This Mandarin Chicken is a healthier take on your favourite takeout dish – it has the most delicious sauce ever!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken thighs will also work, but will increase the calorie count.
- Eggs – you’ll need the egg to coat the chicken. Alternatively, you can try using mayo or buttermilk, but it may alter the flavour.
- Cornstarch – arrowroot or potato starch will also work. Alternatively, you can just replace it with more flour.
- Flour – use your favourite gluten-free flour instead.
- Sunflower oil – swap out for another neutral cooking oil such as avocado oil.
- Green onions – leave this garnish off altogether if you don’t have any on hand.
- Sesame seeds – white or black sesame seeds would both be good. If you don’t have any on hand, feel free to leave them off altogether.
Mandarin sauce
- Orange – you can technically use orange juice, but it will increase the calorie count.
- Cornstarch – arrowroot or potato starch are good swaps for cornstarch.
- Hoisin sauce – oyster sauce is the best substitute here.
- Sweet chili sauce – make your own using 1 tbsp. hot sauce, 4 tbsp. honey and 1 tbsp. soy sauce.
- Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice will both work.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Sriracha – or another hot sauce of your choice.
Rice
- Jasmine rice – you could also serve this dish with brown rice or any rice variety you like.
- Butter – olive oil or margarine will help keep the rice nice and moist.
- Salt – to taste.
How to make mandarin chicken
Step 1: Make the rice.
Add rice, butter, salt and water to a rice cooker or pot on the stove and cook until liquid has absorbed.
Step 2: Coat the chicken.
Add eggs to a bowl, then mix cornstarch and flour together in another large bowl. Dredge chicken in egg mixture, then toss in flour mixture.
Step 3: Fry the chicken.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add sunflower oil. When lightly smoking, add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
Step 4: Drain the oil.
Add chicken to a paper-towel lined plate to drain oil. Season with salt and set aside.
Step 5: Make the mandarin sauce.
Meanwhile, whisk orange juice and cornstarch together in a large bowl until there are no lumps. Mix in hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic and sriracha, stirring until well combined. Microwave, covered, for 1 minute until sauce thickens.
Step 6: Toss the chicken in the sauce.
Toss cooked chicken in the bowl with the sauce, then divide cooked rice among plates. Top with chicken, garnishing with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
What is mandarin chicken?
Mandarin chicken is a delicious Chinese dish, consisting of pieces of chicken cooked in a sweet orange-based sauce. The Americanized version is typically deep-fried, whereas the traditional version uses roasted chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
The mandarin sauce for this recipe is so good and is made using mostly pantry staples. To make the sauce, you’ll need to mix together a juiced orange, cornstarch, hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic and sriracha.
Yes! Mandarin chicken is a traditional Chinese dish dating back centuries. That being said, there is an Americanized version that typically uses orange juice and deep-fried chicken. This recipe more closely follows the Americanized version you’d find at your favourite takeout spot.
Orange chicken and mandarin chicken are very similar. Orange chicken is basically the Americanized version of the Chinese dish. Orange chicken is made with deep-fried chicken, and typically has a thicker sauce that is made with orange juice.
Storing and reheating
You can store any leftover mandarin chicken in airtight glass containers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
When it comes to reheating, I recommend reheating the mandarin chicken in a pan on the stovetop to keep the chicken nice and crispy. You could also pop it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes if you’re in a hurry! If you’re microwaving any leftover fried rice, sprinkle some water over top first so it doesn’t dry out.
Freezing this recipe
Freeze this mandarin chicken for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers or Ziploc bags. When you’re ready to enjoy your leftovers, let the dish defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal.
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More takeout-inspired recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this mandarin chicken into leftovers.
- A rice cooker is invaluable for saving time, and it cooks other grains, too!
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
Mandarin Chicken {Super Crispy!}
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts diced
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil
- 4 green onions sliced
- Sesame seeds optional, for garnish
Mandarin sauce
- 1 orange juiced
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp sriracha
Rice
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Add rice, butter, salt and water to a rice cooker or pot on the stove and cook until liquid has absorbed.
- Add eggs to a bowl, then mix cornstarch and flour together in another large bowl. Dredge chicken in egg mixture, then toss in flour mixture.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add sunflower oil. When lightly smoking, add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Add chicken to a paper-towel lined plate to drain oil. Season with salt and set aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk orange juice and cornstarch together in a large bowl until there are no lumps. Mix in hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic and sriracha, stirring until well combined. Microwave, covered, for 1 minute until sauce thickens.
- Toss cooked chicken in the bowl with the sauce, then divide cooked rice among plates. Top with chicken, garnishing with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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