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This Spicy Orange Sesame Chicken is classic, but made at home for a more wholesome approach…and with a little extra sauce. The chicken is pan-fried in a small amount of avocado oil until crispy, then tossed in a yummy sesame orange sauce with fresh orange juice and chili flakes. It’s a little sweet and a little spicy with such great flavor. This is best served over steamed rice with extra green onions on top. A fun homemade take on a popular takeout dish.
One of my favorite things to do is take our favorite takeout dishes and try my best to recreate them at home. There’s just something so fun about homemade takeout, especially when you live in a little town as we do. Our takeout options are more limited, so sometimes the only option is to just make “takeout” at home!
After I made orange cauliflower a few weeks back, my brothers were all over my case to make a more classic crispy orange chicken. They actually loved the cauliflower variation but said that nothing beats the real orange chicken.
I have a hard time saying no to those guys, so I created this recipe pretty much immediately after they requested it. And geez, you guys, this is so good. Just like your favorite takeout, but made at home, and with more wholesome ingredients too!
Traditionally orange chicken is deep-fried and tossed in a spicy, sweet, and tangy orange sauce. The sauce is usually made with a decent amount of sugar, in addition to orange juice and a bit of soy.
To keep this dish and the cooking simple and easy, I made some simple swaps. I used avocado oil for cooking, honey to sweeten, and tamari for the soy (tamari is just gluten-free soy sauce).
But the flavors are ALL there. Lots of orange, a touch of sweetness, and a kick of spice.
I start with the chicken and toss it simply with an egg white, a splash of soy sauce, a pinch of peppers, plus some fresh orange zest. Then dredge the chicken through cornstarch. The cornstarch gives the chicken just the right amount of breading to crisp it up. It also helps the sauce to thicken.
When you’re dredging the chicken through the cornstarch don’t stress if it starts clumping a little on the chicken. Those clumps will get crispy and be delicious in the sweet orange sauce.
Then the sauce…this really is the heart of the recipe. Start with lots of fresh orange zest and juice. Yes, you can use already squeezed orange juice, but with citrus in-season, I would highly recommend fresh juice. Nothing can compare!
So mix the orange zest and juice with tamari or soy sauce, vinegar, and honey. As I mentioned, the honey replaces the sugar usually found in orange chicken. It works perfectly and I love the small amount of flavor it adds to the sauce.
Cook the chicken in avocado oil, which is awesome for high heat cooking. Once the chicken is crispy, pull it out of the skillet and add lots of garlic and ginger, plus some chili flakes (use to your liking, of course).
Pour in the sauce then add the chicken back. Let the sauce bubble around the chicken until it thickens. Simple and quick!
Serve the chicken with steamed rice and toasted sesame seeds for a complete meal. The boys all agreed, this dish is “fire”, which in their language means REALLY GOOD.
That should tell you what you need to know right there…you gotta give this dish a try…plus it’s just fun!
Looking for other takeout-style recipes? Here are a few to try:
Lastly, if you make this Spicy Orange Sesame Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This recipe is a keeper!
Hey Dani,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
So flavorful and an accessible recipe for any cooking level. Such a simple recipe to follow and huge reward! I can’t wait to make this for family and friends!! I followed the recipe, adding a little more garlic and ginger bc I love them. My best advice would be not to stress too much. This is beginner friendly and you’ll feel like a real chef! Also don’t stress off the chicken is sticking to your pan a little. It scraped up when I put the sauce in and it all ends up as crunchy flavor bursts! I used fresh orange juice and it was divine SO flavorful.
Hey Beth,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well! xT
Made this for the first time tonight was blown away! Perfect recipe for juicy chicken in a sticky, sweet, spicy sauce. So good!
Hey Kimberly,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
LOVED this recipe! So delicious and still manageable in my college kitchen. Obsessed with all your recipes and videos !!
Hey Eliza,
Happy Monday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xT
The BEST, I make it all the time. It is my grandkids favorite
Hey Peggy,
Happy Wednesday! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe so often and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it always turns out well for you! xT
Thanks for this. A bit too involved for a week night meal. And the ginger was overpowering. I see now that others halved the ginger.
I will try this again on a weekend-
Hey Megan,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry about the ginger! xT
Flavors are spot on and I love having a homemade version of orange chicken. Next time, I will thicken the sauce more before tossing in the chicken, so I get a crisper nugget. Great with a veggie medley.
Hey Ann,
Happy Sunday!!🪷 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xT
This recipe is such a winner. I have made it twice to perfection both times. I used 1 teaspoon ground ginger instead, and it still tasted fantastic. The 2nd time I made it, I didn’t have orange juice or zest so I substituted ginger ale for the sauce and 2 tablespoons orange extract. Still tasted better than restaurant quality.
Hey Natalie,
Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
Made this last night. I will make in a ditch oven next time bc the oil splatter was real. Sauce didn’t thicken much and wasn’t quite balanced. Next time I’ll cut the acid in the sauce and add more honey. But overall, this was a good dish served with garlic broccoli and rice.
Hey Sarah,
Thanks for giving this dish a try and sharing your feedback! Glad to hear it was overall enjoyed:) xT
Sauce was salty. Next time I would halve the soy sauce in the sauce. I added extra honey to sweeten it. The chicken was yummy, but, so labor intensive and oil splattered everywhere. This was a one time try for me unfortunately.
Hey Kyra,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you didn’t love it! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Outstanding! Beats takeout by a long shot. A but labor intensive but worth it. Definitely adding to our regular rotation. I doubled the garlic and ginger because we like those flavors. Everything else was followed as written
Hey Francesca,
Amazing!! I appreciate you making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner! xT
Wondering if it would work to skip the pan frying and use an air fryer instead? Thanks!
Hi! I found this online for air frying chicken coated with cornstarch. I am attempting this tonight:
“ Transfer chicken to air-fryer oven racks
(or fryer basket, in batches), leaving a
little space between pieces. Preheat air-
fryer at 400°F for 3 minutes. Add the
battered chicken; cook for 12 to 16
minutes, giving things a shake midway.
Let dry 3 to 5 minutes. If chicken is still
damp on one side, cook for 1 to 2
minutes more.”
Hey Sam,
I’ve never tested this recipe in the air fryer, but I bet it would work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Is there a replacement i could use for the egg white?
Hi Sarah,
You could use buttermilk in place of the egg white, that should work well for you! Let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Made this to compare to Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken and this is 100% better!! Chicken was tender and delicious!! My kids thought it was a little too orangey so next time might only do 1 tbsp or 1 tsp instead of 2tbsp of orange zest in the sauce. Served with TH’s potstickers, rice, and green beans sautéed with garlic. So much better, healthier, and cheaper than take out!
Hey Ellie,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
This turned out even better than I had hoped — absolutely delicious. Just wish I would’ve doubled the recipe! Planning to make it again tomorrow, ha.
Hey Celeste,
Thank you so much for giving this dish a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great Thursday:)
Had the whole family together when I made this and was a huge hit. Will make again for sure
Thanks so much for making this dish Michelle, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT