3 Ingredient Orange Chicken (Orange Marmalade BBQ)

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on

86 Comments

4.65 from 34 votes
6
Prep Time 14 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 15 minutes
Jump to FAQsJump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

3 Ingredient Orange Chicken in less than 20 minutes! Easy orange marmalade bbq sauce and crispy chicken make for a quick and tasty dinner!

It’s no secret that we are huge fans of Orange Chicken. From our classic Panda Express Copycat to Ground Orange Chicken, we are constantly on the hunt for new versions of this popular Chinese Recipe.

3 Ingredient Orange Chicken in bowl over rice

What do you get with 3 simple ingredients and your favorite frozen popcorn chicken? Microwave magic – also known as the easiest version of Orange Chicken ever. It’s been floating around Pinterest for as long as Pinterest has been around.

If you’ve tried any of our other recipes for Orange Chicken, you know by now that we know our way around creating a zesty, sweet orange sauce with a bit of kick. If we could make this popular Chinese takeout dish every night, we absolutely would.

But life gets busy and sometimes you just don’t have time to bust out the wok and gather all the ingredients to make your favorite dish. This recipe is so easy, you can even put your kids in charge of it. It makes a great after school snack that they can make on their own.

One of the best parts of easy dishes like this Orange Marmalade sauce is that you can customize it to your taste. The FAQ below has some suggestions on how to alter the flavors by just swapping or adding an ingredient or two.

This recipe uses frozen popcorn chicken, but you could also make a big batch of Chicken Nuggets and freeze them for quick dinner recipes like this one.

Serve your 3 Ingredient Orange Chicken sauce (note: the 3 ingredients is for the sauce, since the chicken is variable depending on if you make your own or use frozen) with your favorite Chinese sides like our super easy Fried Rice, for an easy weeknight meal in less than 30 minutes total!

Most Popular Panda Express Recipes

How to Make 3 Ingredient Orange Chicken

  • Cook the chicken nuggets according to the directions on bag (or make Homemade Chicken Nuggets).
  • Mix together the bbq sauce, orange marmalade, soy sauce and sesame oil (optional) in a microwave safe bowl and cover with a damp paper towel.
  • Microwave for 45 seconds.
  • Toss the hot, crispy, chicken nuggets with the orange bbq sauce.
Orange Chicken with just 3 ingredients in bowl with white rice

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of BBQ sauce should I use for Orange Chicken sauce?

We like to use Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue sauce, but you can substitute your favorite brand instead. Choose a spicy version for more of a kick.

How do I make a spicy Orange Chicken sauce?

If you are fan of heat, you can add a tablespoon of Garlic Chili Sauce, Sriracha, or crushed red peppers to your sauce.

Can I make Vegetarian Orange Chicken?

Make this with fried or baked tofu for an easy vegetarian version. A tip for making tofu is to press it between two plates, with the top one weighted. Line plates with paper towels and leave in the fridge pressing for a few hours before baking or frying.

How do I lighten up this Orange Chicken recipe?

Try this sauce with turkey meatballs or chicken meatballs served on top of Steamed Rice and Mixed Veggies for a healthy, quick lunch or dinner.

What other Asian flavors can I use for Orange Chicken sauce?

Play around with ingredients you might have on hand like teriyaki sauce, sesame seeds, or hoisin sauce to give slightly different Asian inspired flavors. Hoisin sauce is generally regarded as an Asian bbq sauce, so swapping it in here would be a great option.

Three Ingredient Orange Chicken and bowl

How to Use 3 Ingredient Orange Marmalade BBQ Sauce

You don’t have to stick with just your traditional easy Orange Chicken with this sauce. Use it for:

  • Shrimp: Toss some popcorn or Tempura Shrimp in the sauce for a delicious party appetizer. 
  • Chicken Wings: Use this easy sauce for some sticky sweet chicken wings. Mix in your favorite hot sauce for a spicy version.
  • Dip: Instead of Sweet and Sour Sauce, use this recipe as a zesty dip for Egg Rolls or Crab Rangoons.

More Delicious Chinese Food Recipes You NEED to Make

How to Store 3 Ingredient Orange Chicken

  • Serve: Orange Chicken is okay to leave at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
  • Store: Keep leftovers for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container.
  • Freeze: You can freeze your chicken for up to 2 months in an airtight container. To make ahead, mix the sauce ahead of time and freeze in airtight containers next to your frozen chicken nuggets so you can make this with no extra effort needed!
Three Ingredient Orange Chicken top view

Pin this recipe now to remember it later

Pin Recipe
Dinner, then Dessert

3 Ingredient Orange Chicken

3 Ingredient Orange Chicken in less than 20 minutes! Easy orange marmalade bbq sauce and crispy chicken make for a quick and tasty dinner!
Yield 6
Prep Time 14 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Author Sabrina Snyder
3 Ingredient Orange Chicken in large white bowl
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

Instructions

  • Cook the chicken nuggets according to the directions on bag.
  • Mix together the bbq sauce, orange marmalade, soy sauce and sesame oil in a microwave safe bowl and cover with a damp paper towel.
  • Microwave for 45 seconds.
  • Toss the hot, crispy, chicken nuggets with the orange bbq sauce.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 865mg | Potassium: 361mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 134IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg
Keyword: 3 Ingredient Orange Chicken, three ingredient orange chicken

Want to save this recipe? Create a free account to easily save your favorite recipes

3 Ingredient Orange Chicken Collage

Photo used in a previous version of this post.

Collage of 3 Ingredient Orange Chicken photos

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

Categories

Leave a comment & rating

Have you checked the FAQ section above to see if your question has already been answered? View previous questions.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. This was so good and extremely easy to make as well. Definitely will be putting this on my regular rotation ?

    Reply

  2. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. My husband loved this recipe. The sauce is amazing! We do not need take out to enjoy orange chicken. We have made it twice in the last couple of weeks.

    Reply