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Healthier Air Fried Orange Chicken

Crispy air fried orange chicken made with flavor-packed marinated chicken breast and a zesty sweet and salty sauce.

Course Main Course
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Taavi Moore

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
  • 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Sauce

  • ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (~2 large oranges)
  • ¼ cup tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
  • 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
  • ½ tsp sesame oil
  • To serve: chopped green onion, sesame seeds, and rice

Instructions

  1. Start by making the marinade. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together tamari, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Add chicken and stir well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (ideally overnight).

  2. Preheat airfryer. Add flour, breadcrumbs, and salt to marinated chicken and toss to coat. 

  3. Spray air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange chicken in a single layer in the air fryer. You may need to cook chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding. Spray chicken pieces with nonstick cooking spray. Air fry at 400F for 6-8 minutes, flip, spray with more oil, and fry for 6-8 more minutes until golden brown and crispy. 

  4. While chicken is air frying, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine orange juice, tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, orange zest, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk together cornstarch and water then pour slurry into sauce, stirring until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil.

  5. When all the chicken is done, toss chicken and sauce together in a large bowl until completely coated. 

  6. Serve orange chicken over rice. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds and enjoy!