Easy Orange Chicken Recipe Crispy Citrus Glazed Chicken (Three Ways!)

Hey. In this post I will be telling you about how to make an amazing, crispy, citrus glazed chicken. This is also known as orange chicken. First off, you will want to grab a large skillet because the sauce is going to come together super fast in just one pan.

I wanted to give you recipes you can revisit over and over again using whatever you literally have on hand. Whether you want to use an air fryer, bake it in the oven, or shallow fry it, this recipe gives you all the choices. That way you can use your favorite time saving gadgets and spend more time on the moments that actually matter.

Why You’ll Love This

There is honestly something so comforting and just really, really delicious about crispy chicken or orange chicken in a tangy citrus sauce. It is perfectly sweet and salty. A gooey, sticky sauce paired with incredibly crispy chicken… you literally cannot beat it.

Plus, this recipe is so flexible. My favorite time saving dinner hack is to stage things out. If you only have 10 minutes, just prep the sauce in the pan and leave it on the stove. You do not have to do this recipe all at once.

If you love easy, saucy chicken dinners like this, you might also enjoy my enchiladas and sheet pan fajitas for more weeknight options.

What You’ll Need

Special Equipment

• Large skillet (for the sauce)
• Rasp or microplane zester
• Whisk
• Large Ziploc bag (for dredging)
• 2 shallow bowls (for egg wash and breadcrumbs)
• Air fryer, large baking sheet, or frying pan (depending on cooking method)

The Citrus Glaze

• 1 large orange (zest and juice)
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 2 to 3 cloves minced fresh garlic)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

The Crispy Chicken

• 1.5 to 2 lbs chicken breasts (cut into strips or bite sized pieces)
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 4 tsp vegetable oil (or neutral cooking oil)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• Cooking spray (for air frying or baking) OR about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil (for shallow frying)

For Garnish

• Chopped scallions (green onions)
• Sesame seeds

Let’s Get Cooking!

1. The Secret Weapon Sauce

You need a rasp and a beautiful fresh orange. We are going to get all the zest off of this because there is so much flavor in there. Tap your zest right into your large skillet, and squeeze all the juice of that orange right in too.

Now, fresh orange is delicious and obviously necessary, but orange marmalade is your secret weapon here. Adding about half a cup of orange marmalade is really going to amp up the flavor and give you a wonderful, glossy, jammy sauce.

To balance the sweetness, we are adding 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar (lovely, mild, and slightly sweet), 3 tablespoons of soy sauce for some salty umami action, and your ginger and garlic. If you want a bit more kick, just use more ginger or sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes. Give it a nice whisk to break up that marmalade, and your sauce is ready to simmer later. Set the pan aside for now.

2. The Best Dredging Station Hack

For the chicken, you can do strips or bite sized pieces. For this post I did strips because I wanted to do less work, and it is just that easy.

To get that amazing crunch, you are going to mix your 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs with 4 teaspoons of veggie oil in a medium bowl. Just mix it with your clean hands until it feels a bit like wet sand. Because the breadcrumbs are coated in oil, when they go into the air fryer or the oven, they will get incredibly crunchy and golden.

In another shallow dish, crack the 2 eggs, add the salt, and beat with a fork.

3. Shake and Coat

And here is my favorite trick. Put your half cup of cornstarch right into a large Ziploc bag. Transfer your chicken pieces in, seal the bag, and give it a good shake to coat.

Take one piece of chicken at a time, shake off the excess cornstarch, dip it completely into the egg mixture, and then press it firmly into the oiled panko breadcrumbs so it is well coated. Place on a tray and repeat.

4. Choose Your Cooking Adventure

Once your chicken is dredged in the cornstarch, egg wash, and those oiled up panko breadcrumbs, it is time to cook. You have three amazing options.

Option 1 The Air Fryer (My Personal Favorite)

I actually have two air fryers at my house because I love making big batches, and everyone always wants second or third portions.

Preheat to 400°F (200°C) if needed and spray the basket liberally. Place chicken in an even layer (do not crowd) and spray the tops with cooking spray. Air fry for 5 minutes, flip, and air fry for an additional 3 to 5 minutes until golden and cooked through in the center.

If you are all about fast air fryer style dinners, keep my rotisserie wraps in mind for busy days when you do not even want to turn on the stove.

Option 2 The Oven Bake

Set your oven to 425°F (220°C). Place your breaded chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet. Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 5 minutes until crispy and the chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Option 3 The Shallow Fry

Add about half an inch of oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Fry chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Frying is so delicious, but if you are not a fan of splatters, the air fryer or oven is the way to go. Always drain your fried chicken on a wire rack.

5. Finish the Glaze and Serve

While the last batch of chicken is cooking, place the skillet with your glaze ingredients over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and let it reduce until thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and whisk in the toasted sesame oil off the heat for amazing flavor.

If you do not like raw scallions, toss them into the warm sauce now to take the sharp bite off. Add the crispy chicken directly into the skillet. Toss and spoon the warm glaze over the chicken until perfectly coated. Garnish with remaining scallions and sesame seeds.

You get tender chicken with a crispy, crunchy exterior, all coated in an extraordinary sweet and umami orange sauce. Serve immediately.

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Crispy Citrus Glazed Orange Chicken (Three Ways!)

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: MainCuisine: American, Asian-InspiredDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories (approximate, will vary with oil method and portion size)

450

kcal

Total time

30

minutes

An easy, 30-minute recipe for tender chicken with an incredibly crispy panko crust tossed in a sticky orange marmalade glaze. Includes air fryer, oven-baked, and fried methods.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed

• Large skillet

• Rasp or zester

• Large Ziploc bag

• Air fryer (optional)

• Ingredients

• 1 large orange (zest and juice)

• 1/2 cup (about 160 g) orange marmalade

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) rice vinegar

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp fresh grated)

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 2 to 3 cloves fresh minced)

• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil

• 1 1/2 lbs (about 680 g) chicken breasts, cut into strips or bite sized pieces

• 2 cups (about 120 g) panko breadcrumbs

• 4 tsp (20 ml) vegetable oil

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt

• 1/2 cup (60 g) cornstarch

• Cooking spray (or about 1/2 inch neutral oil for frying)

• 2 scallions, chopped (for garnish)

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds (for garnish)

Directions

• Combine sauce ingredients: In a large skillet, combine the orange zest, orange juice, marmalade, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Whisk well and set aside.
• Prep the crumb mixture: In a medium bowl, use your hands to mix the panko breadcrumbs with 4 tsp of vegetable oil until the crumbs feel like wet sand.
• Prep the wet ingredients: In a separate shallow dish, beat the eggs and salt together. Place the cornstarch into a large Ziploc bag.
• Dredge the chicken: Add the chicken pieces to the Ziploc bag, seal, and shake to coat. Shake off excess cornstarch, dip each piece into the egg wash, and then press firmly into the oiled panko breadcrumbs.
• Cook the chicken (3 ways):
• 1 Air fryer: 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes, flip, then 3 to 5 more minutes, spraying both basket and chicken with cooking spray, until golden and cooked through.
• 2 Oven: 425°F (220°C) for 10 minutes, flip, then 5 more minutes, until crispy and no longer pink in the center.
• 3 Shallow fry: Medium high heat with about 1/2 inch oil until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, then drain on a wire rack.
• Thicken the sauce: Heat the skillet with the sauce over medium heat. Simmer until it reduces into a thick, syrupy glaze. Remove from heat and whisk in the toasted sesame oil.
• Toss and garnish: Add the cooked, crispy chicken to the skillet. Toss to coat evenly. Garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

Notes

• Pro-Tip for Crispy Chicken
  If you decide to shallow fry, always let your cooked chicken drain on a wire cooling rack rather than paper towels. Paper towels trap steam and will make the bottom of your chicken soggy.
• Sauce Timing
  Only toss the chicken in the glaze right before you are ready to eat. The longer it sits in the sauce, the softer the breading will become.
• Scallion Hack
  If you are not a fan of the sharp bite of raw green onions, just toss them into the warm sauce right before you add the chicken. The residual heat cooks them just enough to mellow out the flavor.
• Make it Ahead
  You can stage this recipe by mixing all the sauce ingredients in the pan hours ahead of time. When it is dinner time, just heat the sauce while you cook the chicken.
• Storage
  Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently in the oven or air fryer to help the coating crisp back up.
• Breading Hack: Mix panko with vegetable oil until it feels like wet sand to ensure maximum crunch in the air fryer or oven.