Is orange chicken healthy?
In terms of vitamins and minerals and the level of protein it contains, it is healthy. However, its sugar level is high because of the orange sauce in it. So, it should be consumed cautiously.
Can I use lemon juice instead of orange in the orange sauce of chicken bites recipe?
Yes, you can use lemon juice instead of orange but the taste will be more sour and less sweet. If you do not want to lose sweetness, you can add 1-2 cubes of brown sugar while making the sauce.
Orange Chicken Bites Air Fryer Recipe
A delicious orange flavored chicken bites recipe made with chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are the upper part of chicken legs. They are meaty and their texture suits this recipe perfectly.
Tags: Air fryer chicken bites
Orange sauce in this recipe gives a sweet and sour taste to the chicken bites. Sweetness appeals to American taste but if you’d like to have a sour taste and do not like sweetness in dishes, then you can also use lemon juice instead of orange. Additionally, even though this recipe is made with chicken thighs which is more flavorful than other parts of the chicken, you can also make it with chicken breasts or tenderloins. So, this is a very flexible recipe that you can use with different ingredients and your air fryer will ensure an easy and well cooking. Hope you and your loved ones enjoy it!
Ingredients
- Chicken:
2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons cornstarch
Olive oil spray
- Orange sauce:
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ginger powder
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 orange, zested
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh scallions for garnish
1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish
Directions
Preheat the air fryer by selecting the “Chicken” function and adjusting the timer to 3 minutes. Once you press the “Start/Pause” button, it will begin warming up.
Cut chicken thighs into 1-inch cubes and season with salt and black pepper.
Add the seasoned chicken bites and cornstarch into a large zipper bag and, after closing the bag, shake vigorously to coat the chicken bites with cornstarch.
Remove the chicken bites from the bag and put them into the rotating basket (or regular air fryer basket if your air fryer does not have a rotating basket).
Mist the chicken bites with olive oil spray.
Open the air fryer, insert the oil drip tray at the lowest rack and set the rotating basket in.
Set the timer to 25 minutes. Once you press the “Start/Pause” button, it will start cooking. Chicken bites should turn golden brown when cooked.
To prepare the orange sauce while the chicken bites are in the air fryer, add orange juice, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger powder, red chili flakes, orange zest, and cornstarch into a saucepan.
Put it over the stove and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer it for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
Once the chicken bites are cooked, transfer them from the basket into a large bowl and pour the orange sauce on top of them.
Mix the chicken bites and orange sauce very well and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Serve them warm. You can garnish the orange chicken bites with scallions and sesame seeds if you wish.
Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
HOW TO SERVE ORANGE CHICKEN BITES:
Cracked wheat (bulgar) and green salad will serve perfectly as a side dish for orange chicken bites. Rice also goes well especially if it is made with chicken stock. But if you’d like to cut the carbohydrate intake, then you can also serve orange chicken bites with roasted vegetables such as cauliflower, squash broccoli, asparagus, carrots, green beans etc.
