Easy Orange Sauce Recipe

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Need a simple little sauce that you can put on chicken, in stir fry, or in any dish that needs a citrus twist? This Easy Orange Sauce recipe is easy and so delicious!

Easy Orange Sauce Recipe

This is another recipe we often make, and I recently posted it on my weekly meal plan. 🙂 I once again had many requests for the recipe, so I’m getting this out for you today!

I’m starting to feel like I’ve gotten quite behind on posting the recipes we are making lately…oh well, I will do my best to catch up!

This simple recipe uses common ingredients and can be made quickly to put with a meal. We like to use it to flavor Orange Chicken and other stir-fried vegetables. It’s not as sweet as the orange sauce that you might be used to getting from a Chinese takeout restaurant, but we think it tastes fresh and delicious.

When we have this over fried chicken, we also serve it with some stir-fried veggies and rice or even just over riced broccoli for a super simple meal!

This recipe cooks down to a little over a cup, so if you want leftovers or are cooking for a large family, you will want to double it.

Ingredients for Easy Homemade Orange Sauce

• Orange Juice. You can use freshly squeezed or regular orange juice or even orange juice concentrate if you want it to have a robust flavor. (Don’t add as much honey if you use the concentrate.)
• Apple Cider Vinegar or Rice Vinegar. I use apple cider vinegar, but you can use rice vinegar if you have that on hand. I’ve found that they are interchangeable in stir-fry sauce recipes. I buy my ACV by the gallon.
• Honey. You may need more or less honey, depending on the sweetness level you want it to be. I buy local honey, but you can also get it by the gallon here. You could use brown sugar if you don’t want to use honey.
• Garlic. This should be chopped. You can use pre-chopped or chop your own.
• Olive Oil. Another flavorful vegetable oil will work here, but I use olive oil since I always have that on hand.
• Salt. Sea salt or pink salt is recommended. I buy my pink salt in bulk.
• Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch + Water. You can use whichever starch you prefer. Arrowroot powder will keep the recipe grain-free. You could also use all-purpose flour to thicken if that’s all you have.
• Orange Zest. This is optional but might be an excellent addition if you use fresh orange juice instead of the concentrate.

How to Use Orange Sauce

We like to serve this over our favorite homemade stir fry made with chicken pieces and veggies for an easy Orange Chicken recipe. We’ve found that we like chicken thighs the best, but you could also use boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces or shrimp. You could also use tofu if you are vegan or want a low-cost option.

Garnish your Orange Chicken stir fry with green onions or a sprinkle of sesame seeds or red pepper flakes. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice.

You could also use this Orange Sauce over sushi or pork chops.

What is the Difference Between Orange Sauce and Sweet and Sour Sauce?

Sweet and sour sauce is not made with orange juice like orange sauce; instead it uses another kind of fruit as its base (pineapple, ketchup, etc.).

Step By Step Instructions for Making Homemade Orange Sauce

Put a little olive oil in a small saucepan on the stovetop and gently fry the garlic until fragrant.

Add in the orange juice, vinegar, honey, and salt. Heat the mixture until it boils, then lower the temp to a simmer.

Let the mixture simmer for a little bit until it begins to thicken. Whisk the mixture together occasionally so it doesn’t boil over. While the mixture is still bubbling, stir together a small amount of your chosen starch and water to make a cornstarch slurry, and then slowly add it to the orange sauce while stirring it.

Make your stir fry by cooking the meat first and then the vegetables in a skillet or wok. (I use this Deep Cast Iron Skillet) Add in the Orange Sauce shortly before removing the stir fry from the heat OR you can add it on afterward if you’ve made a breaded chicken stir fry and don’t want the chicken to get soggy.

Made this using up veggies from the garden (cabbage, onion, carrots and peppers) with leftover roasted chicken. The sauce was amazing and not cloying or too sweet. This is a keeper recipe!

Joni, Little House Living reader

Stir the mixture well and let it simmer for another minute to get it to a thickened consistency before removing it from the heat. Serve as a glaze over your choice of meat or veggies immediately.

Leftovers will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Need to print this gluten-free Orange Sauce recipe to put in your Recipe Binder? Grab it below!

5 from 3 votes

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Easy Orange Sauce Recipe

Easy Orange Sauce recipe for topping stir fry or other savory meals.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Orange Sauce Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 1.5 cups

Calories 842 kcal

Creator Merissa

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Orange Juice
• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Honey or slightly more depending on your tastes
• 3 cloves Garlic chopped
• Olive Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch + Water

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan on the stovetop put a little olive oil and gently fry the garlic until fragrant.

2. Add in the orange juice, vinegar, honey, and salt. Heat the mixture together until it boils and then lower the temp to a simmer.

3. Let the mixture simmer for a little bit until it begins to thicken. While the mixture is still bubbling, stir together a small amount of your chosen starch and water and then slowly add it into the orange sauce while stirring it.
4. Stir the mixture well and let it simmer for another minute to thicken up before removing it from heat. Serve over your choice of meat or veggies immediately.
5. Leftovers will last in the fridge up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Orange Sauce Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 842 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 0.3g2%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g

Sodium 1198mg52%

Potassium 2771mg79%

Carbohydrates 205g68%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 178g198%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 1615IU32%

Vitamin C 621mg753%

Calcium 185mg19%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I have also made this recipe using orange juice concentrate if I don’t have any fresh orange juice on hand. You will want to reduce the amount of concentrate added and add some water so it’s not so powerful. You may also want to reduce the amount of sweetener added.

For an extra kick of flavor and spice, add a bit of powdered ginger to the sauce for an “orange ginger” sauce.

How to Store Homemade Orange Sauce

Place any leftovers in the fridge in a jar or container and store them until ready to use. Use homemade orange sauce within a week of making it. I like to keep some of these Salad Dressing Glass Jars on hand to store sauces in the fridge for easier pouring.

If you have more than you will use in a week, place the sauce in a freezer container and freeze until you need to use it again. I like these Reditainer Freezer Containers.

More Homemade Sauces

• Poor Man’s Simple Garlic Sauce Recipe
• Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe
• Homemade Worcestershire Sauce Recipe from Scratch
• Simple Hot Sauce Recipe
• Homemade Soy Sauce Recipe 
• The Tastiest Gluten Free Stir Fry Sauce 

Do you like Orange Chicken? 

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Merissa Alink

Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.

This Orange Sauce Recipe was originally posted on Little House Living in September 2021. It has been updated as of May 2024.

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