Watch out, takeout! This homemade Orange Chicken has the same sweet, tangy, and savory flavors you love, but it’s faster and more budget-friendly than ordering out.

Why You’ll Love This Orange Chicken Recipe

• A Healthier Version. This is a classic orange chicken recipe with that signature sticky-sweet sauce, but it’s still much lighter than restaurant-style. No brown sugar or corn syrup here—simple ingredients like orange juice and honey provide all the sweetness you need!
• It’s Faster Than Delivery. From start to finish, you can have this on the table faster than it takes to order Panda Express orange chicken from DoorDash.
• The Sauce Is a Reader Favorite. Love my Crockpot Orange Chicken and General Tso Chicken recipes? Well, you’ll love this recipe too because it’s based on those dishes!

About This Easy Orange Chicken Recipe

My baked Healthy Orange Chicken is in heavy rotation in our kitchen, but I decided that I wanted to do a more traditional take on orange chicken cooked on the stove.

Still lighter than takeout! Still ridiculously easy! And still delicious, too!

The difference is that instead of baking the chicken, I stir fry it in a wok.

• Cooking the chicken on the stovetop means this recipe comes together lickety-split.
• It still only calls for a tablespoon of oil, making it much healthier than the Chinese takeout deep-fried version.
• It also means there’s no dredging the chicken in eggs and flour, no cooking it in batches, and no draining it on paper towels. Win!

If you love other sticky-sweet dishes like Sweet and Sour Chicken, this orange chicken is destined to be a new favorite!

How to Make Orange Chicken

The Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Tenders. Tenders, or tenderloins, are a small cut that comes from the area between the breast and breast bone. You also can use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Honey or Pure Maple Syrup. This helps infuse the chicken with sweetness.
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce. You’ll use soy sauce to infuse the chicken with umami flavor to balance the sweetness.
• Baking Soda. A secret ingredient that helps tenderize chicken while it marinates.
• Cornstarch. Cornstarch will help your chicken achieve maximum crispiness and mimics the deep-fried version.
• Canola Oil. Or another high smoke point oil you like to cook with, like vegetable oil or peanut oil.
• Green Onions. These add a bit of color and pungent flavor to your orange chicken.

For the Orange Chicken Sauce:

• Orange. You’ll need both the orange zest and the juice; zest the orange first, then juice it. Creates the perfect orange flavor.

• Honey. No need for anything fancy here; the runny honey that comes in a bear-shaped bottle is just fine.
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce. You can use regular soy sauce if that’s what you have on hand, but I always prefer low-sodium to keep the flavor (and salt level) in check.

• Fresh Ginger. You’ll need about an inch of ginger root to yield a tablespoon grated.
• Garlic. Garlic is key for that sweet-and-savory balance.
• Water. For making a cornstarch slurry.
• Cornstarch. The other component of your slurry. This will thicken the sauce and help it cling to the chicken.
• Red Pepper Flakes. Add more or less, according to your taste preferences.
• Prepared Brown Rice. I use my Instant Pot Brown Rice. Here’s How to Make Brown Rice on the stovetop too.
• Sautéed Veggies. Broccoli is a common pairing with orange chicken, but bell peppers, onions, carrots, snow peas, and other stir fry vegetables work too.

The Directions

1. Marinate. Toss the chicken pieces with the soy sauce, honey, and baking soda and marinate while you get the sauce ready.

2. Make the Sauce. Zest the orange right over the pot to capture the flavorful oils.

3. Coat the Chicken. Toss the chicken with the cornstarch.

4. Cook the Chicken. Cook on both sides until golden brown.

5. Add the Sauce. Cook until the chicken is coated and sticky.

6. Serve. Stir the green onions into the orange chicken. Divide the chicken into bowls of rice and veggies and ENJOY!

Recipe Variations

• Orange Tofu. Cook the tofu as described in my General Tso Tofu recipe, but use the orange sauce from this recipe instead.
• Orange Cauliflower. Another plant-based option is to simply replace the chicken with an equal amount of small cauliflower florets. Marinate them, dust them with the cornstarch, and follow the rest of the recipe as written.

Storage Tips

• To Store. Refrigerate leftover orange chicken in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat. Reheat orange chicken in a skillet set over medium heat or in the microwave.
• To Freeze. Freeze orange chicken in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions above.

What to Serve with Orange Chicken

• Small Whisk. A large whisk in a small saucepan is a recipe for disaster! I love this smaller size for just about everything.
• Nonslip Cutting Board. This set comes with three different size boards for all your slicing and dicing needs.
• Wok. While you can use a skillet, if you stir fry often, a wok is a worthwhile investment.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Use a Big Skillet. Or, even better, a wok. It’s important for the chicken to have ample space in the pan so it gets crispy instead of steaming.
• Zest the Orange in the Saucepan. Not only will this help you catch the oils from the orange, it will also make less of a mess!
• Don’t Skip Whisking the Slurry. Although it’s tempting to have one less bowl to clean up, if you don’t whisk the water and cornstarch separately, you’ll end up with lumps in your sauce—and it won’t be as sticky.
• Stir Fry Some Veggies. You can sauté some veggies for your orange chicken by adding them to the skillet or wok after the chicken is done and cooking them in a tablespoon of oil with soy sauce, then adding the chicken and sauce back to the pan to finish.