One of my favorite foods is chicken. It is extremely versatile and can be prepared in a variety of ways, including stir-fries, baking or cooking, savory pies, and even gourmet dishes such as cordon bleu. When it comes to chicken, one of my go-to recipes is orange chicken. I used to make this in the oven or on the stove, but using an air fryer makes it even better! Consider crispy golden chicken coated in a fragrant orange sauce – perfection with each bite!
How To Make Air-Fryer Orange Chicken – (Brief Summary)
Here’s the general outline so you can understand what to expect before I give you the ingredients list and step-by-step directions below. Although there are many different chicken cuts available, for this recipe I recommend using chicken tenders or breasts. To ensure that all of your chicken pieces cook at the same time, cut your chicken into equal-sized pieces. After cutting up your chicken, sprinkle it with salt and pepper and coat it in cornstarch. Cook the chicken in the heated air fryer for 8 to 9 minutes at 400°F. To ensure that the chicken cooks evenly and separates, shake the basket every few minutes.
In a sauce pot, combine all of the sauce’s ingredients to make the sauce. In a separate bowl, prepare the slurry. Stir the slurry into the simmering sauce after it has reached a gentle thickening point. The chicken should be coated after the sauce has been added. Serve chicken with grilled vegetables, rice, or potatoes. When you don’t have time to prepare a delicious and comforting meal, this recipe is perfect!
Tips For Perfect Air-Fry Orange Chicken
Avoid using too much cornstarch. Cornstarch and potato starch can make a mess if used in excess. Because starch is light and airy, it will fly around the air fryer, creating the appearance of a blown-up snow globe. Your chicken will not brown properly if you use too much starch, but it will still be edible. To perfectly coat the chicken, combine it in a bowl with the cornstarch and toss gently. Stop when the chicken is completely coated.
It is not necessary to use all of the cornstarch to coat the chicken. Once coated, tap off any excess starch to achieve a perfectly coated chicken.
Only use fresh orange juice.
This recipe calls for fresh orange juice. Forget about concentrated sugary juice. The best flavor and natural freshness will come from freshly squeezed orange juice.
The juice from concentrate will taste completely different and will not be the same.
Mix in the orange zest. If you want to enhance the orange flavor, the orange zest will help. Orange zest is high in orange oil and adds a lot of flavor. If you’re going to use orange zest, make it organic orange zest.
How To Make The Perfect Sauce
The sauce is also very simple to make, as is the entire dish. The sauce’s thickness is the main consideration when it comes to the dish. My preferred level of sauce is in the middle. Simply by cooking the sauce for a little longer, you can easily achieve a thicker sauce. Adding more water will help thin out a sauce if it becomes too thick. You really can’t go wrong either way, though!
Air Fryer Orange Chicken Recipe
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 1 lb. skinless and boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
For the sauce:
- 1 orange, juiced and zested
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp water
- Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions:
1. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Divide the chicken into equal parts. Season the chicken in a bowl or zip-top bag with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken in the cornstarch mixture to coat it.
3. Cook the chicken in an air fryer for 8-9 minutes, or until it is cooked through.
4. To make the sauce, combine orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger in a saucepot.
5. Bring the sauce to a boil and continue to cook for 5 minutes. To make a slurry, whisk together cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Simmer the sauce for a minute after adding the slurry.
6. Put the chicken in a mixing bowl. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to coat.
7. Serve the chicken warm with rice and garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.