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.
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
Panda Express Orange Chicken (Copycat)
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Panda Express Beijing Beef (Copycat)
Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Copycat Recipe
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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.
If you are fan of heat, you can add a tablespoon of Garlic Chili Sauce, Sriracha, or crushed red peppers to your sauce.
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.
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.
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.
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
Sweet and Sour Pork
Chinese Lemon Chicken
Easy Mongolian Beef
Chicken Lo Mein
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!
Ingredients
- 5 cups chicken nuggets , precooked
- 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce , (we used Sweet Baby Ray's)
- 1 cup sweet orange marmalade
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil , optional
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
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Photo used in a previous version of this post.
This sauce was amazing! Spot on!!
Sabrina, you are a flavor chemist! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Aw thanks Ayaka! Thanks for the five star review.
Had this for dinner. It was incredible delicious ?. Thank you.
You’re welcome Nancy! Thank you for the five stars.
Love the sauce, even my husband loved it, and he hates orange zest which is in the marmalade.
Love hearing this. Thank you Laura!
Not 3 ingredients.
3 ingredient Sauce with one of the ingredients optional :). I’ll have to clarify.
So easy, so quick for something so so good.
This was so good and extremely easy to make as well. Definitely will be putting this on my regular rotation ?
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.
Glad to hear! Thanks so much for the 5 star review, Kathy 🙂