How to reheat orange chicken?

Do you like Chinese cuisine? Orange chicken is a very popular Chinese dish. It has the perfect mix of sweet and savory sauce mixed into cubes of boneless chicken.

The sauce usually has a mixture of garlic, soy sauce, ginger, red chili flakes, sugar, and orange zest, and the result is delicious.

You can serve it with rice, steamed or fried. If you haven’t tried orange chicken yet, you should definitely put it on your bucket list to try it.

If you’re familiar with orange chicken, you know that it’s common to have leftovers. Or maybe you like to make freezer meals ahead of time. How can you reheat orange chicken and not compromise on flavor or texture?

Whatever the reason you have orange chicken that needs to be re-cooked, we have options for you.

Both storing and reheating orange chicken is really easy. You have reheating options that use the stovetop, microwave, or oven so you can reheat in the way that works best for you. 

Don’t worry about trying to figure out reheating techniques on your own! We’ve put together a handy guide detailing everything you need to know about how to reheat orange chicken.

Read on for all the inside details and be one step closer to enjoying your orange chicken…again.

How to preserve and reheat delicious orange chicken

Orange chicken doesn’t take as long to prepare and cook the first time. It’s a matter of cooking the chicken and making the sauce and then mixing it up. Of course, you might also want rice or noodles or something to go with it.

Orange chicken is a meal that’s easy to store and freeze if you make it ahead of time, it’s also a meal that takes a long time, and leftovers are just as easy to refrigerate or freeze and then reuse when you’re ready.

You just have to make sure that you have good airtight containers to store the food. Personally.

The steps to reheat orange chicken are really quite simple. There are no special tricks to get it to reheat well. There are no additional ingredients you have to add when reheating. It really is as easy as following the basic instructions below.

The rest of the great news about reheating orange chicken is that there are multiple ways to reheat it. If you’re in a hurry to heat it up, try the microwave option, but if you want crispy, flavorful reheated orange chicken, you can try the oven option.

The good thing about having multiple options is that you can determine which method will work best for you and also determine which method you prefer for the best end result.

The truth is, we all have different tastes and preferences, so what one person considers best may not be your preferred method, and that’s okay. 

Surely you are ready to get down to work and learn the details of how you can get to reheat your orange chicken. To get you started, we are going to share some pros and cons for you to review and get a general idea of what to expect.

The Advantages of Reheating Orange Chicken

• Save leftovers instead of throwing them away.
• You can reheat the orange chicken out of the fridge or freezer.
• There is more than one way to reheat orange chicken.
• The orange chicken tastes just as delicious the second time around.
• Due to the spices and sauce, it can taste bolder and better when reheated from standing time.
• Reheating orange chicken is very easy and doesn’t take too long.

The drawbacks of reheating orange chicken

• Breading or chicken may soften from storage.
• You may need to account for thawing time if you are freezing the orange chicken.
• You might need 2 steps to get the best results, but most of the time 1 step will suffice.
• You could get addicted to reheated orange chicken and start using it as a staple.

We’ve given you the basic expectations for reheating orange chicken, now let’s get down to the real details and talk about the process for both storing and reheating orange chicken.

Detailed Guide to Reheating Orange Chicken

It is important that we start by talking about the best way to store orange chicken. If you want your orange chicken to taste amazing when you reheat it, you have to store it properly.

How to store orange chicken

Storing orange chicken is also quite simple, whether you keep it in the fridge or freezer. If you take the time to store it well, you’ll be much happier with the result when it’s time to reheat the orange chicken.

1. You can store the orange chicken in the fridge using an airtight container or bag.  Make sure the orange chicken has cooled completely before storing to prevent excess moisture from building up in the container. You can store it in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
2. If you choose to freeze the orange chicken, we recommend using an airtight freezer bag or a freezer-safe dish that is airtight . Again, be sure to allow the orange chicken to cool completely before storing. Store it in the freezer for up to 6 months if it is tightly closed.
3. You can save leftovers or make freezer meals with orange chicken . Regardless of which way you do it, the tips for storage and reheating will not change unless specified.
4. Since the sauce coats the orange chicken, it freezes quite well . The sauce works similar to a preservative.

How to reheat orange chicken

In the information below, we’ll walk you through the steps to take if you’ve frozen your orange chicken, as well as give you specific instructions for reheating your orange chicken using one of three methods: cooktop, microwave, or oven.

If the orange chicken is frozen, allow it to thaw for 2-3 hours before reheating . The defrost time will allow it to reheat more efficiently without any side effects.

If you forget to allow the defrost time to pass, extend the heating times to compensate. For example, if you reheat on the stove, it may take longer to heat up if it’s frozen.

Stove

This is the most recommended method for reheating, as it will produce the closest results to when your orange chicken was made fresh.

Heat the pan slightly over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Next, add a small amount of oil (about 2 tablespoons) to the hot pan. Give the oil about 2 minutes to heat up. Add the chicken to the orange.

Heat until hot to your liking, stirring frequently. If you want, you can add more soy sauce. It may be necessary to add small amounts of water while heating to prevent the chicken from drying out.

Worried your orange chicken will dry out anyway? You can buy your own orange sauce to help with moisture and flavor!

Microwave oven

The microwave reheats Chinese food surprisingly well, especially if you’re in a hurry. On the other hand, the microwave is also more likely to affect its texture.

To heat in the microwave, place the orange chicken in a microwave-safe bowl. Dampen a paper towel and place it on top of the plate. The damp paper towel will help prevent the food from getting soggy.

Microwave for 3-4 minutes, but do it minute by minute, stirring the food every minute and checking to see if it is done. Your orange chicken will be ready when it has reached the desired temperature.

Kiln

The oven is another great method of reheating orange chicken. It may also take a bit longer than the other methods. If you’ve frozen the orange chicken, the oven is our top recommendation.

The oven heats food slowly, preventing it from drying out or becoming soggy. Turn on the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees. Place the orange chicken in an ovenproof dish and cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Close the aluminum foil tightly over the source.

Heat in the oven for 10-12 minutes, opening or removing the foil during the last 4 minutes of heating. You may have to stir every few minutes.

Related questions

We hope you found this guide to reheating orange chicken informative. We invite you to consult our questions and answers section below for more information that may be useful to you.

Can I follow these steps for rice or noodles too?

The fried rice or noodles that are typically served with orange chicken should be stored and reheated using the same steps for orange chicken above. Have you ordered wontons too ? We have a separate guide for reheating them. If you reheat them in the kitchen, we recommend that you reheat them in separate pans.

Is it safe to reheat orange chicken?

If you follow proper storage and reheating instructions, orange chicken is absolutely safe to reheat. Be sure to reheat the chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.