Air Fryer Orange Chicken

Crispy chicken bites coated in a golden cornstarch crust, air fried until crunchy and tossed in a sticky orange glaze that’s equal parts zesty, sweet and savory. This Air Fryer Orange Chicken tastes just like your favorite Chinese takeout minus the deep-frying – it’s quick, fresh, and full of citrusy flavor.

Although called Chinese Orange Chicken, the recipe is not traditionally Chinese, but a relatively recent American-Chinese creation credited to chef Andy Kao of Panda Express. The dish was inspired by the tangy sauces of Chinese cuisine – with a little Californian twist of sunny orange juice!

Here’s What You’ll Need

We are skipping the deep-frying and heavy oil to make a lighter, but no less delicious, orange chicken in the air fryer! It is so easy and your whole family will love it.

• Chicken: I am using chicken thighs as they are tender and more flavorful than chicken breasts.
• Marinade: The chicken is diced into bite-sized pieces then tossed with light soy sauce, a little oil, rice vinegar, baking soda and cornstarch.
• The orange sauce: Freshly squeezed orange juice and zest, honey, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, sriracha and minced garlic and ginger.

How to Make Air Fryer Orange Chicken

Marinate Chicken

1. Cut the chicken into even-sized smallish cubes, trimming any fat. Place in a bowl and add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, baking soda and red pepper flakes.
2. Mix well to coat the chicken then add the cornstarch and toss again. Set aside to marinate while you make the sauce.

Make the Orange Sauce

1. Heat a little oil in a saucepan and quickly fry the garlic and ginger. Add the orange zest, juice, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and sriracha. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
2. Dilute the cornstarch in a little cold water to make a slurry. Stir into the sauce and simmer until it thickens . Take off the heat and set aside. The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance – store in a jar in the fridge.

Cook the Chicken

1. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes. Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer basket, spaced slightly apart. Air fry for 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket once or twice during that time.
2. Drizzle about half of the sauce onto the chicken and air fry for 2-3 more minutes, or until the chicken is slightly caramelized at the edges.

1. Garnish the orange chicken with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve over coconut rice, with some Air Fryer Green Beans with the extra orange sauce on the side!

Recipe Notes

• Most orange chicken recipes use brown sugar in the sauce – I prefer using honey or a mix of honey and maple syrup. Taste the sauce and adjust the quantity if you prefer it sweeter.
• This orange chicken reicpe is naturally gluten free, provided you use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
• Diced chicken takes between 8-12 minutes to cook in the air fryer, but this will also depend on how big the chicken pieces are and your model. Cook until the chicken registers at least 165°F (75°C) on an instant read thermometer. If you cut into the largest piece it should be cooked all the way through.
• Storage: Orange chicken tastes best when freshly made but in the unlikely event you have leftovers, store the cooked chicken and sauce separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the chicken in the air fryer then add the sauce before serving.

You might also like my Hawaiian Chicken.