Air Fryer Orange Chicken Recipe

Orange chicken with broccoli and rice on a white plate.

5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Orange Chicken 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.

Prep Time6

Cook Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat

Servings:

Calories: 278kcal

Author: Clara

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.

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.

Nutrition