Enjoy a restaurant-style orange chicken dinner at home with this lighter take on a favorite. This skinny orange chicken is pan-seared instead of deep-fried and finished in a bright, homemade orange sauce. Serve with steamed rice and sliced green onions for a quick, satisfying meal.
This recipe was originally published August 29, 2018.
This skinny orange chicken features thinly sliced, pan-seared chicken breast coated in cornstarch for a light crisp, tossed in a thick, glossy orange sauce.
Best part: it comes together in about 30–40 minutes and is much lighter than typical takeout versions without sacrificing flavor.
This recipe is similar to a honey sesame chicken but simplified and brightened with fresh-tasting orange juice for color and clean citrus flavor. And yes—no deep frying here.
I made this for my grandmother recently and she loved it—she went back for several helpings. It’s comforting, flavorful, and easy to prepare.
Pan Seared Chicken
Pan searing gives you juicy meat with a pleasant edge of crisp—so you won’t miss deep frying. For the best texture, dust the thinly sliced chicken with cornstarch before searing. Cut the chicken thinly and against the grain so pieces cook quickly and develop a light crust.
Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. If pieces are touching, they’ll steam instead of crisp, and you’ll end up with excess liquid. Transfer cooked pieces to a plate and cook the remaining chicken in the same pan.
If you follow this method, the chicken will be tender with a slight crisp that pairs perfectly with the sauce.
Orange Sauce
The sauce is simple and bright—combine a handful of pantry staples to make a tangy-sweet glaze. Ingredients include:
- low-sodium soy sauce
- rice wine vinegar
- sugar
- orange juice (store-bought or freshly squeezed for deeper color and brighter flavor)
- water
- ginger powder
- fresh garlic
Whisk the sauce ingredients together before you start searing the chicken so it’s ready to go. Simmer gently until thickened, then finish by stirring the seared chicken into the sauce to coat.
FAQ
- Is there a substitute for cornstarch? Not really—cornstarch gives a different crisp and finish than flour, so it’s recommended for this method.
- Why didn’t my chicken get crispy? Most often this is due to not coating the chicken with cornstarch or overcrowding the pan. Make sure there’s space between pieces so they brown properly.
- Why is there a lot of liquid in the pan? Overcrowding causes the chicken to steam rather than sear. Cook in batches and leave space between pieces.
- Can I make this gluten-free? Yes—use a gluten-free soy sauce alternative such as tamari or coconut aminos.
- What should I serve with it? Steamed rice is classic. You can also serve it with Asian-style noodles, steamed broccoli, or simple sides like edamame or a crisp salad.
More Takeout Style Dinners
- Skinny Beef and Broccoli Noodles
- Spicy Korean Chicken Rice Bowls
- Thai Peanut Chicken Noodle Salad
- Grilled Honey Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Pho
- Better Than Takeout Mongolian Beef
- Honey Sesame Chicken
Skinny Orange Chicken
Enjoy a delicious dinner of orange chicken at home—pan-seared, saucy, and ready in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil or another high-heat oil
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups water
- optional: green onions
orange sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup orange juice (or juice of ~4 oranges)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ tsp ginger powder
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
- Add 1 cup basmati rice and 2 cups water to a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Turn off heat and fluff with a fork.
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise, then slice thinly against the grain on a diagonal.
- Toss the chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch to coat evenly.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil.
- Cook the chicken in two batches, avoiding overcrowding. Sear until the first side is golden, flip, and cook through. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towel.
- Turn the heat off briefly. Add a cup of water to the pan and bring to a simmer to deglaze and loosen any browned bits, then discard the water and dry the pan with a paper towel.
- Combine the sauce ingredients except the soy sauce (orange juice, rice wine vinegar, sugar, cornstarch mixed with water, ginger, garlic) and whisk until smooth.
- Turn heat to low, add the sauce mixture to the pan, and simmer gently until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce.
- Add the seared chicken back to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce. Serve over steamed rice and garnish with sliced green onions.
Notes
Simmer the sauce gently; boiling soy sauce too vigorously can make it taste bitter. Keep the heat low while thickening the glaze.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 324
Total Fat: 8g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 64mg
Sodium: 573mg
Carbohydrates: 37g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 20g
Protein: 26g
Nutrition values are estimates from online calculators.
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