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–+ servings
a plate of orange chicken over rice, a pair of chopsticks is grabbing a piece of chicken
5 from 7 votes
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Air Fryer Orange Chicken

Air Fryer Orange Chicken is tangy, sweet, savory, and the ultimate Chinese take out copycat recipe. The air fryer makes cooking a delicious Orange Chicken meal easy!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
4 Servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Chicken breast cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 3 Tbsp Cornstarch divided
  • 1/2 cup Orange juice
  • Zest from one Orange
  • 2-3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Honey
  • 2 Tbsp Soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
  • 1/2-1 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp Ground ginger
  • 1 Tbsp Cold water

Instructions

  • Preheat an air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
  • Place the chicken in a bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, tossing to coat and combine well.
  • Put chicken in the air fryer. Spray with oil and cook for 8-9 minutes, shaking the basket once during cooking.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Add and whisk together the orange juice and zest, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and ginger to a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.
  • Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 4-5 minutes, whisking occasionally. While simmering, whisk together the remaining cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Add the cornstarch slurry, whisking well, and cook for 1 additional minute until the sauce is thick. Remove the sauce from the heat.
  • Remove chicken from the air fryer and combine with sauce.
  • Serve over rice, garnished with sesame seeds.

Video

Notes

  • The amount of sugar and pepper can be adjusted to your personal taste preferences. 
  • To make the sauce thicker, add additional cornstarch slurry, 1/2 Tablespoon at a time until it's the thickness you want. 
  • Either chicken breast meat or trimmed chicken thighs can be used. 
  • Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the "Air Fry" function.
  • Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes air frying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better!  When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
Have oven recipes that you’d like to convert to an air fryer recipe? Use our Air Fryer Calculator to help you estimate cooking times and temps! Calculator here: https://airfryereats.com/air-fryer-conversion-air-fryer-calculator/
 

Nutrition Information

Calories 229kcal | Carbohydrates 24g | Protein 25g | Fat 3g | Saturated Fat 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat 1g | Monounsaturated Fat 1g | Trans Fat 1g | Cholesterol 73mg | Sodium 642mg | Potassium 525mg | Fiber 1g | Sugar 17g | Vitamin A 170IU | Vitamin C 17mg | Calcium 18mg | Iron 1mg
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