Air Fryer Orange Chicken Recipe

Orange chicken is one of my favorite American Chinese dishes and I can still remember trying it the first time at a Panda Express! The sweet and tangy flavor is so iconic and I’ve always wanted to make it for my American friends. However deep frying the chicken is always a daunting task and creates a lot of oil in the dish. With an air fryer, you can simply air fry the chicken to create a similar texture and make the exact same sauce for orange chicken! I tried it many times and trust me the result is just amazing!

The convenience and healthy option of air frying does come with one caveat. Since you have to lay the chicken pieces on a flat tray (not the air frying basket), the batter will accumulate and create a flat edge around the chicken pieces. The fried pieces will look slightly different from the deep fried orange chicken pieces. However the taste and flavor are all very similar. Just note that it’s a healthier option but it might look slightly different.

One trick to make the air fryer orange chicken moist is to keep the pieces thick when cutting chicken breast. I’ve tested different ways to slice the chicken and the best tasting way is to cut it into large cubes. This way, the air fryer does not take away too much moisture from the chicken pieces.  

What is the sauce on orange chicken made of?

Orange chicken sauce is made of a sweet and tangy sauce. The sweet taste mainly comes from brown sugar and honey. The sour taste mainly comes from white vinegar. Additionally soy sauce is added for the salty flavor and brown color. I also like to add orange juice and orange zest for an additional citrusy flavor. Lastly, cornstarch water is added to thicken up the sauce.

What does orange chicken taste like?

Orange chicken has a sweet and tangy taste. Additionally it is flavored with soy sauce for the salty flavor.

Is orange chicken actually Chinese?

No. Orange chicken is an American Chinese dish. It was invented by Chinese immigrants in America. The dish does not originate in China. 

How healthy is orange chicken?

Orange chicken is covered in batter made of eggs and cornstarch and then deep fried in oil. The sauce of orange chicken is made of sugar, honey, soy sauce and vinegar. One serving of orange chicken uses about ¼ cup of sugar. Thus the dish is high in sugar and fat. However, there are ways to reduce fat in orange chicken such as using an air fryer instead of deep frying. 

How to make the best air fryer orange chicken?

Here are the main steps with images showing how to make air fryer orange chicken. The printable recipe is at the bottom of this page!

Looking for another amazing air fryer chicken recipe?

Check out this post: Air Fryer Szechuan Chicken

Watch Full Video Instruction:

Air Fryer Orange Chicken

Make Panda Express level orange chicken at home with an air fryer.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients Equipment Method Video

Ingredients

  

• 300 g chicken breast about 3/4 of a large piece of chicken breast

chicken breast marinate

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
• 2 tbsp orange juice

batter

• 100 g cornstarch
• 1 tbsp cooking oil to top the batter
• 1 tsp cornstarch to top the batter
• 2 eggs

orange chicken sauce

• 1 tsp ginger
• 2 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp dark soy sauce for darker color (optional)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 3 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes for an extra kick
• cornstarch water(1.5 tbsp of water + 1 tbsp of cornstarch)

Equipment

• 1 air fryer
• 1 Pan

Method

 

1. Chop chicken breast into large cubes. Slice chicken breast into thick strips then chop into pieces. Keep the chunks thick so that chicken remains tender after air frying.
2. Season with salt, pepper and orange juice. Mix well and marinate for 15 minutes. The orange juice helps tenderize the meat and coat it with an extra citrusy flavor.
3. Crack two eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat eggs. Add cornstarch to make a batter. It can take a little time to mix all the cornstarch in. The large clumps will disappear when the batter is ready.
4. Put chicken pieces into the batter and mix well. You are going to really want to get in between the chicken pieces so that the batter covers every inch of the chicken. I like to top off with a little extra corn starch (about 1 tsp) to make the batter more solid for air frying later.
5. Spray the tray with cooking oil. Lay chicken pieces one by one on the tray. Coat chicken pieces with cooking oil before sending the tray to the air fryer.
6. Set the air fryer at 375 and fry for 5 minutes. When the time is up, turn chicken pieces over and fry for another 10 minutes. Set the cooked chicken pieces aside.
7. Squeeze 2 full oranges when waiting for the chicken to cook. The juice should come out to about ¼ cup and that’s exactly what we need later. You can also use store bought orange juice to substitute.
8. Start stove on medium low heat. Add cooking oil. Drop in chopped garlic and ginger. Cook until slightly brown.
9. Add in light soy sauce, orange juice, brown sugar and some honey for flavor. Then add in white vinegar and chili flakes. Turn the fire on low and mix all the ingredients well.
10. Start adding the starch water before the liquid boils. If it is boiling, reduce heat or remove from heat to lower the temperature. This prevents clumps of cornstarch from forming.
11. When the sauce boils, it thickens up as well. Reduce heat further and add in chicken pieces. Mix well in the sauce so that chicken pieces are evenly coated.
12. Serve with some green onion or garnish with extra orange slices.

Video