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Double Crunch Orange Chicken

Double crunch orange chicken made with extra-crispy, double-dipped fried chicken pieces coated in a vibrant, sticky orange sauce. Intensely citrusy and lightly caramelized at the edges, it’s finished with a glossy boil-and-thicken sauce and served over steamed rice.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Calories: 850
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Double-dipped crispy chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs Cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • 0.75 cup cornstarch For dredging.
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour For dredging.
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 salt To taste.
  • 1 pepper To taste.
  • 2 eggs Beaten.
  • 1 vegetable oil For frying.
Orange sauce
  • 0.5 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tbsp orange zest
  • 0.333 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger Grated.
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch Mixed with 2 tablespoons water for slurry.
  • 2 tbsp water For slurry.
  • sesame seeds For serving.
  • green onions Sliced, for serving.
  • steamed rice For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Double-dip the chicken
  1. Mix cornstarch, flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl until evenly combined.
  2. Dip chicken pieces into beaten eggs, letting excess drip off.
  3. Dredge the egg-coated chicken in the flour mixture, pressing lightly for full coverage.
  4. Double-dip each piece by returning it to the beaten egg, then back into the flour mixture for maximum crunch.
Fry until deeply golden
  1. Heat vegetable oil to 375°F in a Dutch oven.
  2. Fry chicken at 375°F for 5-6 minutes, until deeply golden and cooked through, turning once if needed.
  3. Drain fried chicken on a rack or paper towels until ready to sauce.
Make the orange sauce
  1. In a saucepan, combine orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.
  2. Bring the orange sauce to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
  3. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 2-3 minutes until thick and glossy.
Toss and serve
  1. Toss the crispy chicken in the orange sauce until evenly coated and glossy.
  2. Serve the double crunch orange chicken over steamed rice, topped with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Notes

For maximum crunch, sauce the chicken right before serving; if you need to hold it, keep fried pieces uncovered at room temperature for up to 1 hour and warm rice separately. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat in a 400°F oven or air fryer until crisp, then rewarm sauce separately and toss briefly. Freezing: not recommended because the double-crisp coating softens. Dietary swap: use tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free version if needed.