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Air Fryer Orange Chicken Recipe

Air Fryer orange chicken is better than takeout and so much healthier. Crispy air fryer chicken is tossed in a sweet and sour flavor-packed orange sauce
Course Main, Main Course
Cuisine American, Chinese
Diet Gluten Free, Low Calorie
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 5 people
Calories 274kcal
Author Shinta

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb Boneless Chicken
  • 1 Egg beaten
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • ½ teaspoon Paprika powder
  • 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

For the orange sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ¼ cup Oyster sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Rice Vinegar or White Vinegar
  • 150 ml orange juice fresh or store-bought
  • ½ teaspoon fresh orange zest (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons light Brown Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Start by chopping up the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken pieces to a mixing bowl along with a beaten egg and a teaspoon of sesame oil.
  • Mix until the chicken pieces are coated in the beaten egg.
  • Toss in the corn starch and paprika, black pepper, and salt.
  • Mix until the chicken pieces are well coated in the corn starch mixture. Optionally, you can roll the chicken pieces in a plate with corn starch to ensure the pieces are evenly coated in corn starch.
  • Preheat the air fryer at 400 F for 5 minutes (I have used an Instant Vortex air fryer here). Place the batter-coated chicken in a single layer, without overlapping.
  • Air-fry the chicken at 400F for 20 minutes, flipping the chicken pieces halfway through to let the air fry evenly. The chicken should be golden and crispy, if they are not crispy enough, you can fry them for an additional 5 minutes until done.

For the orange sauce:

  • In a separate wok on the stovetop, make the orange sauce.
  • Heat sesame oil and add the minced ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes.
  • Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar, followed by the orange juice and orange zest (if using fresh zest) and the brown sugar.
  • Simmer for 3 minutes, and add a corn-starch slurry (a 1:1 mixture of corn starch and water) made with 2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water.
  • Cook the sauce until the sauce thickens enough to easily coat a spoon.
  • Turn off the heat and toss in the air fried crispy chicken. Mix well until chicken is coated in the orange sauce.
  • To serve, garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Serve over Jasmine or Basmati rice.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 858mg | Potassium: 608mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg