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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.
Which book is the from please ?
Would love to know which book when you post the recipes on socials 🙂
Hi Nicole,
None of the recipes that you see on the blog are in the cookbooks. The recipes in the cookbooks are exclusive to the books:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Tieghan, Another winner! I think I put a tad too much zest in ( a little bitter) and next time I will add a touch more honey. We live in rural Arkansas ( good golf, crappy restaurants) and there is no place for Chinese. This really fit the bill. My husband says ” Put it in the rotation”. You are changing the way I cook by adding interesting combinations, so Thank you.
Hi Joy,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
Restaurant quality! Total prep/cook time for me was a little longer than an hour. Next time, I’ll add the chicken in the sauce and make the other sauce (double) earlier in the day to save time. Meant to add broccoli but didn’t have any and it was still delicious.
Thanks, Tieghan!
Hi Amber,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
Excited to try this! How would you recommend storing/reheating leftovers?
Hi Jane,
I would just keep in an airtight container in the fridge and probably reheat in the microwave. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xTieghan
quick question: is there another oil you can use other than avocado oil? (I am allergic to avocados but really want to make this dish!) thanks!
Hi Hannah,
Any other neutral oil will work for you, just make sure it is something with a high smoke point. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was delicious! I prepped the chicken as instructed but added a little sesame oil to the egg marinade, then baked it in the oven to avoid the mess of pan frying. I made the sauce separately on the stovetop and thickened it with an arrowroot slurry, and added broccoli and thinly sliced carrots to the mix – all served over jasmine rice. Phenomenal! The orange sauce was phenomenal, and the chicken was nice and crisped. Thank you, Tieghan!
Best recipie for yummy orange chicken. Was missing traditional Chinese version, no more, this was awesome. Served with white rice and schezwan beans. Thankyou!
Hi there,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
Hi Aline,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
Did you also dredge the chicken in cornstarch before baking? What temp and how long did you bake it?
Hi Kathy!
I did dredge the chicken in cornstarch (with a spoonful of ammonia-free baking soda mixed in for tenderizing) and baked it on a sheet pan in the middle of the oven with parchment paper underneath to avoid sticking.
I baked at 220 C (about 425 F) for 25 minutes. The temp is a bit high, but that’s how I do certain chicken recipes for fast cooking, with a bit of crisping or browning on the outside. It was soft and tender inside and, not at all overcooked.
Ovens can be very different and vary wildly in how they cook. Check your chicken at 18-20 minutes to see how it looks. When the surface is golden brown, and the cubed chicken is “sweating” a bit, and sizzling on the surface, it’s done. 🙂 I got a perfect result at 25 minutes, but it would have been safely cooked through in 20.
Hi Aline, Thank you so much for the detailed instructions! I’m going to try this tomorrow night.
Great to hear – and good luck with the recipe, I hope you love it! 🙂
Made this tonight for dinner and threw in some steamed broccoli in the sauce with the chicken. I had to use a cornstarch slurry to get the sauce to thicken, but the end result was delicious. This is definitely getting added to the rotation. ?
Hi Helene,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
It was good but my sauce never really got thick enough. I’d like it a little sweeter too so I will add more honey and be prepared with a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up at the end. I added some steamed broccoli at the end which was good too.
Hi Debra,
Thanks so much for making the recipe and sharing your feedback! xx
wow this was soooooo good. not surprised at all that it has such high ratings. the sauce took longer to thicken up but the chicken was still pretty crispy. it actually tasted better than take-out. and it’s pretty healthy. I swapped out the cornstarch for whole wheat flour and it still crisped up perfectly. I also added some thin cut red peppers and threw them in when I put the chicken back in the sauce
Hey Katie,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
Loved this dish – so flavorful. Didn’t leave enough time for sauce to thicken, but (suprisingly) had leftovers next day and warmed it in a saute pan and got that saucy coated, crispy chicken. I’ll be making again – next time I’ll let the sauce do it’s thing and reduce it to get that delicious coating before adding the chicken back in.
Hey Shirley,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend:) xT
The flavor was great, but the chicken turned from crispy to soggy as the sauce thickened. Any advice on how to avoid that? Thanks, and I love your recipes! Most of my cooking is from your site. 🙂
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try!! As with any chicken that is coated in sauce, it will only maintain a certain amount of crispiness as the sauce will soften it up. I hope this makes sense! xxTieghan
Just tried the recipe it was good but there was a bitter taste to it. I’m not really sure from where that taste came but it might be from the orange zest, I’m definitely trying it next time with just 1 tbs of orange zest. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sandra,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear about the bitterness. When zesting, it’s really important to avoid the white part of the skin as that is bitter. I hope this helps for next time!! xx
We made the chicken as instructed. The taste was great. I would add a thickener to the sauce to thicken it. There is nothing in the sauce itself that will thicken it in. 5 minutes. The only cornstarch is on the chicken. I will make this again, and add more test and cornstarch. Otherwise, it had wonderful flavor. I paired with jasmine rice and broccoli. Thank you!
Hi Karen,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
do not believe the prep time on this one. plan on over an hour. super yummy though.
Hey Alex,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry this took you longer than expected. xTieghan
I made this in the air fryer and it came out perfectly! I did 350 for ~10 mins and had to do maybe 4 batches. I used an avocado spray oil to stick as closely as possible to the recipe. If I make it again I’m going to add some vegetables and make a little extra sauce. Great recipe!!!
Hi Sabrina,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend:) xT
I made this tonight, followed the recipe exactly as described. Flavor was great, my family loved it. I, however, was slightly frustrated as I couldn’t get the sauce to thicken at all. It worked out in the end, I blanched some broccoli to throw in with the chicken. Served it over rice, and my family of 4 was pleased. First half baked harvest recipe I’ve made!
Hey Jessi,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear about the sauce. The cornstarch on the chicken should really help to thicken it up. xTieghan