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A bowl of crispy chicken in air fryer served with rice and chopsticks.

Air Fryer Orange Chicken

5 from 1 vote
Created by Mariam Ezzeddine
Crispy air fryer orange chicken has a fresh citrus flavor and the whole dish is made using Asian staples you keep on hand for making your favortie Asian dishes at home. Cornstarch and flour are used to make incredibly crispy chicken in air fryer and the easy orange chicken sauce comes together in minutes. Plus it’s made with very little oil so it’s healthier too.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 Servings
Servings

Ingredients

For chicken

  • 1 ½ lb chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper

For sauce

  • ½ tbsp oil
  • ½ tsp garlic minced
  • ½ tsp ginger minced
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp worcester sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds garnish
  • 2 tbsp chives chopped (garnish)

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl combine chicken cubes ,egg and soy sauce. Mix until the chicken pieces are well coated. Set aside.
  • In a separate wide bowl combine all purpose flour, corn starch, paprika, salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces one by one to the flour mixture and coat the chicken evenly.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the air fryer at 390 degrees F for 5 minutes. Spray some oil in the air fryer basket and arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer.
  • Air fry the chicken for 18-20 minutes by flipping the chicken pieces halfway through. Once done remove the chicken pieces and set aside.
  • Heat a skillet with oil, once the oil is heated add in the grated garlic and ginger. Cook for a minute.
  • Add the orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce, worcester sauce, honey, rice vinegar and brown sugar. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  • Meanwhile prepare the cornstarch slurry by combining cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Add the slurry to the sauce mixture and cook for 3-5 minutes until the orange sauce thickens.
  • Add the air fried chicken pieces to the sauce and toss it until the sauce is well coated. Switch off the flame and garnish the chicken with sesame seeds and chives.
  • Serve the crispy orange chicken over the bed of rice to enjoy.

Notes

  • The combination of flour and cornstarch browns the chicken and makes it super crispy. You can use just cornstarch if you need a gluten free option but the chicken will not brown as much. 
  • Fresh orange juice is the key to making this so tasty. You may need to use 2 oranges to get a ½ cup of juice. 
  • Feel free to substitute cubed chicken tenders or cubed boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breast. 
  • This orange chicken recipe isn’t spicy but you can easily add spice by adding chili paste or crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce to taste. 
  • Ginger can be frozen so you can always have fresh ginger on hand. No need to defrost before grating. 
  • Be careful not to overcook the chicken. 

Nutrition

Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 1626mg | Potassium: 881mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 371IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 3mg
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