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    Fitsian Food Life » Air Fryer

    Air Fryer Orange Chicken Recipe

    Published: Dec 27, 2022 · Modified: Apr 14, 2024 by Clara · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Air fryer orange chicken is a rendition of the classic Panda Express dish made with a fraction of the calories. It's much easier to make and still just as tangy and mouthwatering.

    Orange chicken with broccoli and rice on a white plate.
    Jump to:
    • 💭 What is Air Fryer Orange Chicken?
    • ✅ Why This Recipe Works
    • 🍏 Calories and Nutrition – How to Make It Healthy 
    • 📋 Ingredient Notes
    • 📖 Substitutions and Variations
    • 🔪 Step by Step Instructions 
    • 🍽 What To Eat It With 
    • 💭 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 💭 Expert Tips
    • 🍽 Related Recipes
    • 🍳 Recipe

    💭 What is Air Fryer Orange Chicken?

    Orange chicken traditionally consists deep fried chicken tossed in a zesty orange flavored sauce. The tangy and umami flavors fused together with crispy chicken is absolutely mouthwatering. By making it with an air fryer, we're able to cut down the calories in this dish significantly.

    ✅ Why This Recipe Works

    Easy to make – There's no need to deep fry anything, making it a lot easier to clean up afterwards.

    Restaurant Quality Taste – This recipe uses key techniques to make this air fryer orange chicken tastes just as good as takeout at a fraction of the price and calories.

    Low in calories – By utilizing the air fryer and making mindful recipe tweaks, I tweaked this traditionally decadent recipe to be healthier and lower in calories so that you can enjoy this delicious meal without getting off track on your fitness goals. Similar recipes include my Air Fried Korean Fried Chicken and Air Fryer Lemongrass Chicken.

    Close up shot of orange chicken on a fork.

    🍏 Calories and Nutrition – How to Make It Healthy 

    A serving of Panda Express’s orange chicken clocks in a whopping 380 calories with only 14 grams of protein. Most of the calories come from the 18 grams of fat and 45 grams of carbs from deep frying the chicken in batter. 

    By following this air fryer orange chicken recipe, you can make the dish with only 278 calories and 35 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, and 17 grams of carbs.

    Thankfully, you can still enjoy this dish by using a few ingredient swaps and cooking techniques. Here’s what I did to make this healthy:

    • Omitted usage of any batter. Air frying the chicken makes it quite crispy already.
    • Portioned 6 ounces of boneless skinless chicken thigh to ensure ample protein content 
    • Used cooking spray instead of oil. A tablespoon of olive oil can have a whopping 120 calories mainly from fat.
    • Air fried instead of deep frying the dish, which requires much less oil usage (only need the oil from the cooking spray)

    For a detailed breakdown of each ingredient, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of this air fryer orange chicken recipe, you may refer to the table below:

    air fryer orange chicken calories and nutrition

    📋 Ingredient Notes

    Ingredients for the recipe laid out on the table.

    To make the air fryer orange chicken, you’ll need the following.

    • Boneless chicken thighs –  I opted for boneless skinless chicken thighs since it has enough fat for the flavor but not too much so that it would make the dish unhealthy.
    • Fresh Orange – The fresh juice and orange zest will give the sauce a nice orange flavor
    • Orange Juice – Essential for giving the orange chicken it’s beloved tangy orange flavor.
    • Soy Sauce – For an additional boost of savoriness
    • Rice vinegar – Essential for balancing out the sauce
    • Cornstarch – Gives the sauce a thicker consistency

    See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

    📖 Substitutions and Variations

    Use boneless chicken breast – The chicken won’t be quite as juicy but this is a good substitute.

    Make it on the stovetop – If you don't have an air fryer, you can still make this recipe on the stovetop. Check out my healthy orange chicken recipe to see the stovetop instructions.

    Make it spicy– Saute some chili flakes or Thai chilis with the aromatics to add a kick to it. 

    Make it with batter  – To make the orange chicken with batter, dip the chicken in egg yolk, then cornstarch before frying. Note that this will add a sizable amount of calories from the cornstarch. 

    🔪 Step by Step Instructions 

    Prepare the ingredients – Mince the garlic and ginger. Cut the chicken thigh into small, bite-sized pieces, trimming off any excess fat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

    Air fry the chicken – Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Spray cooking spray on the parchment paper, add the chicken pieces in a single layer in the basket, and spray more cooking spray on top of the chicken. Air fry the chicken for 10 minutes at 370F. Then flip the pieces to the other side and air fry for an additional 8 minutes at 370F.

    Air frying the chicken pieces in the air fryer basket.

    Make the orange chicken sauce – In a saucepan or small pot, bring the stove to medium heat and spray cooking spray. Sauté the garlic and ginger. Then add all the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch into the pan. 

    Making the orange chicken sauce in a skillet.

    Make cornstarch slurry –  In a separate small bowl, mix the cornstarch with water to make a slurry. Mix the cornstarch slurry into the sauce to thicken it. 

    Coat the chicken – Once the chicken is done being air-fried, toss them into the sauce and coat the pieces thoroughly. 

    Toss the chicken to coat in the sauce.

    Garnish and serve – Serve the orange chicken with white rice and broccoli, or sides of choice. Garnish with sesame seeds, scallions, and oranges if desired. 

    🍽 What To Eat It With 

    In this orange chicken recipe, I paired it with a side of white rice. This is a super versatile dish that can be paired with several other options including the following:

    • White rice or brown rice – It’s a great way to make this a well-rounded meal and the rice 
    • Fried rice – This would orange chicken would also be delicious with a side of healthy fried rice.
    • Garlic noodles – Switch it up and eat this orange chicken with some delicious garlic noodles
    • Roasted Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, or Bok Choy – Serve this with a side of greens for a well-balanced meal. My personal favorite are these Thai Roasted Brussel Sprouts

    💭 Frequently Asked Questions

    Why is the chicken not crispy?

    To make sure the air fryer orange chicken is crispy, be sure to fully dry the chicken before air frying and place the chicken pieces in a single layer with space in between.

    Is it healthy?

    Orange chicken is not usually a very healthy dish given its high fat content from deep frying the chicken and high carb usage from the breading. However, by using an air fryer to cook the chicken and omitting the breading, we’re able to cut the calories of this dish significantly while still retaining the delicious flavor of the dish.

    How do I make this in advance?

    I would not recommend making this dish in advance as the crispiness of the chicken will not retain for much longer after cooking. To simplify the process, you can pre-make the sauce and cook the chicken and toss it when you’re ready to serve the dish. You can store this dish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    💭 Expert Tips

    Air fry the chicken in one layer – Stacking the chicken pieces on top of each other will result in uneven cooking. Keep in one layer for best results.

    Thicken the sauce – To thicken the sauce, follow the steps in the recipe instructions to mix in the cornstarch slurry and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes. The sauce should begin to thicken as it simmers, just keep in mind this may take a few minutes. Just half a teaspoon of cornstarch did the trick for me.

    If the simmering and cornstarch still does not achieve the desired thickness, feel free to add a bit more cornstarch.

    🍽 Related Recipes

    • Close up of Korean fried chicken on a plate.
      Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken (Is It Healthy?)
    • Low Carb Orange Chicken
      Is Orange Chicken Healthy? (Orange Chicken Without Breading)
    • Air Fryer Lemongrass Chicken
      Air Fryer Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
    • Air Fryer Kimchi Pancake
      Air Fryer Kimchi Pancake (Is Kimchi Pancake Healthy?)

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like this recipe, consider a review further down the page. Thank you!

    🍳 Recipe

    Orange chicken with broccoli and rice on a white plate.

    Air Fryer Orange Chicken Recipe

    Developed by Clara
    Air fryer orange chicken is a rendition of the classic Panda Express dish made with a fraction of the calories. It's much easier to make and still just as tangy and mouthwatering.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 6 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 1
    Calories 278 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Air Fryer

    Ingredients
      

    Orange Chicken Sauce

    • 2 tablespoon Orange Juice
    • 1 Zest of Orange
    • 1 clove Garlic
    • 1 slice Ginger
    • 1 teaspoon Sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon Cornstarch
    • ½ tablespoon Oyster Sauce
    • Lemon Juice

    Chicken and Rice

    • 6 oz Chicken Thighs (Boneless, skinless)
    • Salt and Pepper
    • ¼ cup Brown Rice
    • Scallions (For garnish)
    • Sesame seeds (For garnish)

    Instructions
     

    • Prepare the ingredients – Mince the garlic and ginger. Cut the chicken thigh into small, bite-sized pieces, trimming off any excess fat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
    • Air fry the chicken – Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Spray cooking spray on the parchment paper, add the chicken pieces in a single layer in the basket, and spray more cooking spray on top of the chicken. Air fry the chicken for 10 minutes at 370F. Then flip the pieces to the other side and air fry for an additional 8 minutes at 370F.
    • Make the orange chicken sauce – In a saucepan or small pot, bring the stove to medium heat and spray cooking spray. Sauté the garlic and ginger. Then add all the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch into the pan. 
    • Make cornstarch slurry –  In a separate small bowl, mix the cornstarch with water to make a slurry. Mix the cornstarch slurry into the sauce to thicken it. 
    • Coat the chicken – Once the chicken is done being air-fried, toss them into the sauce and coat the pieces thoroughly. 
    • Garnish and serve – Serve the orange chicken with white rice and broccoli, or sides of choice. Garnish with sesame seeds, scallions, and oranges if desired. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 278kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 35gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 167mgSodium: 1386mgPotassium: 633mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 251IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 3mg

    Notes

    Substitutions and Variations
    Use boneless chicken breast – The chicken won’t be quite as juicy but this is a good substitute.
    Make it spicy– Saute some chili flakes or Thai chilis with the aromatics to add a kick to it. 
    Make it with batter  – To make the orange chicken with batter, dip the chicken in egg yolk, then cornstarch before frying. Note that this will add a sizable amount of calories from the cornstarch. 
    Expert Tips
    Air fry the chicken in one layer – Stacking the chicken pieces on top of each other will result in uneven cooking. Keep in one layer for best results.
    Thicken the sauce – To thicken the sauce, follow the steps in the recipe instructions to mix in the cornstarch slurry and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes. The sauce should begin to thicken as it simmers, just keep in mind this may take a few minutes. Just half a teaspoon of cornstarch did the trick for me.
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @fitsianfoodlife or tag #fitsianfoodlife!
    « Is Tomato Sauce Healthy? (Nutrition and Health Tips)
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