This Costo orange chicken copycat takes everything we love about the orange chicken from Costco and delivers it right to your kitchen. It's full of zesty citrus flavor, tender chicken, and a wonderful coating.
I love Costco's orange chicken. I get it almost every time we go. But you know what? I got tired of waiting for trips to Costco and decided to make my own version at home! It worked out terrific and is so tasty. I know you're going to love it.
This was inspired by this air fryer orange chicken and Vietnamese caramel chicken recipes! It goes great with this amazing ginger coconut rice recipe and your favorite veggie!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make. Takes only 35 minutes from start to finish, so it's perfect for busy weeknights.
- A healthier version of take-out chicken. It uses less oil than traditional fried foods and is made with fresh ingredients instead of processed ones!
- Easily doubles as leftovers. Reheats easily for a quick lunch on the go!
- It is budget-friendly using pantry staples and costs less than ordering Chinese takeout.
- Kid-friendly and perfect for picky eaters.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few basic ingredients to make this recipe, and they're all easily found at your local grocery store.
The main ingredients are listed here, but you'll find the full list along with the amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Chicken breasts: Choose boneless, skinless breasts to save time.
- Eggs: Acts like glue so the flour and cornstarch stay on the chicken.
- Cornstarch and all-purpose flour: Create the crispy crust on the outside of the chicken.
- Orange juice: The main ingredient in the orange sauce that coats the chicken.
- Brown sugar: Lightly sweetens the sauce.
- Rice wine vinegar: Adds acid to the sauce to balance out the sweetness.
- Soy sauce: Adds salty, umami flavor to the orange sauce.
- Aromatics: Garlic and fresh ginger contribute fresh vibrant flavor to the sauce.
- Sesame oil: Adds a uniquely pungent flavor to the sauce.
- Garnish: Add flavor and pizzazz to the final dish! Use orange zest, green onions, or sesame seeds.
Substitutions
- Prefer thighs? Swap the chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Rice wine vinegar: Rice wine vinegar has a unique flavor that it brings to this dish but you can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.
Variations
- Spicy: Add a teaspoon of chili pepper flakes or a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the sauce. Another option is to serve this homemade hot pepper sauce on the table for everyone to add if they want it.
- Add some nuts: Top with crushed peanuts or cashews for an extra nutty flavor on top.
- Add Fruit: If you like some extra fruit, add pineapple chunks or mandarin orange slices to the sauce right before serving for added flavor.
- Baked orange chicken: Place the battered chicken pieces on a baking sheet coated lightly with cooking spray and bake in a preheated, 400˚F for 20-23 minutes until golden brown (a little longer if using chicken thigh meat).
- Want to skip the breading? Pat dry the cubed chicken with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Season it with salt and pepper and stir fry with a tablespoon or two of oil in a hot skillet until lightly browned, between 4-5 minutes. Toss in the orange sauce and serve it up!
- Add some vegetables: Add cooked vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini, corn, snow peas, bok choy, carrots, mushrooms, or broccoli florets. Toss them with the chicken and sauce before serving.
How to Make Costco Orange Chicken
This recipe is very simple and will have you in and out of the kitchen in no time. Check out the highlights here and be sure to see the recipe card at the end of the post for the full instructions.
- Place the chicken breast pieces in a large bowl. Combine the eggs, cornstarch, flour, and salt and pour over the chicken and toss to coat well.
- Fry the chicken in hot oil in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
PRO TIP: Be sure to only fry a bit of chicken at a time so you don't lower the temperature of the oil.
- Remove the cooked crispy chicken and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Simmer the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened.
- Toss the chicken in orange sauce.
- Serve the chicken up topped with green onions, sesame seeds, and orange zest.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these sweet and sour chicken thighs or soy garlic chicken thighs.
Storage
If you have leftovers, this orange chicken makes great leftovers!
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Store for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- Reheat: Reheat in the microwave at 1-minute intervals until hot.
What to Serve with Orange Chicken
This delicious copycat orange chicken from Costco is great with all your favorite side dishes. Some of my favorites include:
- Crispy Wontons or Egg Rolls
- Rice: Make a batch of this homemade fried rice, coconut rice, white rice, or brown rice.
- Veggies: Steamed or roasted broccoli, stir fry veggies, or fried cabbage.
- Noodles work great too! My favorites are lo mein or rice noodles!
If you're still stuck for ideas of what to serve with this, check out our list of sides that will make your meal well rounded and complete!
Any amazing meal should be paired with an even better side dish. Sides take meals to the next level. To get ideas, go to What to Serve With Coq Au Vin.
Tips
- Want extra crispy chicken? Double fry it in oil set to 350° and 375° respectively.
- Serve with this easy coconut ginger rice for an authentic flavor.
- Make sure to not overcrowd the chicken in the pan.
- Don't over-thicken the orange sauce. The orange sauce should be thick but still slightly runny so that it coats everything nicely.
- Not a fan of frying? No problem. You can bake or air fry the chicken pieces as well.
FAQ
Any neutral vegetable oil like peanut oil, avocado oil, corn oil, or canola oil is suitable for frying.
We recommend serving this orange chicken with steamed white rice, jasmine rice, or brown rice. Alternatively, if you want to change things up, you can also serve it over quinoa or roasted vegetables.
Yes, you can double-fry it. For the first fry, heat the oil to 350° and fry some of the chicken (don’t overcrowd) for 2 minutes, then remove. Continue until all the chicken has been fried. Heat the oil to 375°, then begin frying again until a nice golden brown before removing it from the pan and setting it aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
More Chinese Takeout Copycat Recipes
Do you like Chinese takeout? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Costco Orange Chicken Copycat
Equipment
- deep fryer or heavy bottomed pot for frying
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
- 3 large eggs whisked
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Oil for frying
Sauce
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Optional garnish
- 1 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 orange zested
- 1 tablespoon green onion sliced
Instructions
- Heat 3 inches of oil in a large pan to 360°.
- Place the chicken breast pieces in a large bowl. Combine the eggs, cornstarch, flour and salt and pour over the chicken and toss to coat well.
- Fry some of the chicken in the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. When the chicken is golden brown, remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.
- Continue until all the chicken has been fried.
- In another pan, simmer the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil for 3 minutes. Stir the cornstarch into the water and whisk into the sauce. Continue to cook until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Add the chicken to the sauce and toss to coat.
- Serve with a sprinkle of zest, green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Liz says
Do you have specific directions on how to make this in the air fryer? Deep frying always giving me problems.
Karin and Ken says
Have a look at this! https://kitchendivas.com/air-fryer-orange-chicken/ Hope that helps. We’ve already modified the recipe for the air fryer. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! All the best. Karin
Delaney says
Would it be wrong if I ate this every night? Just gotta say its way better than the Costco chicken. Yours is the best I’ve had so far. Thank you
Karin and Ken says
Thank you for your kind words. We love this recipe too. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. All the best. Karin