This Air Fryer Orange Chicken recipe combines fresh orange juice and pantry staples to create a tangy, sweet dish perfect for weeknight dinners. The perfect alternative to takeout!
Save this Recipe!
Get the recipe link sent to your inbox so you can come back to it later!
No spam ever. Just cozy, delicious recipes.
If you've only ever had orange chicken from Chinese takeout or store-bought orange chicken, you're in for a treat! This homemade orange sauce is made with fresh oranges and is much more flavorful. This recipe is ready in just 25 minutes and is a great meal to have in your dinner rotation.
If you're a fan of takeout-inspired recipes, try chicken stir fry with peanut sauce and sheet pan sesame chicken.
Jump to:
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken. Although chicken thighs are one of my favorite cuts of chicken to use, it is best to use boneless skinless chicken breasts when making air fryer orange chicken.
- Cornstarch or potato starch. A key ingredient in making the chicken extra crispy and giving it a nice golden brown breading. I personally prefer potato starch but either will work.
- Orange. You'll need both freshly squeezed orange juice and a couple of tablespoons of orange zest. This is going to make your homemade orange chicken so much more delicious than pre-made sauce packets. You won't regret it!
- Coconut aminos. Coconut aminos are an alternative to soy sauce that is lower in sodium. If you prefer a saltier orange sauce, feel free to use regular soy sauce or tamari.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Set up an assembly line. Add sifted cornstarch to a bowl and the whisked eggs mixed with salt and pepper to another bowl.
Step 1: Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture.
Step 2: Next, coat the chicken the cornstarch/potato starch on all sides. Spray the air fryer basket with a light layer of cooking spray, add the chicken in a single layer and spray the chicken with additional cooking spray. Cook for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Step 3: Prepare your orange sauce by adding the orange juice, orange zest, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey to a small saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
Step 4: Pour the sauce over the hot chicken and toss to coat. Serve your orange chicken immediately while hot and crispy.
Sarah's Top Tips
- To help the eggs stick to the chicken, pat the chicken cubes dry with a paper towel before dredging.
- If you're a newer chef or tend to question the doneness of chicken, invest in a meat thermometer! They're inexpensive and will help prevent you from overcooking your meat.
- Adjust the cooking time based on your own air fryer. 15 minutes was the perfect cook time in my personal air fryer model, but depending on yours, you may need a slightly altered cook time. I would recommend checking the chicken after 13 minutes to test for doneness and adjust from there.
- You want the sauce to be thick enough to coat the chicken, but not so thick that it is a glaze. Dip a spoon into the sauce—if it coats the back evenly without running off in thin streams, it's ready.
Serving
Serve air fryer orange chicken with rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. It pairs great with sides such as Frozen Roasted Broccoli and Air Fryer Roasted Carrots.
Pair it with my Simple Chicken Fried Rice for a complete takeout-style meal at home — quick, satisfying, and so flavorful!
Storage & Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I recommend reheating in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. The sauce is sticky and will cause a mess in the air fryer if you reheat it that way.
More Recipes You May Like
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below—I’d love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Recipe
Tap stars to rate!
Quick Air Fryer Orange Chicken
Save this Recipe!
Get the recipe link sent to your inbox so you can come back to it later!
No spam ever. Just cozy, delicious recipes.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
- ½ cup cornstarch or potato starch
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- ½ large orange, juiced
- 1-2 tablespoons orange zest
- ¼ cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
Instructions
Chicken
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F if necessary.
- Set up an assembly line by adding sifted cornstarch to a bowl and the whisked eggs in another bowl mixed with salt and black pepper.
- Dip the chicken breast into the egg mixture followed by the cornstarch. Shake off any excess.
- Spray the air fryer with cooking spray, add the chicken and spray the chicken with more cooking spray.
- Air fry for 15 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Sauce
- In a small saucepan, add all of the sauce ingredients.
- Heat over medium heat and stir until the sauce thickens, about 8 minutes. You want it to be thick enough to coat the chicken but not too thick that it is a glaze.
- Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken and toss to coat. Serve topped with sesame seeds, rice and your favorite vegetable.
Sarah's Tips
- To help the eggs stick to the chicken, pat the chicken cubes dry with a paper towel before dredging.
- If you're a newer chef or tend to question the doneness of chicken, invest in a meat thermometer! They're inexpensive and will help prevent you from overcooking your meat.
- Adjust the cooking time based on your own air fryer. 15 minutes was the perfect cook time in my personal air fryer model, but depending on yours, you may need a slightly altered cook time. I would recommend checking the chicken after 13 minutes to test for doneness and adjust from there.
- You want the sauce to be thick enough to coat the chicken, but not so thick that it is a glaze. Dip a spoon into the sauce—if it coats the back evenly without running off in thin streams, it's ready.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I recommend reheating in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. The sauce is sticky and will cause a mess in the air fryer if you reheat it that way.
karen rothman says
Amazing!!! I made this last night and my family loved it. Great recipe highly recommend it.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Karen, so happy you enjoyed this! We're making it this week also, can't wait 🙂