Air Fryer Orange Chicken (VIDEO)

Air Fryer Orange Chicken on a plate with white rice and orange slices.

5 from 18 votes

Air Fryer Orange Chicken (VIDEO)

This Air Fryer Orange Chicken recipe is the best I've ever made! The air fried chicken stays crispy in the sauce and is so delicious, healthier and better than takeout!

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

Chicken

1 lb chicken thigh boneless & skinless, cut into 2" 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

Sauce

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

Chicken Dredge

1.5 cup potato starch
neutral oil spray I recommend avocado oil

Oils & Aromatics

2 tbsp neutral oil I recommend avocado oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp ginger minced
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the chicken thigh pieces in a bowl with salt, white pepper, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, grated garlic & ginger, sesame oil and egg white. Mix well until the seasonings and egg white are evenly distributed and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, make the sauce by combining soy sauce, orange juice, orange zest, chicken stock, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Mix until the cornstarch and sugar is dissolved and set aside.
Line a small baking sheet or plate with potato starch. Lightly coat the chicken pieces in potato starch, shaking off any excess. Spray the air fryer tray with cooking spray then lay the chicken down on a single layer. Spray the top of the chicken and air fry at 350F for 10 minutes. Flip the pieces and spray the other side, then air fry again at 400F for 8 minutes or until the chicken is crispy and reads 165F.
In a large pan or wok over high heat, add 2 tbsp of neutral oil and saute the garlic and ginger for 15 seconds. Immediately add your sauce and stir until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Then add the vinegar and mix through.
Add back your chicken and toss to combine. Once the chicken is coated, finish with a teaspoon of sesame oil. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Video

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