With this amazing Easy Orange Chicken Recipe, you’ll have a delicious Chinese dinner on the table in a snap! Make it an easy meal with chicken nuggets as the base with a simple homemade sweet orange glaze.
4-Ingredient Orange Chicken
Tired of takeout? Make your own takeout-worthy dinner at home with this super easy 4 Ingredient Orange Chicken recipe. Serve it over steamed rice and you have a perfect meal.
Orange chicken is a sweet and savory dish that became popular from the restaurant Panda Express. it’s an American adaptation of sweet and sour chicken. This version is the easiest recipe you will ever make and just as good!
Love easy dinner recipes! Don’t miss these: Crockpot Chicken and Gravy | Sheetpan Steak Fajitas | Tuscan Salmon Recipe | Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes | Mini Meatloaf Recipe
The Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need – (the exact measurements and full recipe instructions are below in the easy to print recipe card):
Frozen chicken nuggets – get a big bag because you’ll need 5 cups. The chicken nuggets will need to be cooked according to the package directions. You could also use chicken fingers if you prefer larger cuts.
Orange marmalade – find this with the rest of the jams and jellies in the grocery store. Any brand will work well.
BBQ sauce – any variety that you like will work, but a Kansas City-style sauce is a good choice. I know this ingredient might sound strange, but it blends so well with the other ingredients.
Soy sauce – to reduce the sodium you can use a low sodium soy sauce.
How to Make Orange Chicken
In a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl, whisk together the orange marmalade, BBQ sauce, and soy sauce.
Heat in the microwave on high heat for 45 seconds, then whisk the sauce until smooth (there will be small chunks from the orange rind in the orange marmalade).
Pour the sauce over the fully cooked chicken nuggets (be sure the nuggets are freshly cooked and hot) and toss to coat.
Tips for the Best Orange Chicken
- Spicy Orange Chicken – Want to heat this recipe up a bit? Try using spicy chicken nuggets or add hot sauce to the glaze. Make it as spicy as you like!
- Other Meats: the orange sauce isn’t only great with chicken, but with other meats, too, such as pork, beef, fish fillets, and shrimp.
- Thickness: If the sauce is way too thick for your liking, stir in orange juice to the thickness you prefer.
- Garnish: Top the dish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions. You can even add a few orange slices.
Crock Pot Orange Chicken
You can also make this in the slow cooker and it turns out great! The only difference is we use chicken breasts and you’ll use chicken broth as an added ingredient.
1. Place 4 chicken breasts and 1 cup of chicken broth in the crock-pot and cook for 5 to 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
2. Drain and then add the sauce ingredients to the pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
3. Shred the chicken with a fork. Serve with rice.
How to Serve:
Serve the orange chicken over steamed white or brown rice. It also goes well with steamed or stir-fried veggies. Rice is the best because it absorbs the sauce and the combination is perfect!
How to Store Leftovers
Keep the leftover chicken in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave.
Other Easy Chicken Recipes
4 Ingredient Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl, whisk together the orange marmalade, BBQ sauce, and soy sauce. Heat in the microwave on high heat for 45 seconds, then whisk the sauce until smooth (there will be small chunks from the orange rind in the orange marmalade).
- Pour the sauce over the fully cooked chicken nuggets (be sure the nuggets are freshly cooked and hot) and toss to coat.
- Serve the orange chicken hot over steamed rice.
Last Step:
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40 comments on “Easy Orange Chicken (4-ingredients)”
My husband and I LOVE this orange chicken. And it is so easy to make. Packed with flavor. I make it often.
Thanks Susan!
I just made this sauce and its scrumptious!
Scrumptious! ver suitable to my budget and liked putting fresh vegetables on the side. Will try it with pork the next time thanks
This was so easy and so good! Let alone cost effective. I will be fixing this again.
Delicious and easy to make. I served over white rice and along with stir fried vegetables. My husband said this was a keeper.
Made this dish for the family. They absolutely loved it. Said it was better than what we got at the mall. My nephew who hates any kind of sauce and most food said “This was made by God”. And it was so easy. Thank you!!!
I think this would be good with shrimp. Probably toss them in cornstarch and pan fry
Yes!!
So much awesome flavor for such a simple recipe! I added steamed broccoli and sliced water chestnuts. Also used cut up boneless chicken thighs. The whole family LOVED it !
Great ideas. Thx
I’d probably do a half cup of the marmalade next time I make it because it does have a very intense orange flavor but it is D E L I C I O U S!!! Whole family loved it, even my 2 toddlers. Definitely adding it to our meal rotation.
Delicious and easy!! I am so happy!
I will try this using sugar-free orange marmalade and sugar free hickory smoked BBQ sauce and less sodium soy sauce.
Perfect for me, Debbie! I’m diabetic, and LOVE orange chicken! I also eat KETO, and so many of these recipes are easily adaptable!
Can I make this in an air fryer?
Very easy and tasty…I added toasted sesame seeds and loved it with or without.
Very good and easy. My husband who doesn’t like orange chicken really liked it. A keeper for sure.
A favorite of my husbands I added red, yellow and green peppers
I will try that addition next time for company.
Jacci,
This is a great idea. I don’t enjoy green bell peppers, but will definitely use red, orange & yellow bell peppers. Thanks for the suggestion.
So delicious try it out every day I cooked it people buying it
This is a fantastic and easy recipe. I added steamed broccoli to make a whole meal out of it.
Delicious and so easy with no alterations
I made this last week. I was amazed at how good it was since it was so simple. I made stir fried rice and had frozen pot stickers. As good as going out to eat, but I didn’t have to wear pants.
Love that!
Can’t wait to try this one. Sounds amazing
Simple & tasty. I’m a vegetarian and used this for both my veggies & hubby’s chicken. I added some chopped chives, red pepper flakes, and ginger, and served over brown rice and topped it all with toasted almonds. I made extra sauce so we could put it over everything.
The easy orange chicken looks amazing. I’m going to try and make it this week.
I’m so happy my favorite dish I made the first time I saw it it was delicious and so easy to make I’m so happy I can find great dish to make and easy my family loves it and thank you onces again for theses wonderful dishes .
Thanks for the recipe. Will be making this recipe in our camper.
I love it that your recipes are easy to obtain. They also look delicious. Can’t wait to use the recipes I have printed off. Thanks again for making it so easy to get your recipes.
You have some delicious recipes I can’t wait to try some And they look like they’re easy to make
Can’t u use cubed boneless chicken thighs and not processed chicken nuggets?
Jessica, yes but you would want to prepare the thighs before. You could pan fry and brown, bake or https://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com/copycat-chick-fil-a-chicken-nuggets/ .
You actually can use chicken breast and cut into bite size pieces in a little olive oil intil cooked thoroughly and then add all the ingredients.
Of course, you can use chicken thighs, which are so much more flavorful… Also, you can add ginger and red pepper flakes to the recipe…
Looks delicious
That is my favorite
Definitely have again