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Air Fryer Orange Chicken Irresistible Crispy Weeknight Win

Air Fryer Orange Chicken recipe, served and ready to eat, easy homemade dinner
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Enjoy a delicious Air Fryer Orange Chicken that’s perfect for an easy dinner or weeknight dinner. This homemade orange chicken is crispy, flavorful, and ideal for a family dinner. Skip takeout and try this crispy orange chicken recipe!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb chicken thigh boneless & skinless cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
  • 3 cloves garlic grated
  • 1 inch ginger grated
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 cup light soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1.5 cup potato starch
  • neutral oil spray I recommend avocado oil
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil I recommend avocado oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger minced
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil optional

Instructions

  1. Combine chicken thigh pieces with salt, white pepper, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, grated garlic and ginger, sesame oil and egg white in a bowl; mix thoroughly and let marinate for at least 15 minutes.
  2. Whisk together soy sauce, orange juice, orange zest, chicken stock, brown sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and set aside.
  3. Spread potato starch on a baking sheet or plate and coat chicken pieces in it, shaking off excess starch.
  4. Spray the air fryer tray with cooking spray, arrange the chicken in a single layer, then spray the top of chicken; air fry at 350F for 10 minutes.
  5. Flip chicken pieces, spray again and air fry at 400F for 8 minutes or until crispy and 165F internal temperature.
  6. Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a large pan or wok over high heat, sauté garlic and ginger for 15 seconds.
  7. Immediately add the prepared sauce and stir continuously until it thickens, about 1-2 minutes, then stir in vinegar.
  8. Toss in the cooked chicken to coat with sauce, finish by stirring in a teaspoon of sesame oil. Serve with rice and enjoy.

Notes

  • Cut the Chicken into Uniform Pieces and Coat Thoroughly – Whether you use chicken breast or thigh, make sure to cut your chicken into uniform pieces to ensure that your Orange Chicken cooks evenly
  • Individually coat the chicken pieces in the dry seasoning mix so that there are no dry spots
  • Be sure to pack the dry mix in to the chicken with your hands (I like squeezing it in) to properly coat the chicken so the batter sticks
  • Secret Ingredient – Potato Starch – Potato starch is my secret ingredient to getting the same crispy Orange Chicken batter in the air fryer WITHOUT having to deep fry! This is because potato starch has larger granule sizes than other starches (such as cornstarch), which helps it get a crunchier texture
  • However, to get this crunchy texture, you will not want to skimp on your oil spray *read below! Be generous with the oil spray, as it’s the only source of fat in this recipe
  • Don’t skip spraying the air fryer tray or sheet BEFORE cooking the chicken – this will help prevent the chicken pieces from sticking
  • Generously and thoroughly spray the chicken pieces to allow the potato starch coating to cook nicely (otherwise the chicken will look and taste dry)
  • Don’t forget to give the chicken a good second spray again when air-frying for the second time! Double (Air) Frying is KEY! – After A LOT of recipe testing, the best results for Air Fryer Orange Chicken involved “DOUBLE FRYING” in the air fryer – once at a lower temperature for a longer period of time (to avoid burning) then at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time (to get the batter crispy)
  • Store Air Fryer Orange Chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days
  • I like reheat it in the air fryer at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until warmed through and crispy
  • You can also reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through
  • If you don’t care about restoring any crispiness, you can reheat in the microwave until warmed through

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.amgroyal.com/air-fryer-orange-chicken-2/