Budget Bites: Orange Chicken Three Ways—All Kitchen-Friendly and Easy on the Wallet
For years, I’d been searching for the perfect recipe for one of my family’s favorite dishes, Orange Chicken. And then wouldn’t you know it, within a very short period of time, I found not one but three recipes that are quite different from one another, but all of them kitchen-friendly almost too yummy for words! Even better—easy on the wallet.
The first of these recipes is for an elegant country French entrée, prepared in the oven. If you need to impress, this one’s for you! Don’t blow your cover by telling your guests just how easy it is. The second and third recipes have an Asian bent—prepared on the stovetop or grill.
Chicken À L’Orange
Published in 1961, Julia Child’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, inspired a love of French food in the U.S. and Duck à l’Orange became a dinner party staple. This update uses chicken and marmalade for a faster and less pricey result.
Chicken À L'Orange
Ingredients
- 8 shallots
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- kosher salt
- pepper
- 1 whole chicken
- ½ cup orange marmalade
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large shallow roasting pan, toss the shallots with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
- Cut the chicken into 10 pieces (2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts — each halved).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the marmalade, vinegar, rosemary, remaining tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the chicken; toss to coat.
- Place the chicken mixture in the roasting pan, nestling the pieces among the shallots.
- Bake until chicken is cooked through and browned and shallots are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Serving suggestion: Serve with fresh steamed green beans and bread.
Nutrition
Crispy Orange Chicken
For many, Applebee’s® Crispy Orange Skillet has become a favorite. But it’s pricey! More than that, it disappears from the menu and for long periods.
Here’s some good news. You can make this version—a dead ringer for the Applebee’s version—at home for only a fraction of the cost. And quite possibly in less time than it takes to open an app, place an order, pay online, get in the car, drive to the restaurant, find a parking place, call the number to alert staff you have arrived, wait, accept the order, drive home while food is getting soggy and cold, go in the house, open the bag, notice they forgot to include the rice, oh well, enjoy.
Crispy Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken pieces breast, thigh, leg
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 ½ tspn salt
- ¼ tspn pepper or to taste
- ½ cup + 1 tbsn cornstarch
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- oil for frying
Sweet 'n Spicy Orange Glaze
- 2 tbsp oil from skillet
- 1 tspn minced garlic
- 1 ½ tspn grated orange rind (zest) only the orange part, NONE of the white pith
- 1 cup orange juice
- ½ cup Hoison sauce see NOTE
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
Chicken
- Cut chicken pieces into small pieces (about 1 ½ to 2-inches) and place in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg, oil, salt, pepper with a fork. Pour egg mixture over chicken pieces, mix well, and set aside.
- Stir cornstarch and flour together in another large bowl and mix well.
- Add chicken pieces to the flour mixture, stirring to coat each piece well.
- Pour enough oil to be 1/2-inch deep in a wok or heavy skillet and heat over high heat to 375 F (hot!).
- Carefully add chicken pieces in small batches and fry for 3 to 4 minutes turning until golden and crisp. Do not overcook or chicken will be tough.
- Remove chicken from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue frying the chicken in small batches until all pieces are nicely browned and crisp. Set aside.
Sweet 'n Spicy Orange Glaze
- Cool the oil in the skillet slightly, then remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil and set over medium heat.
- Sauté garlic in oil for 1 minute (if the oil is too hot the garlic will burn and become bitter).
- Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Allow boiling for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens to your liking, stirring frequently.
- Pour glaze over chicken and toss lightly to make sure all pieces are well glazed.
- To serve, place chicken on a bed of cooked white rice. Garnish with slivered almonds, crispy noodles, sesame seeds, and stir-fry vegetables like broccoli, snow peas, and red peppers (optional). Serves 4 to 6.
Notes
Nutrition
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Honey Orange Teriyaki Chicken
Honey Orange Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 cup fresh orange juice not concentrate
- zest of one orange
- 6 tbsp honey
- 1½ pounds chicken pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the teriyaki sauce, orange juice, zest and honey. Reserve one cup and set it aside.
- Add the chicken pieces to the bowl with the remainder of the teriyaki mixture. Allow to marinate for at least two hours, or overnight.
- Remove chicken. Grill chicken on a grill brushed with olive oil, or in a large sauté pan in which you have heated the oil.
- Brush chicken occasionally with marinade while cooking. Watch carefully and turn often to make sure chicken doesn't burn. Once internal temperture reaches 160F., remove and serve.
- Heat the reserved sauce to boiling, then serve along side the chicken. Excellent served with white or fried rice.
Nutrition
Preparing this post has propelled me into a major state of hunger. My only problem is I can’t decide which one I’ll be making for dinner tonight. I’ll bet you’re hungry, too. No matter which recipe you choose, you can be sure that you’ll be eating very well, and for a fraction of the price of take-out, delivery, or eating out.
Any tips on how to zest citrus faster without scraping your own skin off?
Can any of these be made in an air fryer?
Dear Mary,
I made the Crispy Orange Chicken for dinner this week and it was scrumptious! My husband took pictures of dinner and sent to a few people. He also told me that this was a company worthy dish. We typically don’t like sweet entrees so I just put a small bit of the sugar. The orange flavor was delightful.
Mary, you really possess a wealth of knowledge on so many subjects. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much for these recipes!
I only have 1 question.
In your Crispy Orange chicken recipe and the other recipes
Do you mean tbsp as Tbls or tsp?
Sorry but Old School. lol
tbsp = tablespoon
tspn = teaspoon
Ditto on the question about “Note 3”!