Air Fryer Orange Chicken with Cucumber Salad

A delicious and balanced dish featuring air-fried orange chicken with a refreshing cucumber salad and a touch of heat from Fresno chiles. Perfect over fluffy jasmine rice.

By @kitchenswagger

Original recipe source

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 3

Ingredients

• 1.5 orange juiced and zested
• 0.25 cup honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 0.5 tbsp corn starch
• 1 clove garlic grated
• 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
• 1 mini cucumber thinly sliced
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 0 crushed red pepper flakes
• 0 pinch sugar
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 egg
• 0.5 cup corn starch
• 0 to taste salt
• 0 cooking spray avocado oil preferred
• 1 Fresno chile sliced
• 0 sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Combine the orange glaze ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well combined. Set aside.
2. Prepare cucumber salad by adding cucumber slices, sesame oil, vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, and sugar to a lidded container. Shake well to combine. Set aside.
3. Cook the rice according to the package instructions and rinse before cooking to achieve fluffy rice.
4. Cut chicken thighs into 1-inch cubes. Season with salt. Whisk egg in a bowl, add chicken, and coat well. Transfer to a plate with a layer of corn starch for a light coating.
5. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Add chicken in a single layer. Spray top with more oil. Air fry at 375°F for 10 minutes, flip, then fry for another 5 minutes or until crispy.
6. Heat orange sauce and Fresno chile in a large pan over medium heat, stirring until sauce slightly thickens. Add the air-fried chicken and toss until coated.
7. Serve the chicken over the prepared rice, topped with cucumber salad and sesame seeds.