Air Fryer Orange Chicken – by Gastro Guru

This completely tangy and savory air fryer orange rooster recipe tastes even higher than takeout! It’s a breeze to make and excellent for budget-friendly household dinners.

Simply once you suppose selfmade takeout-style orange rooster can’t get any simpler, this 30-minute air fryer orange rooster recipe comes alongside!

We love making our favourite takeout meals in our family as a result of it’s really easy to recreate these wonderful flavors. Nonetheless, the air fryer is a complete game-changer relating to these dinners! Like with air fryer salmon bites and air fryer steak, the air fryer accelerates the method and provides the entire household a restaurant-worthy meal rapidly and simply.

Desk of Contents

1. Recipe highlights
2. Components wanted
3. How one can make orange rooster within the air fryer
4. Recipe ideas and variations
5. How one can retailer leftovers
6. Incessantly requested questions
7. Extra household dinners made within the air fryer
8. Air Fryer Orange Rooster (Recipe Card)

Recipe highlights

• Constructed from contemporary orange juice. Whereas I completely love the crispy and juicy air fryer rooster breasts on this dish, the selfmade orange sauce is the true star. Making it with freshly squeezed orange juice and actual orange zest offers it one of the best zingy taste!
• Makes use of a hands-off cooking methodology. Simply toss the marinated rooster breasts within the air fryer and let this hands-off device work its magic.
• A 30-minute dinner. From cooking the rooster to creating the sauce to placing all of it collectively, this dish is able to take pleasure in in about half-hour.
• Finances-friendly. Put the takeout menu down. This selfmade orange rooster recipe is so a lot better AND cheap to make, too!

Components wanted

This dish makes use of a mixture of rooster, condiments, and contemporary fruit to offer it its addictively tangy and savory flavors. Right here’s every little thing it’s worthwhile to make it:

• Rooster breasts. That is my favourite protein once I’m making orange rooster at residence. Boneless skinless rooster breasts soak within the marinade simply and cook dinner rapidly within the air fryer in comparison with rooster thighs. It’s additionally leaner too, which is at all times a plus.
• Salt and pepper. To season the rooster breast marinade.
• Soy sauce. To marinate the rooster. You should utilize tamari or coconut aminos for those who’re gluten free.
• All function flour and cornstarch. I wish to coat the rooster items in each flour and cornstarch for further crunch. You too can sprinkle some panko for much more crunch.

For the orange rooster sauce:

• Sesame oil. For the signature sesame notes. A little bit goes a really good distance (therefore the small quantity used).
• Garlic and ginger. Recent ginger and garlic cloves are a should. Please don’t use the dried sort!
• Soy sauce. Like I mentioned, you should utilize tamari or coconut aminos for those who’re gluten free.
• Orange marmalade. Non-compulsory, however I generally like so as to add this in to accentuate the orange taste and so as to add some sweetness. You may omit this or swap it out for some brown sugar.
• Orange juice and zest. Use freshly squeezed orange juice and grated zest from Valencia or Navel oranges.
• Scorching sauce. Use any scorching sauce you want. Sriracha is my desire! 
• White vinegar. The vinegar cuts by means of the overly tangy and candy flavors. Rice vinegar works effectively as a mild-flavored substitute.
• Cornstarch slurry. A slurry constituted of cornstarch and water thickens the orange sauce and ensures it sticks to each chew of rooster.

How one can make orange rooster within the air fryer

I’ve included step-by-step images beneath to make this recipe simple to comply with at residence. For the total printable recipe directions and ingredient portions, scroll to the recipe card on the backside of this submit.

Step 1 – Marinate the rooster. Toss the rooster items, salt, pepper, and soy sauce in a shallow bowl. Let the rooster marinate within the combination for 10 minutes.

Step 2 – Bread the rooster. Coat the marinated rooster items within the flour, cornstarch, and non-compulsory bread crumbs.

Step 3 – Air fry. Lay the breaded rooster in a single layer within the air fryer basket and spray the tops with cooking spray. Cook dinner till they’re crispy and golden.

Step 4 – Make the sauce. In the meantime, warmth the sesame oil in a saucepan over medium warmth. Add the garlic and ginger, then the soy sauce, orange marmalade, orange juice, orange zest, scorching sauce, and white vinegar. Stir to mix and let it simmer earlier than pouring within the cornstarch slurry. Proceed simmering till it thickens.

Step 5 – Mix the rooster and sauce. Switch the cooked rooster items to a big bowl. Pour the orange sauce over high and toss to coat. Serve and revel in! 

Recipe ideas and variations

• Marinate forward of time. If you wish to save a while, you’ll be able to marinate the rooster within the soy marinade for as much as 4 hours forward of cooking. Simply cowl the bowl and depart the rooster within the fridge.
• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. In testing, I discovered that rooster items that had been overlapping within the air fryer didn’t get as crispy as when the items had been cooked in a single layer. In case your air fryer isn’t large enough to keep away from overlapping, cook dinner the rooster in two batches as an alternative.
• Use different protein. You may swap the rooster breasts for rooster thighs, salmon, tofu, or shrimp.
• Skip the bread crumbs. The breading is non-compulsory right here! Be at liberty to skip it to loosen up the dish.
• Make it spicier. I discover that the new sauce offers the orange sauce a pleasant kick however you’ll be able to add a pinch of cayenne or crimson pepper flakes for further warmth.

How one can retailer leftovers

To retailer: Pack the leftover sauce-covered rooster in an hermetic container and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 5 days.

To freeze: After it cools, retailer the orange rooster in an hermetic container and freeze for as much as 6 months. Let the leftovers thaw within the fridge earlier than reheating.

To reheat: You may rapidly reheat leftover orange rooster within the microwave or toss it in a non-stick skillet over medium warmth till heated by means of.

Incessantly requested questions

Extra household dinners made within the air fryer