This orange chicken recipe made healthier, (baked not fried), is a tasty, family-friendly meal. The sauce is especially fabulous!

My husband loves Orange Chicken.

I found a knock-off Panda Express recipe that I thought I would try but as I started making it I realized it was going to be a disaster (I hate it when that happens) so I pulled out another version from Blog Chef, combined the two and the result was incredibly delicious.

Plus, I found a few work around areas that will make this dish very speedy in the future.

Orange chicken on a bed of rice.

You can certainly deep fry the chicken for an authentic crispy coating but I actually prefer the lighter, easier version I’ve typed up below because the chicken really holds onto the delicious orange sauce.

And I don’t know about you, but I believe orange sauce is meant to be held on to.

Simple and delicious, this is one of our favorite meals!

What To Serve With This:

Baked Brown Rice
Summer Corn Salad or Grilled Corn Salad
Creamy 5-Cup Fruit Salad or fresh, seasonal fruit

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Fabulous Orange Chicken

4.66 stars (38 ratings)

Ingredients

Chicken:

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons oil or butter

Sauce:

  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • cup rice vinegar
  • 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon finely minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons green onion
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions 

  • Heat oven to 350. In a shallow dish combine the flour, garlic powder and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.
  • Pour oil (or melt butter and pour) in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine water, fresh orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange zest and whisk over medium heat for a few minutes. Then stir in brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and green onion and let it come to a boil. Combine cornstarch with water and let it dissolve and add it to the sauce until thickened.
  • After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour 1/2 sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently.
  • Serve chicken over rice with extra sauce on the side
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 422kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 610mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 37g
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Recipe Source: adapted from Blog Chef