Air Fryer Orange Chicken is quick and easy. It uses pantry staples to make this Chinese takeout dish at home in about 20 minutes.
This orange chicken recipe doesn’t require too many ingredients or much time, but still tastes great. The chicken gets a great texture from the cornstarch coating and then cooks quickly in the air fryer. The sweet and tangy sauce can be made in the microwave or on the stove while the chicken cooks. It can be ready to eat in about 20 minutes, so skip the takeout order and make this easy air fryer recipe instead.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
The Chicken
Traditionally, orange chicken is made with chicken breasts, so that’s what I usually use for this recipe. You can use chicken thighs instead or use a combination, since we’re cutting them into pieces. Whatever your choice, you do want boneless skinless chicken.
My little flavor secret is to sprinkle a good amount of salt over the chicken pieces and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. This mini dry brine adds flavor and helps the chicken stay juicy while cooking. The 10 minutes is the perfect amount of time to prep the rest of the ingredients. You could skip this step if you were really in a hurry, but I think it’s absolutely worth it.
Cornstarch is what creates a nice exterior on the chicken, so some is used to lightly coat the chicken before cooking. It also helps the sauce stick to the chicken and really coat it so you get delicious flavor in every bite.
The Orange Sauce
I really love that I’ve figured out how to make this sauce in the microwave. I heat it in the same measuring cup that the ingredients are measured into and combined in, so there is really no mess. The trick to microwaving the sauce is to do it in short increments so that the cornstarch doesn’t start clumping up from uneven heating. It’s super easy and can be done while the chicken cooks.
You could also cook the sauce in a pan on the stove. On the stove, everything is added at once, where with the microwave, you add the honey in after the first couple heating increments. It’s also less likely for the cornstarch to clump when you make it on the stove. However, since I often prefer not to stand at the stove and stir, I most often make it in the microwave for convenience. (And one less dish to wash too.)
If you’d like to cook the sauce on the stove, here’s what you do. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk over low heat until the honey is melted in and the sauce is smooth. Increase heat to medium-high and stir until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. The sauce should be thick with that nice gloss to it.
If you love chicken with a great sauce, try our Chinese Garlic Chicken or Easy Garlic Butter Chicken.
Air Fryer Time And Temperature
You’ll need to preheat your air fryer to 400°F. The chicken pieces will air fry for 7-9 minutes in a single layer until cooked through. You can cut into one to check that it’s no longer pink inside.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
Browse our full collection of air fryer recipes or try one of our other chicken favorites next time.
Podcast Episode About Making Orange Chicken
Listen to learn how to make this recipe, along with some great tips from Christine:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Air Fryer Orange Chicken Recipe
Serve over rice and optionally garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Dry Brine: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cornstarch, divided
- 1/2 cup orange juice, divided
- 2 tsp. soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 3 Tbsp. honey
Instructions
- Place the chicken on a large plate and sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat the chicken. Arrange in a single layer and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- Pre-heat air fryer to 400°F.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cornstarch over the chicken and stir to coat. Sprinkle another tablespoon of cornstarch over the chicken and stir again.
- Add the chicken to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook until chicken pieces are no longer pink in the center when you cut into them, 7-9 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, measure the remaining 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into a microwave-safe 1 cup measuring cup. Add 1/4 cup of the orange juice and stir until smooth. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of orange juice, along with the soy sauce, garlic powder, and ground ginger.
- Microwave orange mixture on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Cook for another 30 seconds. Stir. Stir the honey into the juice mixture.
- You do not want the orange-honey sauce to boil over in the microwave, so watch carefully while you microwave it for 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between each interval, until sauce is really frothy. Stir. Sauce should be thick and shiny.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a serving dish. Stir in the hot orange sauce until chicken is evenly coated.
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