Orange Chicken with Stir-Fry Veggies
on Apr 23, 2019, Updated May 01, 2024
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Is there a more satisfying meal than Orange Chicken with Stir-Fry Veggies? I think not. With the best blend of zest, tang, and crunch, this dinner will be a family favorite you’ll make over and over again.
Does anyone else remember hitting up Panda Express and getting their citrusy yet savory and so-very-addicting orange chicken? It was one of my favorite fast food options years ago. Now I make fake takeout for my family like General Tso’s chicken and fried wontons in an effort to save money and eat healthier.
You can serve broccoli, bell peppers, and red onion on the side like I did or swap in any of your favorite veggie sides. Carrots, peas, cauliflower, or mushrooms are other great options. Serve over plain rice or whip up some easy fried rice.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This is one of those wonderful weeknight meals that the whole family will look forward to time after time. Kids think it’s fun and delicious, just as adults love the rich flavors.
- Make your own takeout meals at home to save money and calories—this will satisfy any craving for Chinese or Asian-inspired food!
- This meal can be made ahead on a meal prep day and stored in the fridge or it can be frozen.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken – boneless thighs or breasts
- Chicken broth
- Orange juice & zest – from one fresh orange
- White vinegar
- Soy sauce – use gluten-free if needed
- Brown sugar – either dark or light
- Garlic
- Cayenne pepper
- Cornstarch
- Eggs
- Oil – peanut or canola oil for frying the chicken pieces
- Vegetables – such as broccoli, bell peppers, and onion
- Rice – for serving
- Toppings – green onions and sesame seeds
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Orange Chicken With Stir-Fry Veggies
- Make the orange mixture, using part to marinate the chicken and the rest to make the orange sauce.
- Cook the chicken in batches.
- Stir fry the veggies.
- Combine the chicken, veggies, and sauce, and serve!
Recipe FAQs
Orange chicken is made of chopped boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh that’s battered, fried, and coated with a zesty, caramelized orange and soy sauce concoction. Frying it makes it somewhat crunchy, while the sauce adds an undeniable kick of fruity and salty flavor. It’s a favorite of many families all over the country.
Orange chicken is definitely an Americanized Chinese dish. It’s commonly found in North American Chinese restaurants, and variations of it became ultra famous at both Panda Express and P.F. Chang’s. It’s rarely found in restaurants in China itself, but it’s known as “fresh orange peel chicken” there.
Absolutely. If you have leftovers, store the chicken and the glaze sauce separately. Keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Warm the chicken in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 15 minutes or until thoroughly reheated. Warm the glaze in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove, stirring until it’s warm enough.
Expert Tips
- Serve this tasty orange chicken with any vegetables you have on hand. Great options include broccoli, peppers, onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, peas, and garlic, of course!
- This meal will come together even more quickly if prepped and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. The chicken can be fried, the sauce can be made, and the vegetables and rice can be cooked. Store it all separately until ready to reheat and serve!
- Add the vegetables and rice to the chicken and sauce after everything is cooked for a true one-pot meal. Leftovers stored together will reheat nicely, too.
More Easy Chicken Recipes to Consider
Recipes
Chicken Marinade
Chicken
Chicken Meatballs
Soups, Stews, & Chowders
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Chicken
Air Fryer Whole Chicken
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Orange Chicken with Stir-Fry Veggies
Ingredients
For the marinade and sauce:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 6 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, (use gluten free if needed)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, dark or light
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
For the coating and frying:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 3 cups peanut or canola oil
For the stir-fried veggies:
- 3-4 tablespoons oil
- 1 large head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- Hot cooked rice, for serving
- Thinly sliced green onion and sesame seeds, optional garnish
Instructions
- Place the cut pieces of chicken in a large sealable bag or bowl.
- In a medium bowl, add the broth, orange juice, zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Measure out 3/4 cup of the orange juice mixture, and pour it over the cut pieces of chicken. Stir to combine. Seal the bag, or cover the bowl of chicken with plastic wrap. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes, but no longer than 1 hour.
- Place the rest of the orange juice mixture in a small saucepan.
- In a small bowl (or measuring cup), combine the corn starch and cold water. Mix with a fork until smooth. Add the corn starch mixture to the saucepan with the orange juice mixture, and whisk to combine. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a simmer, and allow to cook for about a minute, until the sauce starts to thicken, about 3 minutes.
- Pull the sauce off the heat, and move on to fryin’ up that chicken.
- Preheat the oil to 350 degrees in a large skillet, pot, or dutch oven.
- Beat the two eggs in a bowl until they start to get foamy.
- Put the cornstarch in a shallow dish.
- Dip the pieces of chicken in the egg, and then dip them in the cornstarch, making sure the cornstarch coats the chicken completely. Drop the coated chicken in the hot oil, and fry until cooked through and starting to brown, around 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the chicken half way through the cooking time.
- Fry the chicken in two or three batches so that you don’t crowd the pan. When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oil, and put it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- To cook the veggies, heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add all of the veggies. Stir often so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Cook until the veggies are bright in color and tender-crisp.
- Reheat the sauce if necessary and then pour it onto the chicken to coat. Serve the orange chicken over hot cooked rice, with the veggies on the side.
- Garnish with thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds if you’d like.
Notes
- Use half of the sauce on the chicken and save the other half to serve with the vegetables. It’s so delicious that way!
- You don’t have to stick with broccoli and bell peppers for your veggies. You can cook any that you like or have on hand to accompany this meal.
- Make it a one-pot meal by combining the chicken, sauce, and vegetables and serving over the rice (or mix in the rice, too)!
- Round out this meal with Instant Pot rice or easy fried rice, both of which can be made ahead and reheated as well.
great delicious thanks i make now
Looks delicious!
TAMARI IS A SOY SAUCE GLUTEN FREE!
Just found this recipe this week and tried it tonight. Cooked the chicken in coconut oil and it was amazing with the orange sauce! Love your website!
I am so trying this soon. This blog has become my go-to for new recipes… You have replaced Google! 🙂
This is a wonderful recipe! I made it again tonight and added an extra teaspoon of sugar to the sauce. Thank you so much for sharing!
soy sauce isnt gluten free 🙂 i am sorry about your poor chickens!
Thanks for the sympathy. Soy sauce like everything else depends on the brand. I know that Kikkoman brand is GF but I wouldn’t be surprised if most store brands weren’t. It’s a check the labels kind of thing…
I realize this is really old, but I found this recipe and wanted to say… Kikkoman is NOT gluten free. They have a gluten free version that is somewhat difficult to find, but normal kikkoman contains wheat. You might have been thinking of La Choy, which is gluten free. Personally, I like the taste of San-J tamari low sodium tamari best.
Great info Sarah. Thanks… I’ll add a note to the recipe.
Melissa,
I didn’t have time to post a comment yesterday but I was SO sad about your chickens! What a tragedy. I know how great chickens are and you really grow to love them. I’m so sorry.
Also, I would have shot the dogs.
The officer that came out told me that I could. LOL, but we don’t own a gun… and no one wants me wielding a weapon and firing at will in the middle of town.
Your cooking would definitely be enough to get me to move near you guys! Maybe we will just move from my parents basement to your house. 🙂 Your kiddos/husband are getting so spoiled.