Baked Orange Chicken (Printer-friendly)

Juicy chicken baked in a sweet, tangy orange glaze with ginger and soy for an easy Asian-inspired dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.75 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
02 - Salt and pepper, to taste
03 - 2 tbsp cornstarch

→ Orange Sauce

04 - 2/3 cup fresh orange juice
05 - 2 tbsp orange zest
06 - 3 tbsp soy sauce
07 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
08 - 3 tbsp honey or brown sugar
09 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
11 - 1 tsp sesame oil
12 - 1 tsp chili flakes (optional, for heat)

→ Garnishes

13 - 2 green onions, sliced
14 - 1 tbsp sesame seeds
15 - Orange slices (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then toss with cornstarch to coat evenly.
03 - Arrange coated chicken in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and cooked through.
04 - While the chicken bakes, combine orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey or brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and chili flakes in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.
05 - Transfer baked chicken to a large bowl. Pour the orange sauce over and toss to coat thoroughly.
06 - Return the sauced chicken to the oven for an additional 5–7 minutes until caramelized.
07 - Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and orange slices if desired. Serve immediately with steamed rice or vegetables.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You get all the flavor of your favorite takeout order without the guilt of deep frying or the mess on your stovetop.
  • The orange sauce caramelizes in the oven and creates those irresistible sticky edges that make everyone go back for seconds.
02 -
  • Do not skip flipping the chicken halfway through the first bake because one side will steam instead of crisping and the texture suffers noticeably.
  • Watch the sauce carefully while it simmers because it can go from perfectly thickened to burnt in under a minute once it reduces far enough.
03 -
  • Roll the oranges firmly on the counter before juicing to break up the pulp and extract significantly more liquid.
  • Let the sauced chicken rest for one minute off the heat before serving so the caramelized coating sets and does not slide right off.

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