Chinese Orange Chicken Takeaway Style
Chinese orange chicken in a takeaway style, crispy fried strips with Szechuan pepper lightly coated in a spicy sticky orange and soy sauce.
This dish is prepped and cooked in just 25 minutes, which makes it much quicker than your average takeaway delivery driver and definitely much easier on the pocket.
Chinese Crispy Sticky Chicken Fakeaway
This crispy orange chicken recipe joins a long list of Chinese takeaway recipes that I love to make at home.
With a well-stocked cupboard of half a dozen or so bottles that will last for months, you can beat the takeaway delivery driver for speed and cost every time.
With a little practice and some help, you will even match them on taste!
I have dishes ranging from the classic Dan Dan Noodles, and honey chilli chicken to more unusual dishes like duck and plum stir fry and Chinese chicken curry, the wonderfully named dragon chicken and Chinese braised pork knuckle in black bean sauce.
This orange offering is very much a sister dish to my crispy lemon chicken.
I serve the sauce separately in that dish, whereas here I lightly coat the fried chicken in the sauce. I love the contrast between the crispy batter in places and then the chewy stuff with the intense dark sauce.
The final flourish in terms of flavour is a little Szechuan pepper. I adore the stuff, it is like grown-up popping candy to me!
It fizzes with flavour and there is no need to worry about having loads left over. I use it in dishes like my Szechuan prawns and Chinese blackened pork belly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular soy sauce instead of dark soy sauce?
No, they are very different products. Light soy sauce is much saltier and thinner; dark soy has a rounder flavour and is a little sweet.
Do I have to use Szechuan pepper?
No, feel free to leave it out, although I think the dish is better with it. Do not be tempted to substitute black pepper; we already have some spice heat with the chilli flakes in the sauce.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes, they actually have a better flavour and are cheaper. However, they are a little more difficult to cut into even strips, which is important in this dish, given the quick cooking time.
What is Chinkiang vinegar?
It is a black rice vinegar that has a much more rounded flavour than regular vinegar. It adds almost flavour as well as just sourness to the sauce for this Chinese orange chicken.
I use it all of the time and prefer it to regular rice vinegar in many dishes. Feel free to use regular rice vinegar if that is all you have.
Do I have to use the chilli?
No, not at all. I am a sucker for a bit of chilli heat, but this dish works equally well without it.
Serving Suggestions
My crispy Chinese orange chicken is pictured here with egg fried rice. It is a dish that needs thinking about in advance, but it is great with this recipe.
I usually make it in the same wok I fry the chicken in and then transfer it to a pan, wipe out the wok and get frying.
However, it is equally good with plain rice, whether you boil it or steam it.
If you wanted to serve this with some veggies, you could add either stir-fried broccoli or stir-fried asparagus on the side.
One final suggestion before I leave you to make your dinner, and that is noodles. The crispy chicken and the orange glaze sit really well with some simply cooked soy sauce noodles.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- Wok.
- Slotted Spoon, stirring and serving spoons
- 15cm or 6" saucepan.
- Mixing bowls and prep bowls.
- Pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
- A kitchen knife, but a mandolin can help with cutting the julienne vegetables.
- Chopping board.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Chinese Takeaway Style Crispy Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g Chicken Breast 10oz
- 1 Medium-Large Orange
- 1 teaspoon Szechuan Peppercorns
- 2 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinkiang Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Paste
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
- 50 g Honey 2½ tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
- 35 g Plain Flour ¼ Cup + 1 Tbsp
- 30 g Cornflour ¼ Cup Corn Starch in the US
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Small-Medium Carrot 100g
- 100 ml Cold Sparkling Water ⅓ Cup + 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon Water
- Oil for Frying
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast into thin 3-5mm (⅛-¼") slices from top to bottom, then cut these slices into strips 3-5mm (⅛-¼") in profile, then cut the strips into 5-6cm (2-2¼") lengths and place them in a bowl.
- Zest the orange and add it to the sliced chicken, then cut it in half and squeeze the juice into a small (14-15cm or 6") saucepan.
- Heat a dry wok over a high heat and add the Szechuan pepper and toast it for 60 seconds, then remove and grind, and add it to the chicken and mix.
- Add the dark soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey and chilli flakes to the orange juice in the saucepan.
- Place the sauce on a high heat and bring it to a rapid boil, and cook it for 2 minutes, then remove and set it aside.
- Mix together the flour, cornflour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
- Cut the carrot into a thin 2-3mm (⅛") julienne and then into lengths 5-6cm (2-2¼") long.
- Pour oil into a wok 4-5cm (1¾-2") deep and heat it to 170°C or 340°F.
- Mix the teaspoon of cornflour with the teaspoon of water and return the sauce to a low heat, stir in the cornflour slurry to thicken the sauce.
- Fry the julienned carrots for 60 seconds, then remove and soak any excess oil from them with kitchen paper, then add them to the sauce and stir.
- Pour the cold sparkling water into the flour mix and stir to form a batter; do not worry about a few lumps. It is important that you do this at the last moment.
- Add the chicken to the batter and mix to coat.
- Fry the chicken in two batches for 2-3 minutes each batch, ensuring that the chicken strips separate before frying.
- Transfer the fried chicken to kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil, then place in a bowl before pouring over the sauce and stirring to lightly coat.
Hi,
Just made this orange chicken for lunch, another big hit, going to make the lemon chicken next.
The only thing different I did was, I put a baking tray with a cooling rack on it in a warm oven and put my batches of battered chicken on it while I was frying the rest.
Absolutely delicious, thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us,
Have a nice day
Susan.
You are more than welcome Susan...
Thank you very much for taking the time to let me know, It always makes my day when people tell me they have enjoyed their dinner 🙂
Brian
This looks delicious and simple to make! I love the addition of the free ginger. I’m definitely putting this on the menu for dinner this week!
This looks great. It's a favorite of my husband's to order at the local restaurant. Now we can make it at home. Thanks!
I love orange chicken! I have to make this for dinner!
I adore orange chicken but it's usually too cloyingly sweet for me, I love this spicy take on it!
I often find that the way with many Chinese takeaway dishes, one of the perk of being at home means you can scale that right back.
This looks delicious and simple to make! I love the addition of the free ginger. I’m definitely putting this on the menu for dinner this week!
Thank Tina, I hope you like it as much as we do 🙂
This looks great. It's a favorite of my husband's to order at the local restaurant. Now we can make it at home. Thanks!
You are welcome.
I love orange chicken! I have to make this for dinner!
Enjoy 🙂
I had my twice yearly Chinese takeaway this week. You are so right I should make it myself. Loving those bowls.
Thanks Jacqueline... There aint nothing wrong with a take away once in a while, but my nearest is 160km away 😮
This looks delicious. Chinese cooking has such good flavour, I need to start cooking more of it.
Cheers Chris, I love Chinese flavours too!
This looks fabulous, going to make it tonight!! Could you tell me when the carrots and sesame seeds go in please, I want to make sure I get it spot on. Many thanks
Soooo sorry Angela, no matter how much I try my proof reading sucks 😉 I said to Stir Fry the Oil over a fierce heat for 2 minutes, what an dozy watsit I am, I have updated the recipe, thanks for flagging it up, I would be lost without people like you 🙂
I winged it (that's more or less what I did) and it was absolutely gorgeous!! This ones a keeper!!!
Glad it worked out for you Angela, it is one of our favourites too 🙂
That does sound good.
Here in New York I have everything from standard takeout (which I haven't had for a while - and I realize I kind of miss Orange Chicken...) to Chinatown to a friend who learned to cook from her Chinese born parents (who - to complicate life - owned a suburban Chinese Restaurant...) What I've learned from her, though, tends to be of the "I'm going to make 800 dumplings, so I'm going to bribe my friends to come help by teaching them how!" Really cool, but not something I'm pulling together for dinner on a weekday. 😉
Thanks Anne.... I reckon stopping by to make 800 dumplings sounds like fun, it maybe a bribe but I would love to get better at making them I have clumsy fingers and am crap at stuff like that 😉
I really like how the chicken is not dipped in batter and fried, like typical restaurant orange chicken. I bet this is so much better. The colors are amazing.
I am soooo over deep frying battered meat for a Chinese with sauce... Without a sauce I get but when you have a thick sauce I just don't get it any more 🙂
MMMM this sounds delicious!! Can't wait to try this -- the flavors look perfect 🙂
Thanks Nicole I hope you enjoy!
I love the flavor combos in this! Ginger is such a great and healthy ingredient and I use it whenever I can. Can't wait to try this!
Yay in that case I must be healthy as I use loads of Ginger in my food... In fact I use it almost as much as butter... Ah I see a problem there 🙂
This looks amazing, so rich in flavours and colours! I will be pinning this to try later in the month, I'm avoiding the takeaway too.
I hope you enjoy Lucy, I'm only avoiding the take away as it is sooooo damn far away from home 😉
Super cool as always. Love the cornflour thickening power! Awesome job.
Cheers Derek, I use conflour in lots of Chinese style marinads to give a body to the final sauce.
Well I have never heard of orange chicken. No Chinese restaurant in Australia serves that. I absolutely love the idea and the fact it is with carrots. i think i will try it with pork. i'll let you know how it goes. Thanks
It's amazing how certain takes on 'ethnic' dishes get picked up in different places, Orange Chicken is not that common in the UK either, however it is very much common place across the rest of Europe and the US.
I always love your photos and flavour combinations! This recipe is no different! Another recipe added to my "must try in 2016" list! 🙂
Thanks Cassandrea, I hope you enjoy as much as we do!
I've been craving Chinese food and this recipe sounds perfect. I love that you used dark soy. Gives dishes such a depth of flavor.
I like using the two types of Soy, one is a great seasoning and as you say the other gives a rich and bold body to a dish 🙂
Love the colour, love the flavour combinations, love those photos! Every time I read your blog posts, I realize that I have so much in common with your wife. 🙂 I can just imagine the boost of flavour the toasted sesame oil gives this dish. Awesome!
Ha ha... Glad you like I reckon this would work really well with Tofu, maybe something to try with your partner 🙂
WOW! Chinese food is often something I shy away from as being difficult but you've made this look so easy. I love the colour in this dish - vibrant food always tastes best. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you enjoy Mary... It's not difficult I cook it all the time which means it must by simple 🙂
These flavors sounds so bright and strong. Love it! My husband adores orange chicken, so I'll have to make this for him soon.
I hope he enjoys Mary, packs loads of flavour but is stripped back a lot and os really simple to make 🙂
Wow, this is sooo much prettier than the orange chicken I get at the local takeaway ahah!
ONe of the joys of cooking at home means you don't have to throw it all in a box 😉
Oh gosh Brian, I can't get over the delish flavors you have going on in this dish! The ginger, carrot, and orange are the perfect winter combo...and then adding that cardamon rice is brilliant 🙂
Thanks Paige, it really is a barnstormer of a dish and really very simple to cook too... If you discount the marinade stage then well under 30 minutes.
I seriously need to try to cook more Chinese food! This looks amazing, and it blows my mind how far away you live from takeout!! 😮 Good thing you're a great cook!!
Haha, thanks Whitney... I'm a long way from great but I am getting better! I have to admit to not even thinking about the takeaway situation when we moved, we don't quite regret it but certainly curse it every now and then 😉