Easy Orange Chicken Freezer Meal Recipe (2024)

By Karrie on July 3, 2017 | Updated December 9, 2023 | 25 Comments

You know those days when you think you can get a lot of stuff done around the house, and then you realize it’s summer? I mean seriously! Every 5 minutes my kids are either hungry, bored, fighting or trying to get device time. And while I do love it when everyone is happy and I get to spend time with them, it is very hard to get anything on my to-do list done. Ha!

Well, at least I’ve got a stack of freezer meals in my freezer…it’s my summer life-saving secret. So today I wanted to share one recipe my kids adore. My simple & easy make ahead orange chicken freezer meal. Mmmmm! Mmmmmm!

This recipe is truly delicious. Sweet and packed full of just the right amount of ginger and orange!

Just follow the directions below to make this amazing orange chicken freezer meal.

Recipe Card

5 from 2 votes

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Orange Chicken Freezer Meal Recipe

Published By Karrie

Course Dinner

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword orange chicken

Servings 6 servings

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

This Orange Chicken Freezer Meal is yummy and easy to make ahead.

Ingredients

▢ 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
▢ 2 egg whites
▢ 2 tbsp cornstarch
▢ 1/2 cup vegetable oil
▢ fresh green onion, sliced optional

Orange Sauce

▢ 1/2 cup orange juice
▢ 1/4 cup water
▢ 1 tbsp soy sauce
▢ 1 tbsp honey
▢ 1 tbsp rice vinegar
▢ 1/4 tsp sesame oil
▢ 1 tsp garlic minced
▢ 1 tsp ginger pureed or minced
▢ 1 tsp cornstarch

Instructions

Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces.
In a medium sized bowl, combine cornstarch and egg whites. Stir and add chicken to bowl. Turn to coat chicken until all are well combined.
Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat, and when hot, add coated chicken in small batches. Cook, stirring often until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel as you cook remaining batches.
In another small bowl make the orange sauce by whisking together orange juice, water, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch.

Make It Now

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add orange sauce mix. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, then reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce thickens up. Pour sauce over chicken and serve with chopped green onions if using.

Freeze It For Later

Place uncooked sauce into labeled gallon sized bag. Seal, removing air. Place cooked and cooled chicken into another labeled gallon size freezer bag. You can add the sauce bag into this bag to prevent them getting separated. Place in freezer and freeze.
See Also
Cauliflower and Banana Peel Curry Recipe How to Make THE BEST Potato Salad Recipe | foodiecrush.com 15 Healthy Holiday Smoothie Recipes That Only *Taste* Indulgent Matcha Sweet Potato Mochi (Vegan + GF) - Rhian's Recipes

Reheating

Place frozen orange sauce mix into a bowl of hot water to thaw quickly. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place frozen chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until chicken is fully heated through. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, then reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce thickens up. Pour sauce over chicken and serve with chopped green onions if using.

Nutrition

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About Karrie

Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...

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Comments & Reviews

Eilish Burke says
January 30, 2022

what veg would you suggest doing with this
Reply
- Happy-Money-Saver says
  March 3, 2022
  
  I love to do broccoli with this meal!
  Reply
Laurie says
June 8, 2021

My coating did not stick to the chicken. I did use a cast iron skillet thinking that would work best, but the coating all stuck to the bottom. Can you tell me what I did wrong? Mine is in th freezer, but I would love to make this again with crispies chicken. I really like the air fryer idea!
Reply
Joan T says
October 27, 2020

Be prepared to have your entire kitchen splattered with grease. What a huge mess
Reply
- Katie says
  December 12, 2020
  
  I always like to do my frying in my dutch oven, though any deep walled pot should do. No need to adjust the amount of oil called for. The walls of the pot significantly reduce the amount of oil spatter on the stove and surrounding surfaces.
  Reply
  - Lori says
    April 20, 2021
    
    I’m going to cook my chicken in my air fryer to reduce calories and grease. I think it’ll work just fine.
Andrea says
October 7, 2020
See Also
Kolhapuri Chicken Curry Recipe

Do you have suggestions for how I could batter the chicken without the egg whites? My daughter has an egg allergy. I know the egg whites add extra crispness, but I wonder if I could just substitute milk of water instead with the cornstarch?
Reply
- DANAJOY MOBLEY says
  November 16, 2020
  
  You could try Aquafaba. It’s the liquid that canned beans sit in. I’ve used it in the past, can’t really tell the difference.
  Reply
Lori says
August 26, 2020

Can you cook the sause then freeze it?
Reply
- Karrie says
  August 31, 2020
  
  I haven’t tried that, I don’t think it would work, it would probably be super clumpy? But I could be wrong… try it and see!
  Reply
Lou Ann says
July 17, 2020

Looks like a keeper. We love Orange Chicken. Now I can make it at home. Thank you.
Reply
Tash says
December 6, 2019

This is my first time at this site, and first time making orange chicken. I am swooning. The sauce is delicious. I never leave reviews but felt like I ought to die to how much I have enjoyed it. Thank you very much for posting. I’m so glad I stumbled across your website.
Reply
- Karrie says
  December 8, 2019
  
  Yay, glad you liked it!!!
  Reply
e says
November 23, 2019

I wanted to mention, well a few things 1) I LOVE your page. 2) there’s an app called prepear that I think would be cool to add to this page. it just helps people add the recipes to their phones. I was saddened to not see it linked to this page but I thought I’d mention it.(I’m not affiliated or anything just thought this awesome page would be even better if I could download these to my phone for when I go shopping) 3) Thank you for putting this page together . As a mom of 8 with chronic illness and other fun crud, this page has become such a useful tool to help keep kids fed, it is, well, a blessing. Anyways, keep up the good work!
Reply
Cheryl says
April 11, 2019

Can you coat and freeze the chicken raw and then cook it the day of?
Reply
Kari says
January 10, 2019

When I made it, the egg white
Mixture was not thick enough to coat the chicken… I basically fried naked chicken ?any tips?
Reply
- Karrie says
  January 15, 2019
  
  Hmmm… very strange. You may have had some watery eggs… I’m not sure! Strange!
  Reply
- Ashley Benedict says
  March 8, 2021
  
  I had this same problem my first time also. I quickly learned to coat the chicken little by little. I need much more batter.
  Reply
Robbie M says
October 24, 2017

Well !!! I tried this recipe last night and it is Delicious !!!! Bravo, Bravo !!! The chicken (I ended up using boneless skinless thighs) is so very tender but I’m sure the breast meat would have been delectable also. And the sauce…. super yummy !! Just a couple things, though…perhaps i am misreading the quantities, but I ended up needing to triple the egg whites/cornstarch amount to make enough to coat the chicken chunks. (although i DID discover that with more brisk whisking, the frothiness builds and seems to increase the volume.) Also, we didn’t think the sauce ingredients made enough sauce for all the chicken. But all is well; I will tweak it a little next time. Everyone LOVED the flavor ! And I love how clearly you explained the preparation processes for making it to cook “now” vs making it to freeze. Love your site, girl !!!! keep it up !! I am learning so much .:)
Reply
- Karrie says
  October 24, 2017
  
  So happy you liked it!!!
  Reply
Patti says
September 5, 2017

Can you tell me why you don’t freeze the sauce with the chicken in one bag
Thank-you
Reply
- Karrie says
  September 5, 2017
  
  It will make it soggy if it’s together.
  Reply
Teresa says
July 10, 2017

Sounds yummy, can’t wait to try this. I am on a sugar free menu.
Reply
- Angelic Lewis says
  September 16, 2021
  
  Thank you for this recipe! It was delicious! Kids said it didn’t really taste like Panda! lol. The sauce didn’t thicken much but I’ll try again in a few weeks. Husband loved it!
  Reply
denise says
July 7, 2017

This looks easy and delicious. I will try this next week for sure. Thanks. Look forward to your videos!
Reply

Easy Orange Chicken Freezer Meal Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in frozen orange chicken? ›

OVEN FRIED BREADED CHICKEN BREAST WITH RIB MEAT (CHICKEN BREAST WITH RIB MEAT, WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, RICE FLOUR, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, 2% OR LESS OF MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, SALT, TAPIOCA DEXTRIN, SUGAR, MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, WHEAT GLUTEN, PALM OIL, LEAVENING [SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA], GARLIC ...

Learn More Now ›

How long can you freeze orange chicken? ›

You can freeze orange chicken for up to three months. If you do, thaw it before reheating in the skillet so the chicken pieces separate easily.

Discover More Details ›

How to cook frozen orange chicken on the stove? ›

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and add contents of chicken bag. Heat chicken for 15 to 18 minutes over Medium Heat. Turn chicken pieces regularly to heat evenly until crisp and/or golden brown .

Read On ›

What is orange chicken sauce made of? ›

How to make the orange chicken sauce. The orange sauce is made from a mixture of the orange juice and zest, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar. This is bubbled up in the wok until slightly thickened. The chicken is then added back in, and tossed in the sauce until fully coated.

Know More ›

What is Chinese orange chicken made of? ›

This Chinese Orange Chicken is made with boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces, dredged, and then fried until golden and crispy. The orange sauce is divine! It is a sweet orange sauce made with orange juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, red chili flakes, and orange zest.

Learn More ›

Is 5 year old frozen chicken still good? ›

A raw whole chicken can be kept in your freezer for up to a year. Raw chicken parts can be kept in your freezer for up to nine months. Raw ground chicken or giblets can be kept in your freezer for three to four months.

Get More Info ›

Can I eat 2 year frozen chicken? ›

If kept frozen continuously, it will be safe indefinitely. Chicken may be frozen in its original packaging or repackaged. If freezing longer than two months, over wrap the porous store plastic packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap or freezer paper, or place the package inside a freezer bag.

Read The Full Story ›

Can I use 2 year frozen chicken? ›

It depends on the cut. A whole chicken or turkey can be kept in the freezer for up to one year. Chicken or turkey in pieces can be kept in the freezer for up to nine months. Ground chicken or turkey is best consumed within three to four months if frozen from the date of purchase.

Read On ›

Can I cook chicken and then freeze it for meal prep? ›

Yes, you can absolutely freeze chicken that has been cooked. Freezing cooked chicken (and cooked food in general) is about convenience. When you have a busy schedule, preparing meals ahead saves time. And when you have leftovers that are frozen properly, you also decrease your food waste, saving money in the long run.

Can I meal prep and freeze? ›

A freezer is an ace option for meal preps that will be eaten more than four days later. This includes pizza, pasta, meat, and veggies. The main drawbacks of storing batch meals in the freezer are that they can be hard to reheat and may lose taste over time.

Discover More ›

Is frozen orange chicken pre cooked? ›

Easy to Prepare. The chicken is precooked and flash frozen. This doesn't mean you can thaw it out and eat it, however.

Learn More ›

Can you cook frozen chicken without thawing? ›

Information. Raw or cooked meat, poultry or casseroles can be cooked or reheated from the frozen state. However, it will take approximately one and a half times as long to cook. For example, if fresh meat takes one hour to cook, the same meat cooked frozen would take 1 1/2 hours.

See Details ›

What does Panda Express orange chicken have in it? ›

Ingredients: dark meat chicken, water, sugar, distilled vinegar, modified food starch, corn starch, potato starch, contains less than 2% of: wheat, orange extract, caramel color, salt, garlic, phosphoric acid, rice wine, sesame oil.

What are the ingredients in Costco orange chicken? ›

CHICKEN: BREAST MEAT CHICKEN WITH RIB MEAT, WATER, UNBLEACHED ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), SOYBEAN OIL, CORNSTARCH AND CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SALT, ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN, POTASSIUM CARBONATE, DEXTROSE, EGGS, SPICES, WHEY SOLIDS, ...

What is Panda Express vegan orange chicken made of? ›

It's made with crispy breaded morsels of Beyond Chicken that are wok-tossed in Panda Express's signature vegan-friendly orange chicken sauce. Best of all, the Beyond Meat orange chicken at Panda Express is completely vegan as-is—no modifications needed!