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Air fryer orange chicken with orange marmalade is an easy recipe with a sweet and sticky sauce. Satisfy your cravings for Asian orange chicken with this dish the whole family will love. Learn how to make orange chicken in the air fryer, get tips on making it sugar free, and more. Why not air fry orange chicken for dinner tonight?
While developing this orange chicken air fryer recipe, I kept some of the most popular brands of Chinese orange chicken in mind. Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange chicken, Panda Express orange chicken, and InnovAsian orange chicken are all well-loved because they share some characteristics:
- Slightly crispy chicken pieces that are battered or breaded and golden brown
- A delicious, sticky, and very sweet orange sauce
- Easy to make
I wanted my orange popcorn chicken to have these same traits. To make the chicken bready and slightly crispy, we’ll coat it in flour and air fry it. This will give us an air fryer orange chicken without cornstarch.
Then, while the chicken air fries, we can make some orange chicken sauce. Our sauce uses orange marmalade and BBQ sauce for the great flavor present in the classic orange chicken recipes. It’s indulgent and will satisfy your sweet tooth!
⭐ Air Fryer Orange Chicken with Orange Marmalade Ingredients
What do you need to make orange chicken in an air fryer? Here are the ingredients:
- 1 lb. chicken breast (454g)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, salt
- 2 large eggs
- Cooking oil spray
- ½ cup orange marmalade
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce (Kansas City style)
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon dried ginger
- Red pepper flakes (optional; for a spicy orange chicken)
- Toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions (for optional garnish)
Get a printable recipe card below!
You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts in this recipe. However, the finished dish will not be quite as lean. Make orange chicken with popcorn chicken by mixing air fryer popcorn chicken with the sauce in this recipe.
Choose sugar-free marmalade and sugar-free barbecue sauce to make orange chicken with less sugar.
You also need an air fryer, knife, and meat thermometer to air fry orange chicken. Have a Ninja Foodi, Pampered Chef, Cuisinart, Actifry, Nuwave, Instant Vortex, Philips, Cosori, or Power Air Fryer? Whatever air fryer you have should work for air frying orange chicken.
However, keep in mind that you may need to adjust cooking times based on the air fryer you use. Also, you may need to cook the chicken in batches if you have a small air fryer basket.
➕ How to Make Air Fryer Orange Chicken
Let’s learn how to make air fryer orange chicken! We’ll start by making the breaded chicken, and working on the orange sauce while it cooks. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
Cut the chicken breast into 1-inch pieces (2.54cm). In a medium-sized bowl, stir flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt together. In a second bowl, whisk two large eggs.
Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil spray. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg and then the flour. Coat all the chicken pieces.
Put the coated pieces of chicken on the prepared air fryer basket or tray in a single layer. Mist the chicken well with cooking spray and place in the air fryer.
⏲️ How long to cook orange chicken in air fryer?
How long to air fry orange chicken? The chicken will air fry for a total of 11-13 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190C).
Air fry the chicken for 5 minutes at 375F (190C). Then flip the chicken pieces over and spray them well with cooking spray. Air fry a final 6-8 minutes at 375F (190C).
Use a kitchen thermometer to ensure the chicken reached a minimum safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74C). Add additional cooking time if needed. While the chicken is air frying, make the orange sauce.
🍊 Orange Chicken Sauce
Here are the directions to make sauce for orange chicken:
Whisk the orange marmalade, barbecue sauce, reduced-sodium soy sauce, dried ginger, and pepper flakes together in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally until bubbly. This will take 5-10 minutes.
Remove the orange sauce from the heat. Right before serving, gently toss the orange sauce with the air fried chicken. It’s important not to stir the sauce into the chicken until right before eating for the best texture.
Spoon the chicken and any extra sauce into bowls over rice or Costo cauliflower rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Eat up!
What is a substitute for orange marmalade in orange chicken?
A good alternative to marmalade in orange chicken is a combination of sweetened orange juice and orange zest. Use a cornstarch slurry or xanthan gum to thicken the juice. The orange sauce in orange chicken made at home is often made with marmalade because it’s easier.
🌡️ Orange Chicken Recipe without Cornstarch (Storage)
This air fryer orange chicken recipe can last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. For the best texture, keep the orange sauce and air fried chicken in separate airtight containers until serving.
Leftover orange chicken can be frozen if the sauce and chicken are kept separate. You can use leftover sauce in other chicken dishes if you wish. I bet some air fryer orange chicken wings would be delicious!
Can you air fry leftover orange chicken?
Yes, you can reheat leftover orange chicken in the air fryer! Air fry the frozen cooked chicken for 8 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177C), flipping halfway through cooking time. Warm the sauce leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Watch How to Make It!
Air Fryer Orange Chicken with Orange Marmalade Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breast 454g
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- cooking oil spray
- ½ cup orange marmalade
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce (Kansas City style)
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon dried ginger
- crushed red pepper flakes (optional; for a spicy orange chicken)
- toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions (optional garnish)
Instructions
Air fry orange chicken:
- Cut the chicken breast into 1-inch pieces (2.54cm). In a medium-sized bowl, stir flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt together. In a second bowl, whisk two large eggs.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil spray. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg, lift them out with a fork, and then coat them in the flour. Coat all the chicken pieces, shaking off excess flour.
- Put the coated pieces of chicken on the prepared air fryer basket or tray in a single layer. Mist the chicken well with cooking spray and place in the air fryer.
- Air fry the chicken for 5 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Then flip the chicken pieces over and spray them well with cooking spray. Air fry a final 6-8 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Use a kitchen thermometer to ensure the chicken reached a minimum safe internal temperature of 165℉ (74°C). Add additional cooking time if needed.
Make orange sauce:
- Whisk the orange marmalade, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, dried ginger, and pepper flakes together in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally until bubbly. This will take 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the orange sauce from the heat. Right before serving, gently stir the orange sauce with the air fried chicken. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Equipment
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Chicken breast is a high-quality lean protein. However, the breading and the sauce really bump up the carbs and calories. If you have a fat loss goal, it’s generally going to be a better choice to stick with chicken with no breading. That said, this recipe has some good things going for it. Orange chicken from a store or restaurant may have been deep fried. Air frying chicken before mixing with the orange sauce allows you to skip deep frying. If you want a low-fat orange chicken with minimal or no added oil, air fry it! What to serve with air fryer orange chicken? I like to serve air fried orange chicken over a whole grain, with some veggies on the side for a (somewhat) healthy meal. Here are some suggestions for sides that go with orange chicken:- Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables (especially broccoli!)
- Steamed Green Beans (haricots verts)
- Steamed Snow Peas
- Stir fried Baby Bok Choy
- Brown Rice
- Wild Rice
- Quinoa
nutrition info disclaimer
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
“To taste” means to your preferences, which may have to be visual to follow food safety rules. Please don’t eat undercooked food x
Nutrition
👩🏻🍳 More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
Looking for more air fryer recipes using chicken? Here are some other dishes that you may enjoy:
- Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken (Air Fryer)
- Air Fryer Chicken Schnitzel
- Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
- Chicken Nuggets in the Air Fryer
- Trader Joe’s Chicken Shawarma Thighs
- Air Fryer Chicken Fries
- Keto Air Fryer Orange Chicken (use air fryer time and temp in this recipe to cook the chicken)
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Hello! I’m Summer, a registered dietitian and home chef who loves to cook, eat, and create recipes for you! Every recipe on this site has been tested by me to help ensure your success in the kitchen. All eaters are welcome here 🙂
Is there anything that can replace the xanthan gum? Corn starch?
Hi Ana, you can try making a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Whisk until smooth, then add to sauce, whisking until thickened. Unlike with xanthan gum, the mixture needs to be almost boiling for the cornstarch to act as a thickener. Hope that helps, and thank you for visiting 🙂 Summer