Crispy orange chicken
Crispy battered chicken tossed in a glossy, zesty orange sauce — sticky, a little sharp and properly addictive. Ready in about an hour.
This is the takeout-style orange chicken you actually want to make at home — crisp, sticky and properly citrusy. It’s not trickery: a short marinate, a light dredge and a quick deep-fry give the crunch, and a bright orange sauce finishes it off.
Make it for a weekend supper or when friends are dropping by; it’s showy but easy once you have the mise en place. Serve with steamed rice and quick-pickled cucumber if you like.
Ingredients
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml Shaoxing wine — or dry sherry
- 1 egg
- 80 g cornflour — split between marinade, coating and sauce slurry
- 120 g plain flour
- 5 ml baking powder
- 5 ml salt
- 5 ml black pepper
- 1 l vegetable oil — for deep-frying
- 2 large oranges — zest and juice
- 60 g light brown sugar
- 30 ml rice vinegar
- 5 ml sesame oil
- 25 g fresh ginger — peeled and finely grated
- 3 garlic cloves — peeled and crushed
- 0 ml dried chilli flakes — optional
- 3 spring onions — sliced on the diagonal to garnish
- 15 ml sesame seeds — toasted, to garnish
Equipment
- deep-fat thermometer
- wire rack
- baking tray
Instructions
Trim any excess fat and cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces (about 3–4cm). Pat dry on kitchen paper.
Make the marinade: in a bowl whisk together light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, egg, 20 g cornflour, half the salt and half the black pepper.
Add the chicken to the marinade, mix thoroughly so every piece is coated, then cover and leave to marinate on the side for 20 minutes.
While the chicken marinates, mix the dry coating: plain flour, 40 g cornflour, baking powder, the remaining salt and black pepper in a large bowl.
Pour the vegetable oil into a deep saucepan to a depth of about 6 cm and heat on the hob to 175°C (use a deep-fat thermometer).
Remove chicken from the marinade, dredge a few pieces at a time in the dry coating so they’re well covered, shake off excess and place on a wire rack to rest for 10 minutes.
Fry the chicken in batches—do not overcrowd—turning occasionally until deeply golden and cooked through, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.
Make the orange sauce: zest the oranges, then juice them. In a saucepan combine orange zest, orange juice, light brown sugar, rice vinegar, light soy sauce, sesame oil, grated fresh ginger, crushed garlic and dried chilli flakes. Bring to a simmer.
Mix the remaining 20 g cornflour with about 30 ml cold water to make a smooth slurry, then whisk it into the simmering sauce and cook until glossy and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Return the fried chicken to a warm pan, pour over the hot orange sauce and toss quickly to coat so the pieces stay crisp. Serve immediately garnished with sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.
Tips
- Dry the chicken well before marinating — excess surface moisture stops the coating from sticking.
- Use a deep-fat thermometer to keep oil at 175°C; this is the single easiest way to get consistently crisp results.
- Fry in small batches and let the oil come back to temperature between batches to avoid greasy chicken.
- Make the sauce while frying so everything finishes hot; if you must, keep fried chicken in a single layer on a low oven (100°C) for a few minutes.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 days; re-crisp under a 200°C fan oven for 6–8 minutes and pour warmed sauce over just before serving.
Substitutions
boneless skinless chicken thighs → chicken breast, cut into slightly smaller pieces
Noticeably differentShaoxing wine → dry sherry or omit and add an extra 10 ml water
Stays closeplain flour → rice flour for a lighter, crisper coating (gluten-free)
Stays closelight brown sugar → caster sugar plus a squeeze of extra orange juice (same quantity by weight)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 610
- Calories
- 31 g
- Protein
- 61 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 20 g
- Sugar
- 1000 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I shallow-fry instead of deep-frying?
Yes — use a wide frying pan with 2–3 cm oil and fry in batches, turning regularly. You’ll need slightly longer cooking and careful temperature control.
How do I stop the coating going soggy when saucing?
Toss the chicken in the sauce off the heat and only for a minute or two. Serve immediately. Alternatively serve the sauce on the side for dipping.
Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes — cool and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Gently reheat and whisk in a little water if it’s too thick before tossing with the chicken.
Is there a gluten-free option?
Use rice flour instead of plain flour and a gluten-free soy sauce; the texture will be slightly different but still crisp.
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