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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.
Details
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
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!
Spicy Orange Sesame Chicken
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 425 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- black pepper
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
Orange Sauce
- 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh orange juice + 2 tablespoons zest
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1/2-1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- green onions and sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a bowl, combine the chicken, egg white, tamari/soy sauce, orange zest, and pepper. Toss well to coat. In a separate bowl, add the cornstarch.2. Dredge the chicken through the cornstarch to coat. 3. In a glass jar, whisk together the broth, orange juice, tamari/soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey. 4. Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, working in batches, cook until golden all around, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet. 5. To the skillet, add the garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Cook 1-2 minutes. Pour in the orange sauce. Bring to a boil, boil 3-4 minutes, then add the chicken. Toss with the sauce and cook until the sauce thickens around the chicken, about 5 minutes. 6. Serve the chicken and sauce over steamed rice with sesame seeds and green onions.
Made this for dinner tonight. It is delicious!! Added some sweet snap peas in. Would make it more often if I didn’t have to clean up after frying, lololo!
Hi Lani,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan
Fantastic recipe! So delicious. Reminded me of my favorite Trader Joe’s orange chicken. I did also accidentally add the garlic and ginger to the sauce mix, but I don’t think it was a bad thing.
Hi Emily,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan
Great recipe! The flavor of the sauce was amazing, however there was no way it was going to thicken without adding a cornstarch slurry at the end. This took far longer to prep/cook than the recipe stated, but was worth the effort. Served with brown rice and steamed broccoli and will definitely make again. Next time I will keep the chicken separate from the sauce until time to serve to maintain the crispiness.
Hi Cassie,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Sorry to hear this took longer than expected. Have a great week:) xx
I made this last night and it was better than take out! I have someone with celiac in the house so bonus that the recipe is naturally gluten free. Thank you!
Hi Annie,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan
I am seriously addicted to this! It came out perfectly and I love the crunch and flavor of the chicken even without the sauce. I always wondered if cornstarch could be used for coating and frying since I am GF and cannot tolerate tapicoca/cassava, so thank you so much for this delicious recipe!
Hi Stella,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan
Can this be made using an air fryer instead of frying in a pan?
Hi Francine,
Sure, I bet that would work well for you. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
While my prep time differed “slightly” from the recipe, it was worth the wait! Delicious orange flavor! I love knowing exactly what’s in my food. Next time I won’t squeeze fresh orange juice. This recipe’s a keeper!
Hi Sally,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan
This was so good. I used coconut oil as I didn’t have avocado oil and it came out great! The sauce was to die for!
Hi Susan,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan
AMAZING! Made this tonight and it was a hit! My 8 and 11 year old had zero complaints, and just gobbled their food down. That’s a win! I steamed broccoli and tossed it with the chicken, after it finished cooking in the sauce. So tasty! Will be making again soon.
Should say too, I made this top 8 allergy friendly for my son on an elimination diet. I used Bob’s egg replacer in place of the egg white, as well as arrowroot instead of cornstarch. Also used Big Tree Farm teriyaki sauce instead of soy sauce. Closest thing my son has had to real chinese food in over two years! Also didn’t add the peppers to the sauce because spicy bothers him. So my husband just shook some chili flakes on top of his food after it was plated.
Hi Ashley,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) Thanks for sharing what worked well for you. xTieghan
Sounds ? can’t wait to try it.
Thanks, I hope you love the recipe!!
can arrowroot be used instead of cornstarch?
Hi Jen,
Yes, that will work well for you. Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I used arrowroot instead of cornstarch and it was great!! Will definitely make again!!
Hope your book tour is going well!!
Hi Jen,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! Thanks for your kind message:) xTieghan
Don’t have avocado oil but have both EVOO and grapeseed oil. Which should I use? I was going to use EVOO but don’t wanna if it will change the taste…
I’d use grape seed oil, I use that for frying all the time. It has a higher smoke point than EVOO!
Funny I’m about to make it tonight and thought I’d use vegetable oil or peanut. Have everything but avocado oil and grape seed!
I hope you love the recipe Karoline!!
Hi Nicole,
EVOO will work for you. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I am excited to try this. My son, though, has an egg and sesame (among other thing) allergies. What can I use instead of eggs?
I have made a totally different chicken recipe using plain yogurt before breadcrumbs. Also buttermilk if I have it. I think it might work here?
A different orange chicken recipe I have made doesn’t use sesame seeds. I didn’t like the way they fried it, so plan to try this one. Buy the sauce was fine.
Plan to try this recipe I soon is I get oranges!! Everything else I have made from her has been a success. In fact I bout her easy recipes cook book for my daughter for Christmas!!
I hope you love the recipe Stephanie!!
Baking soda breaks meat down to tenderize. Use a spoonfull per pound. Marinate for at least 30 min.
Hi Christina,
Definitely skip the sesame, for the egg you will want to use something like buttermilk so that the chicken coating will adhere to the chicken. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Came in looking for ONE Recipe Ended up getting all of those listed. I have all of the items for my Dinner cooking for my family. Looking for side dish that is not needed. Until now. I have not yet chosen one of your great posting.
The color is quite beautiful and asking to be viewed. Like me. Bea Zahn
I hope you love the recipe Bea!!
Looks over the top amazing! Can’t wait to try it….tonight actually!
What’s the best way to lessen the spice factor…we are whomps! Will eliminating the chili flakes altogether be a disaster? Thanks!
PS…love your site, your recipes, your family, and your approach to life! Thanks for sharing it all! ?
Hey Sandy,
Totally fine to skip the chili flakes here:) Thanks so much for your kind message, I hope you love the recipe!! xx
Perfect timing! I had a bunch of oranges sitting around and then saw this in my inbox. I subbed tofu, but it still turned out just right. Very intense flavor, but as a lifelong vegetarian idk what orange chicken tastes like ? and I enjoyed a different twist.
I would maybe list the garlic and ginger apart from the sauce? I just tossed them into the bowl with all the liquid sauce ingredients before I saw the instructions to cook them separately down below, but I’m sure it all got cooked up anyway!
Hey Nicole,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx