Air Fryer Orange Chicken

Air Fryer Orange Chicken is crispy with a delicious citrus flavor! It’s a really quick dish to make and making it in the air fryer was a snap. So skip the takeout and make this sweet & savory dish at home!

What You Will ❤️ About Orange Chicken

I love the flexibility of this dish – I enjoyed it with just rice – but it would be great with a load of veggies like mushrooms and broccoli! I’ve even started making a bigger batch of rice – so I just have it on hand for whatever makes sense for the week.

And here’s something that might surprise you – you won’t really find Orange Chicken if you visit a Chinese restaurant in China. It’s a very Americanized takeout dish and started as an off-shoot of General Tso’s chicken – with a little less spice and a little more citrus.

• protein: chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces (you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs)
• batter: buttermilk, egg, corn starch, flour, salt, pepper
• sauce: garlic, olive oil, orange, orange juice, hoisin sauce, Korean bbq sauce, honey, cayenne pepper, sugar
• serving: rice, cilantro, green onions

Air Fryer Orange Chicken Recipe Variations

Here are some swaps you can make for the ingredients and recipe:

• Chicken – skip the raw chicken and use popcorn chicken or chicken nuggets and air fry that and then add to sauce
• Hoisin sauce – swap with a mix of 2 tbsp soy sauce + 2 tbsp brown sugar
• Korean BBQ sauce – swap it with Teriyaki sauce
• Cayenne Pepper – swap with red pepper flakes
• Veggies – add veggies like steamed broccoli and green beans and add to the orange chicken & rice
• Low-Carb – skip the regular rice and use Cauliflower Rice

What does Orange Chicken taste like?

Oranges. Hahaha! Actually it’s a bit of a sweet sauce with a bit of kick from the Asian ingredients and definitely has a citrus flavor – but it’s not OVERLY smacking you in the face with orange. You can also ramp it up the more orange zest you use.

How do you store and reheat leftovers?

Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can freeze up to three months. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. 

How do you make Orange Chicken in the Air Fryer?

You can make MOST of this meal in the air fryer – but you will use a stove for the sauce. For the first part – it’s breaded chicken bites – which are super simple!

• Prepare rice according to package directions
• Air Fryer Chicken Bites
  • In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg, add chicken chunks and coat them in egg mixture
  • Place flour, corn starch, salt and pepper in a ziploc bag
  • Remove chicken from egg mixture (shake it off) and place into bag with flour. Shake so all chicken is lightly coated.
  • Shake off chicken and place in air fryer basket in a single layer, not touching
  • Spray with a good amount of olive oil or cooking spray
  • Air fry at 375 for 4 minutes
  • Turn chicken pieces and spray with olive oil and air fry 4 additional minutes
• Orange Sauce
  • While chicken is air frying, heat large skillet to medium heat and add olive oil and minced garlic
  • Saute garlic for one minute
  • Grate orange with microplane into skillet. Add orange juice, hoisin, bbq sauce, honey, cayenne and sugar and bring to a boil.
  • Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens, stirring frequently
  • Remove sauce from heat
• Orange Chicken with sauce
  • Remove chicken bites from air fryer and add to sauce in skillet.
  • Coat each bite with sauce and then – using tongs – put chicken back into air fryer in a single layer
  • Air fry at 400 for 4 minutes
  • In serving bowls, place rice in each bowl. Top with orange chicken and diced cilantro and green onion. You could also sprinkle with sesame seeds.

What to serve with Orange Chicken?

• Air Fryer Broccoli
• Olive Garden Salad
• Air Fryer Pineapple

More Asian-Inspired Bowl Recipes

• Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
• Panera Broth Bowl with Chicken
• Applebee’s Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl