent sticking.
Step 7: Coat the chicken with the sauce. Let the cooked chicken cool for a couple of minutes, then add it to the skillet with the orange sauce. Carefully toss until the chicken is well coated.
Step 8: Garnish and serve. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with your favorite side dish.
Tips When Making This Orange Chicken Recipe
- Cut the chicken into even pieces. Keep the pieces similar in size to help them cook evenly and prevent smaller pieces from drying out.
- Pat the chicken dry before breading. Remove excess surface moisture with paper towels before dipping the chicken into the beaten eggs to help the breading adhere better.
- Press the breading onto the chicken. Gently press the flour mixture onto the egg-coated pieces to help the coating adhere during baking.
- Adjust the sauce consistency. Add a small splash of chicken broth if the orange sauce becomes too thick, making it easier to coat the chicken evenly.
What to Serve with Orange Chicken
- Vegetables: Pair the chicken with roasted broccoli, asparagus, broccolini, snap peas, green beans, or bell peppers. Try my Easy Mixed Vegetables for another side dish option.
- Rice or Quinoa: Spoon the orange chicken over steamed rice or cooked quinoa to soak up the extra sauce. My Lebanese Vermicelli Rice is another option.
- Potatoes: Add crispy Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes or Herb and Parmesan Oven Roasted Potatoes as a side dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use whole wheat panko crumbs instead of whole wheat flour for a more textured, crispy coating. Serve the orange sauce on the side if you prefer to keep the chicken crispy for longer.
Yes. Bottled orange juice can work, but choose 100% orange juice without added sugar. Freshly squeezed juice is recommended for a brighter citrus flavor.
Storage Suggestions
Store leftover baked orange chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. The coating will gradually soften once mixed with the sauce.
You can freeze leftover orange chicken in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 2 months. Keep the chicken and sauce separate when possible to help preserve the coating’s texture. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Air fryer or flash bake the chicken to get them crispier again.
To reheat, warm the chicken in the oven until heated through, or use the microwave for individual portions. If stored separately, warm the orange sauce in a skillet over medium-low heat before tossing it with the chicken.
Want More Delicious Asian Recipes?
- Spicy Teriyaki Chicken with Broccoli
- Baked Teriyaki Salmon
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Salmon Stir Fry
- Spicy Honey Garlic Salmon
- Crispy Honey Chicken
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and rate the recipe! Also follow me at Cookin’ With Mima on Facebook |Instagram |Pinterest for all of my latest social posts and recipes.
Baked Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour or whole wheat panko crumbs
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Spanish paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 whole eggs, whisked
- olive oil spray
For the Orange Sauce
- ¾ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup low-sodium light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the Garnish
- sesame seeds
- green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Mix all the orange sauce ingredients in a cup or bowl and set aside.
- Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the cubed chicken and mix until well coated. In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat flour or whole wheat panko crumbs, almond flour, and seasonings to make the breading mixture.
- Lightly coat the chicken pieces with the breading mixture and arrange them on a large, lined baking sheet without overcrowding.
- Spray generously with olive oil spray and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy, browned, and cooked through.
- Pour the sauce mixture into a deep frying pan or skillet about 5 minutes before the chicken finishes baking. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until thickened, whisking occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Let the cooked chicken cool for a couple of minutes, then add it to the skillet with the orange sauce. Carefully toss until the chicken is well coated.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with your favorite side dish.
It was just fine. The coating on the chick turned out crispy and tasty and a nice alternative to frying. Will use the coating agin but not the sauce. The sauce was just fine.
Delicious! It took me 45 minutes to prep a double recipe so it was over an hour in total but worth it. I ran out of dry coating for the chicken and needed to make another batch. There also seemed to be too much chicken and not enough sauce, so next time I think I’ll reduce the volume of chicken.
On the recipe it says 1/4 Tbsp of Planko bread crumbs? Is that correct? That don’t seem like much.
Thanks for pointing out the error. It’s 1/4 cup.