Orange Chicken stays juicy with savory glaze or seasoning—an easy anchor for dinner with simple sides.
Weeknight Sticky Orange Chicken (kid-friendly and fast)
A bright, sticky orange glaze turns everyday chicken bites into a juicy, family-pleasing dinner that comes together in about 40 minutes.
This recipe exists for the exact moment when the fridge is full of good intentions but dinner needs to be solved fast. Bite-sized chicken keeps things fun for kids and easy for fork-and-spoon eaters, while a fresh orange glaze gives a bright, sweet-tangy lift that adults love. It’s the kind of main you can pair with simple steamed rice and vegetables and call the meal a win.
The trick to keeping the chicken juicy is a light egg-and-cornstarch coating: pat the pieces dry, toss in beaten egg, then dredge in cornstarch so each bite gets a thin, even crust. Cook in a hot skillet in two batches so pieces brown instead of steam — about 6–8 minutes per batch until golden and cooked through — and drain briefly on paper towels.
The sauce is the star: fresh orange juice and zest with a little sugar, low-sodium soy sauce and rice vinegar simmer into a glossy, savory glaze. Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and toss just long enough to coat every piece without softening the crust. The result is sticky, slightly tangy, and just sweet enough for kids.
Make-ahead friendly: the sauce can be mixed and chilled ahead of time, or the chicken cooked and refrigerated, then re-crisped quickly in a hot oven or skillet before glazing. Serve with steamed broccoli, snap peas or a quick cucumber salad; finish with sliced scallions or sesame seeds if you like an extra pop of texture.
Ingredients
How to Make Orange Chicken
- Trim any fat from the chicken and cut into 1-inch bite-sized pieces, then pat dry with paper towels.
- Season the chicken with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, beat the egg in a bowl and toss the chicken in the egg to coat.
- Place 3/4 cup cornstarch in a shallow bowl and dredge the egg-coated chicken pieces, shaking off excess cornstarch so each piece has a thin, even coating.
- Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high and add 3 tbsp vegetable oil; working in two batches, cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per batch, turning so all sides brown, then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- While the chicken cooks, combine 1 cup fresh orange juice, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp orange zest, and 1 tsp sesame oil in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Whisk the remaining 2 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp cold water to make a slurry and slowly whisk it into the simmering orange mixture; continue to simmer and stir until the sauce thickens to a glossy, spoon-coating consistency, about 1-2 minutes.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet (wipe out excess oil first if the pan is very oily), pour the hot orange sauce over the chicken, and toss over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until every piece is well coated and heated through.
- Thinly slice the scallions and sprinkle them and 1 tsp sesame seeds over the chicken before serving; serve immediately over steamed rice or with steamed vegetables for a family-friendly meal.
Recipe Card
Orange Chicken
Orange Chicken stays juicy with savory glaze or seasoning—an easy anchor for dinner with simple sides.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Trim any fat from the chicken and cut into 1-inch bite-sized pieces, then pat dry with paper towels.
- Season the chicken with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, beat the egg in a bowl and toss the chicken in the egg to coat.
- Place 3/4 cup cornstarch in a shallow bowl and dredge the egg-coated chicken pieces, shaking off excess cornstarch so each piece has a thin, even coating.
- Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high and add 3 tbsp vegetable oil; working in two batches, cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per batch, turning so all sides brown, then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- While the chicken cooks, combine 1 cup fresh orange juice, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp orange zest, and 1 tsp sesame oil in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Whisk the remaining 2 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp cold water to make a slurry and slowly whisk it into the simmering orange mixture; continue to simmer and stir until the sauce thickens to a glossy, spoon-coating consistency, about 1-2 minutes.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet (wipe out excess oil first if the pan is very oily), pour the hot orange sauce over the chicken, and toss over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until every piece is well coated and heated through.
- Thinly slice the scallions and sprinkle them and 1 tsp sesame seeds over the chicken before serving; serve immediately over steamed rice or with steamed vegetables for a family-friendly meal.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 44
- Saturated Fat
- 1.8
- Sodium
- 700
- Fiber
- 1.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 12.2
- Protein
- 52
- Fat
- 14
- Cholesterol
- 145
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 520
- Sugar
- 22