The Gunny Sack

Orange Chicken 30 Minute Skillet Recipe

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This 30-minute skillet recipe for orange chicken is easy to make and so delicious! It’s an easy dinner recipe that your whole family will love.

Orange chicken over rice

My girls two favorite Chinese take-out dishes are orange chicken and sesame chicken. After my Honey Sesame Chicken was such a huge success with my family, I decided to try making Orange Chicken.

My plan was to make the orange chicken in my Crockpot like I did the sesame chicken, but I made a 30-minute skillet recipe instead.

UPDATE: This recipe was originally shared in August of 2014 and has been very popular. But after many of my readers expressed their disappointment in this recipe, I decided to update it in July 2016 to make it milder with less orange flavor as they requested.

For those of you who loved the original version, you can still print it here.

For the rest of you, I hope this updated version is more in line with what you were looking for.

Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links. There is no additional cost to you, but I will earn a small commission if you purchase through those links. Thank you for your support!

How To Make Orange Chicken

Chicken marinating in bowl

Step One:

Start by cutting 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts into chunks (about 1 – 1 1/2 cubes). Mix together soy sauce, cornstarch, and water.

Add the chicken and stir to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for 5 minutes.

Orange Sauce Recipe

Step Two:

While it is marinating, prepare the orange sauce so that it is ready when you need it later.

Whisk together orange juice, dark brown sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, orange zest, and optional sriracha sauce.

Fried Chicken Recipe

Step Three:

I made this orange chicken a little healthier by opting not to deep fry the chicken pieces. Instead, the chicken in sauteed in two tablespoons of oil.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and carefully add it to the skillet.

Stir-fry the chicken, over medium-high heat, for 5-7 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Orange chicken sauce pouring into skillet

Step Four:

Add the orange sauce to the chicken and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.

Orange chicken skillet

Your kitchen should be smelling pretty amazing by now and your family will be coming into the kitchen asking what you are making!

30 Minute Dinner Recipe

Step Five:

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired and serve the orange chicken over rice or noodles.

Orange chicken in chopsticks

We really enjoyed this orange chicken and ate the leftovers the next day. Vanessa said that she has never tasted orange chicken that actually tastes like oranges and that she really liked it! I love that the entire meal can be made in less than 30 minutes.

 

4.84 from 6 votes
Orange chicken over rice
Print
Orange Chicken 30 Minutes Skillet Recipe
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
13 mins
Total Time
23 mins
 

This 30-minute skillet recipe for orange chicken is easy to make and so delicious! It’s an easy dinner recipe that your whole family will love.

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: orange chicken
Servings: 4
Calories: 355 kcal
Author: The Gunny Sack
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless, chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
  • Sesame seeds & sliced green onions for garnish if desired
Marinade:
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
Orange Sauce:
  • 3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp sriracha sauce optional
Instructions
  1. Start by cutting 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts into chunks (about 1 – 1 1/2 cubes). Mix together soy sauce, cornstarch, and water. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for 5 minutes.
  2. While it is marinating, prepare the orange sauce so that it is ready when you need it later. Whisk together fresh squeezed orange juice, dark brown sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, orange zest, and optional sriracha sauce. Set aside.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and carefully add it to the skillet. Stir-fry the chicken, over medium-high heat, for 5-7 minutes until golden and cooked through.
  4. Add the orange sauce to the chicken and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring often until the sauce has thickened.
  5. Top with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired. Serve over rice or noodles.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Recipe updated from original in August 2014.

Nutrition Facts
Orange Chicken 30 Minutes Skillet Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 355 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 108mg 36%
Sodium 1358mg 57%
Potassium 762mg 22%
Total Carbohydrates 22g 7%
Sugars 11g
Protein 38g 76%
Vitamin A 2.9%
Vitamin C 32.6%
Calcium 2.1%
Iron 6.5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here are a few more dinner recipes to check out:

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

honey garlic chicken with rice in a bowl

 Honey Garlic Chicken

Stir Fry Sauce Recipe | thegunnysack.com

Stir Fry Sauce

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Comments

  1. The family really enjoyed this chicken dish. I didn’t have hoisin sauce, so I substituted raw honey from the fridge. I was also generous with the ingredients… used a little more than 3/4 cup of fresh juice and an extra tbsp of brown sugar.

    I also chopped and browned (caramelized) an onion and sprinkled it over the top when I served the platter.

    Reply

  2. Love, love ,love this recipe.. making it again tonight for the 3rd time. Doubling it to haves for lunch tomorrow..

    Reply

  3. I tried it yesterday and my family and I loved it. I had to put a little bit of food coloring to the sauce to make it orange instead of brown (my soy sauce is very dark) and it turned out great.
    I realized later I forgot to add the hoisin sauce, but it tasted good like that, so if you don’t have it in your fridge, that works too!
    Thank you Tonia!

    Reply

  4. We tried this tonight, but the sauce looked more like Cashew chicken than your pictures of pretty Orange Chicken. What did we do wrong? Any suggestions? (We did use concentrate, but I can’t imagine that would’ve turned the sauce into gravy.)

    Reply

    • I am not familiar with the cashew chicken, but if you are talking about the color of the sauce it could be the type of soy sauce used, there is dark soy sauce that then to dye foods on a darker tone and there is light soy sauce that doesn’t cause the effect.

      Reply

  5. I tried the old version:

    Being a single dad I like to be able to throw dinner together pretty quick. My 13 year old daughter has been eating Chinese food since she can walk and Orange Chicken is her favorite. She didn’t care for it. I made broccoli with it and it was the first time she ate all her broccoli. I didn’t care for it either. Too much of BBQ sauce taste. I look forward to trying the improved recipe. If you’ve ever eaten decent Chinese food on a regular basis you probably won’t like this.

    Reply

  6. I was rather disappointed by the recipe. We did make it a night ahead so my hubby could have it at his guys night. The sauce was not orange at all. May need to try the original recipe.

    Reply

  7. This was wonderful! Made it for a family Sunday dinner and my brother is Vegan. I substituted firm tofu in his dish and it turned out great! Now even my picky daughter asks for this dish, thanks!!

    Reply

  8. I’m happy to see that the original was still available to print! Our family loves it and the original is more suited to ingredients we usually have on hand. I did notice the original recipe is categorized as dessert. 😄

    Reply

  10. I changed the oj for pineapple juice and added chopped white onion, peppers and pineapple….added a bit more vinegar for more zing….very yummy!

    Reply

  11. I made the original recipe tonight with the concentrate and it was delicious! It was the perfect amount of sweetness and orange flavor. I am surprised by the amount of negative reviews. Glad I went ahead and made it despite the naysayers. Yum!

    Reply

    • Por desgracia, no sé español. He utilizado Google translate y esto es lo que dijo:
      ingredientes
      1 ½ libras sin hueso, sin piel, pechugas de pollo
      2 cucharadas de aceite vegetal (para freír)
      Las semillas de sésamo y las cebollas verdes en rodajas para adornar, si lo desean
      Escabeche:
      ¼ taza de salsa de soja
      ¼ taza de maicena
      2 cucharadas de agua
      Salsa de Naranja:
      ¾ de taza de jugo de naranja recién exprimido
      2 cucharadas de azúcar moreno oscuro
      1 cucharada de fécula de maíz
      la salsa de soja 1 cucharada
      salsa hoisin 1 cucharada
      2 cucharaditas de vinagre de arroz
      1 cucharadita de ralladura de naranja
      1 cucharadita de salsa de sriracha (opcional)
      Instrucciones

      Informar de este anuncio

      Comience por cortar 1 ½ libras de pechugas de pollo en trozos (alrededor de 1 – 1 ½ cubos). Mezclar la salsa de soja, almidón de maíz, y agua. Añadir el pollo y revuelva para cubrir. Deje que el pollo macerar durante 5 minutos.
      A pesar de que se está marinando, preparar la salsa de naranja para que esté listo cuando lo necesite más tarde. Batir juntos el jugo de naranja recién exprimido, azúcar moreno, almidón de maíz, salsa de soja, salsa hoisin, vinagre de arroz, cáscara de naranja, y Sriracha opcional. Dejar de lado.
      Calentar 2 cucharadas de aceite en una sartén grande. Retire el pollo de la marinada con una espumadera y cuidadosamente agregarlo a la sartén. Sofreír el pollo, a fuego medio-alto, durante 5-7 minutos hasta que estén dorados y bien cocidos.
      Añadir la salsa de naranja para el pollo y cocine durante 4-6 minutos, revolviendo con frecuencia hasta que la salsa haya espesado.
      Arriba con semillas de sésamo y las cebollas verdes en rodajas, si se desea. Servir sobre arroz o fideos.

      Reply

  13. I love love love this recipe! We made it a few times back in the spring and loved it!

    Silly me never saved the actual the recipe so I panicked when I saw you had changed it. Thank you for keeping the original recipe accessible.

    I’m making this tomorrow night for my Grandfather. We recently lost my Grandmother who was a very picky eater so we’ve been having fun introducing him to all of these new foods he’s never had before. I’m sure it’ll be a hit 🙂

    The only thing we do different is add a green pepper, just for a little something else!

    Thanks so much!

    Reply

  14. I just tried making it last night for a family dinner. IT WAS A HIT!!! It tastes better and much healthier than take out! The only think I did differently was use regular no pulp orange juice and did not use orange zest. The added siracha made it great too! I was a little hesitant mixing the orange sauce because it was sooo liquidy but after adding it to the chicken, my God, it was amazing!!

    Reply

  15. Hi! I just made this tonight… Delish! Anyway, I noticed that you had another version- the original. I decided to take a look to compare. I just thought I would point out, on the Original version, it is listed on the recipe card as a “Dessert”. Whoops. LOL. Thanks again!

    Reply

    • Thanks Deb! Not sure how that happened but I took a screen capture of that recipe and save it as an image, before sharing the updated version, so I guess I’m stuck with it now. 🙂 Oh well! ~Tonia

      Reply

  16. I made this recipe for the first time back in May and my family loved it! I put it on the menu for tonight and came to look at the recipe this morning and saw that you had updated it. I’m not sure why anyone would want less orange flavor? I’ll be making the original recipe for our dinner, thanks for leaving the link to it so I could still find it.

    Reply

  17. Really yummy. Only 1 thing: Orange chicken is supposed to be sweet. This was more savory.

    Reply

  18. I rarely leave comments on recipes I’ve pinned and tried, but I had to hop online after finishing the dishes up tonight because, Holy COW, that was a GREAT dinner! I made this revised version of your orange chicken and it really, really hit the spot–I was totally impressed with the flavors and how well it came together. The only thing I changed was that I used orange juice in place of fresh squeezed (and because I had no orange, no orange zest either). Other than that, I followed directions exactly as written and polished off two helpings worth of this dinner (side note: my 2-year-old and 4-year-old also gave me ZERO problems with this meal tonight, happily gobbling it up, and because most nights it’s a war just to get them to even TRY dinner, I consider this a major win!). Thanks a billion for this yummy meal–I’ll definitely be adding it to my dinner rotation!!

    Reply

    • jus have one question n I kno it might seem silly but I want to get it rt lol
      do u cook chicken first or can add everything all together

      Reply

  19. I made this tonight and use fresher squeeze orange juice and added the chili sauce for spice! It was fantastic! I also added a little more soy sauce. We used thighs bc that’s what I had on hand. Did people not taste the sauce? You can cut the orange in have and just try it to your liking. Anyhow thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  20. The recipe was good. I read comments and was nervous at first but then common sense kicked in and unlike the other “posters” I taste as I go so I just adjusted as I went. I have never blindly followed anyone off a Cliff. haha
    Taste is individual and you need not have changed your original for a few blind cooks.
    Keep up the good work!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for your support, Heather! <3 That is why I kept the original recipe up too. It is what I will continue making for my family because we love the zesty flavor.

      I know I can't satisfy everyone, but at the end of the day, my goal is to share recipes my readers will enjoy. So, this recipe is to meet their needs. Thanks again! ~Tonia

      Reply

  21. Made this tonight and I’m sorry to say it was the worst “orange Chicken” I’ve ever made and I’ve made plenty. This recipe is not even close to the recipes I’ve followed for the other orange chickens.

    Reply

    • Thanks for sharing your feedback. I’ve updated the recipe to be milder with less orange flavor, although it still isn’t deep fried like other recipes you may have seen.

      Reply

  22. I liked this recipe, but it was way too tangy! I might try it again, but use half the orange concentrate. Then again, I may never try it again, I wasted so much chicken on this round that I’m not sure I want to risk wasting more.

    Reply

    • We loved the tangy-ness of the chicken, but I’ve updated the recipe to be milder with less orange flavor. Thanks for your feedback.

      Reply

  23. I thought this looked really yummy… But after sitting down to eat no one in my family could eat it ..: worse thing I’ve cooked in a long long time … Way to much orange flavor it was ove powering

    Reply

    • I had the same problem… i thought it was terrible. I’ll probably use orange juice next time instead of concentrate, and let the chicken marinate longer.

      Reply

    • I make this and my whole family loves it!! But… I buy the orange chicken Panda Express sauce from the grocery store and use that instead of making my own… Cause I’m lazy

      Reply

  24. This was fantastic! And a quick dinner. My “selective” 4yr old even gobbled this up. Only things I did differently was used coconut oil vs vegetable oil, & used orange juice vs concentrate. I’m definitely saving this recipe. Thank you!

    Reply

  25. This dish did not turn out like the picture and was way too orangey for my taste. Would not make again.

    Reply

    • Thanks for sharing your feedback. I’ve updated the recipe to be milder with less orange flavor. I hope the new version is more in line with what you were looking for.

      Reply

  26. I followed the directions step by step and it didn’t turn out as it does in these pictures. It looks more like teriyaki chicken than orange chicken. Not a fan and I won’t try this again, sorry.

    Reply

  28. My family and loved the Orange Chicken, so easy to make, not to mention easy on my time and wallet!

    Next time I’m going to add some chucks of pineapple.

    Reply

  29. Just made this, and it was AMAZING!! For those who say they didn’t like it, I used regular OJ, instead of concentrate (just because I forgot, and didn’t want to go back to the store) it mixes well, and didn’t taste overbearing.! It was delicious!! Yummy!

    Reply

  30. tried making this last night 😉 thanks for the recipe it was delicious, only thing I noticed was it was SO sweet! What do you think I could do to cut back on that pungent sweetness? I was thinking just using plain orange juice instead of the concentrate? let me know what you think! We’ll definitely make this again regardless!

    Reply

  31. I tried it and made it exactly how the directions were and although it didn’t come out orange it tasted like orange chicken and it was very good my family loved it (: I will be making more

    Reply

  32. I cannot say that this was a good dish…my husband took one bite and then made a bowl of cereal. I am sad to say but I followed suite…

    Reply

  33. Can’t say I was a fan. The combo of the orange juice and BBQ sauce was odd. There was a bitter aftertaste. Sorry! This one was quick at least.

    Reply

    • No need to be sorry! 🙂 We all enjoy different tastes and combos. That’s what makes us all unique. Thank you for expressing your opinion respectfully!

      Reply

      • It was an awesome dish! Made a few alterations based on what was in the fridge. Orange juice ans flour worked well as substitutes.

        Reply

  34. looks and sounds amazing! for the ones who do not have frozen concentrate oj, or prefer to use fresh squeezed, I put mine on the stove, brought to a boil and reduced to simmer to concentrate the sugars and thicken the juices some. it works pretty nicely…going to try this again real soon, thanks for posting again…

    Reply

  38. This was fabulous. I used the frozen precooked breaded popcorn chicke to save even more time. I heated chicken in oven, prepared sauce in pot an then put chicken and sauce in a big pot and heated,mixed on top of stove. Put over rice and serve. I also used three pepper blend (frozen red,yellow,green peppers and onion) instead of green onions. Turned out yummi.

    Reply

  39. I have been eating Orange Chicken in Chinese restaurants for more than 60 years. I am almost 80. This is the bestests I have ever had and I made it myself. This is a go to for company and for myself. I cut down when only for me. Keep the good food coming.

    dearcat

    Reply

  40. OMG!!!!! I could eat this 7 times a day! My cat and I ate this when we got up for breakfast. The only thing I would do different, is add 1 more can of OJ concentrate. The only down side, is when you go to empty yourself, it kinda burns on its way out.

    Reply

  41. Hi!!
    I needed something quick to make for dinner, so I found the Orange Chicken on my board. My family enjoyed it, but due to my own errors, I didn’t care for it. I never mess with recipes, but one of my errors was oversight on my part. When I put the chicken pieces in the Ziploc bag with the cornstarch/water/lite soy sauce mixture, I put the bag in the fridge and forgot about it!!!! I ended up forgetting it in there for an hour, so the chicken soaked up ALL the soy sauce mixture and all I could taste was soy sauce! So, to compensate for that overpowering flavor, I put some orange zest in. I don’t know if that was so wise (!!) of me……..So, in retrospect DO NOT over marinate the chicken!! I am anxious to make this again, but I will tie a string around my finger to remember to take the chicken out of the marinade after 5 minutes!! Thanks for the great recipes! :0)

    Reply

  45. I had to quadruple this recipe for my family, and 2 cans of OJ concentrate made it way too orangey. The basic recipe is AMAZING ,but be careful if you are multiplying. Other than that little learning curve I had, it was divine!! (I fixed the sauce by adding soy sauce and lots of seasoning to cut the sweet/orange flavor and make it spicy and yum like if you follow the original). I made broccoli, peppers and onions and water chestnuts and layered them between the rice (jasmine – yum!) and the chicken and rice. Thank you for this recipe!!!!!

    Reply

  46. My Orange Chicken never came out like that in Chinese restaurants. This is excellent. I am in my late seventies and have tasted many Orange Chicken. This one definitely takes first prize. Your site is great.

    Reply

    • Thanks so much, Marsha! It’s been a rough day and seeing your comment made me smile for the first time all day! XOXO Tonia

      Reply

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Tonia LarsonHi, I'm Tonia, a lover of food and photography! Fill a gunny sack with ingredients, tie on an apron and let's get cooking!
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