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Forget about takeout! Make this Air Fryer Orange Chicken for a healthy, gluten-free alternative made with clean ingredients.
People ask me quite frequently which recipe on my blog is my favorite. It’s nearly impossible to choose, but I think this one might be it!
Honestly, we hit the jackpot here! I can’t see myself eating deep fried, sugar-laden takeout orange chicken again. This tastes better than any takeout I’ve had, and I don’t feel like crap after eating it!
Pair this with Copycat Panda Express Chow Mein and enjoy a fakeout dinner that no one will ever believe is healthy.
The real key here is the crust on the chicken. The combination of cornstarch and air frying creates a slightly crunchy layer that seals in the juices of the chicken and holds up well to the gooey, sweet, tangy sauce. Absolute heaven.
How to make air fryer ORANGE chicken
The breading on the chicken is a combination of cornstarch and egg, keeping it gluten free. I like using cornstarch because it sticks to the chicken better than regular flour, and it gets a bit crispier.
If you can find potato starch, use that instead. It will be even crispier. I can find it at a local Asian market, but I realize not everyone has access to that, so I wrote the recipe up with cornstarch to make it easier.
Cube your chicken breast and mix it together with a whisked egg. In a large Ziploc bag, add the cornstarch. Using tongs, take chicken pieces out of egg mixture, let excess egg drop off, then add to the cornstarch.
Close the bag and shake chicken pieces around until fully coated by the cornstarch. Remove pieces from the bag and place on the cutting board that you used to cut up your chicken. It should look something like this:
Liberally coat the side of the chicken facing up with cooking spray. Add the chicken, sprayed side down, to the basket of your air fryer.
Now spray the side facing up, so all sides of chicken are coated. I accounted for about a teaspoon of oil total in the nutritional breakdown for both sides of the chicken.
Air fry at 375F for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is slightly browned and cooked through. It won’t look as browned as deep-fried breading, of course, but we’re going to coat it in that luxurious sauce, so don’t worry.
As the chicken cooks, make the sauce in a medium-sized skillet. All you have to do is whisk the ingredients together and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens–about 5 minutes. So easy!
Do I need to buy oyster sauce?
The sauce includes ingredients that you can find easily at your grocery store. The only ingredient that might seem weird to you is oyster sauce. You can find it in the Asian section of any supermarket these days.
It’s thick, dark, and filled with tons of umami flavor. It adds a savory depth that really makes the sauce, in my opinion. And it helps turn the sauce a deep orange color.
There is no fishy taste in the final product. Kind of like using fish sauce in my Healthy Pad Thai recipe. Just trust me! It’s worth the purchase because I’m sure you’ll be making this dish over and over. Look at the results:
Can I Make this in the oven?
You can definitely cook the chicken in the oven. It will just take a little longer, and some of the breading might fall off as you flip the chicken.
Place chicken on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425F for 15-20 minutes, flipping the chicken half way through. Follow all other steps as indicated in the recipe card.
Now you’re ready for a Chinese food feast! It might seem like a lot of steps, but it comes together quicker than you think. So worth it for such delicious, healthy food!
More recipes like Air Fryer Orange Chicken
If you’re looking for more air fryer favorites, check out these other great recipes:
- “Fried” Chicken Sandwich
- Air Fryer Blackened Chicken Strips
- Chinese-Style Egg Rolls (Air Fryer or Oven)
I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! It makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there.
Air Fryer Orange Chicken
Forget about takeout! Make this Air Fryer Orange Chicken for a healthy, gluten-free alternative made with clean ingredients.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 4
Calories: 380kcal
Author: Geri
Equipment
Air Fryer
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 1.5 lbs raw boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 2/3 cup cornstarch or potato starch (see blog notes)
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, from about 2 medium oranges
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce (Mili, New Moon, and Ayam brands all have gluten-free oyster sauce)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
Preheat air fryer to 375F.
Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Mix together with whisked egg until all chicken is coated.
In a large plastic bag, add the cornstarch. Using tongs, take chicken pieces out of the egg mixture, allowing excess egg to drip off and add to the bag.
Close the bag and shake chicken pieces around until fully coated by the cornstarch. Remove pieces from the bag and place on the cutting board that you used to cut up your chicken.
Liberally coat the side of the chicken facing up with cooking spray. Add the chicken, sprayed side down, to the basket of your air fryer. Now spray the side facing up, so all sides of chicken are coated.
Air fry at 375F for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is slightly browned and cooked through.
As the chicken cooks, make the sauce in a medium-sized skillet. Whisk sauce ingredients together and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens–about 5 minutes.
Toss cooked chicken with sauce and serve immediately.
OVEN METHOD
Follow all other recipe instruction, but place chicken on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425F for 15-20 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through.
Notes
Click hereto determine your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe (if you are logged in to your WW app, it should calculate for you automatically)
WW Green SmartPoints: 7 for 5 ounces of chicken + sauce (about 2/3 cup)
WW Blue and Purple SmartPoints: 5 for 5 ounces of chicken + sauce (about 2/3 cup)
Nutrition
Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sugar: 11g
