Air fryer orange chicken is lighter on the calories and SO much better than Panda Express. - Learn how to make the best orange sauce featuring real oranges and secret ingredient!
Prep Time 8hours20minutes
Cook Time 25minutes
Total Time 8hours45minutes
Servings 4servings
Calories 351kcal
Ingredients
Orange Sauce
3largeoranges
1/2cupgranulated sugar (light brown sugar or coconut sugar also works!)
2tablespoonscornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1teaspoonsesame oil (or vegetable oil)
2teaspoonsgrated fresh ginger
3mediumgarlic cloves, crushed
1tablespoonminced fresh jalapeno pepper
Chicken
2largeeggs
1-1/2lbsboneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-in cubes
2tablespoonsrice wine vinegar
1cupall-purpose flour
2tablespoonscornstarch
2teaspoonskosher salt
1/2teaspoonblack pepper
Canola or vegetable pan spray
Sliced green onions and hot cooked rice for serving
Instructions
Orange Sauce
Use a paring knife to carefully remove peel from oranges (try to avoid cutting the white pith, you only want the orange zest) and place in a medium container. Juice oranges and reserve juice in fridge.
Sprinkle sugar over orange peel, seal container, and shake several times to infuse peel with sugar. Let sugar mixture sit at room temperature overnight or at least 8 hours (up to 24)
The next day, stir 1/4 cup water into sugar mixture until sugar is dissolved. Strain sugar mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Remove a few peels from sieve and finely mince into 1 tablespoons worth of peel. Add to orange sugar syrup and discard remaining peels.
Whisk 1/4 cup reserved orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch-water mixture into orange sugar syrup until smooth. Set aside for a moment.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmery. Add ginger, garlic, and jalapeno and saute 1-2 minutes until just fragrant. Reduce heat to medium and pour sauce mixture into pan. Cook stirring occasionally until sauce is bubbly and thickened. Cover sauce and keep warm on low.
Chicken
In a large bowl, whisk eggs until smooth. Add chicken and rice vinegar and submerge in egg mixture. Allow chicken to marinate 20 minutes.
In a separate large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture tossing several times until chicken is fully coated.
**Spray the grate of a 4-qt air fryer with pan spray and preheat 3 minutes to 400F. Lay chicken in a single layer on fryer grate (work in batches as necessary - we typically do 2 batches) Spray chicken well with pan spray and air fry at 400F 8 minutes, shaking basket once halfway through cooking. Repeat frying process with remaining chicken.
Toss hot chicken into warm orange sauce until evenly coated in sauce. Serve orange chicken over hot rice with green onions sprinkled on top. Enjoy!
Notes
*Sauce slightly adapted from Binging with Babish.**For pan frying chicken instead of air frying, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet or wok. Working in batches of two, pan fry breaded chicken in hot oil, turning occasionally until chicken is golden brown and registers 165F.