What to Eat with Orange Chicken

Rice or noodles under it, a green vegetable beside it and something crisp to start, five ideas at a time.

What to Eat with Orange Chicken

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  1. Steamed white ricePlain, so it soaks up the orange sauce.
  2. Egg rollsHot and crisp, with a dish of sweet and sour sauce for dipping.
  3. Steamed broccoliBright green and plain. Drag the florets through the extra sauce.
  4. Chow meinStir-fried noodles with cabbage and onion, a scoop next to the chicken.
  5. Garlic green beansCooked in a hot pan until they blister, then tossed with garlic.

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How it works

What to eat with orange chicken? The chicken is fried, sticky and sweet, so the plate wants plain rice or noodles and a crisp green vegetable. These 38 sides add soups, dumplings, toppings and tea.

Read the full guide

The dish and its menu

Orange chicken is an American Chinese dish: chopped, battered and fried chicken in a sweet orange-flavored chili sauce that thickens to a glaze. It is also called orange peel chicken or tangerine chicken, and it is rarely found in restaurants in China. American Chinese menus also carry fried rice, chow mein, egg rolls, wonton soup and hot and sour soup, so the list starts there.

Build the plate

Start with rice or noodles to carry the sauce. Add one plain green vegetable, because the glaze is sweet enough for the whole plate. For a bigger dinner, put a soup or a plate of dumplings first and end with tea and a cookie.

  • Sweet dipping sauces belong with the starters, before the chicken.
  • Bring the chicken to the table last and hot, so the coating is still crisp.

Questions and answers

What sides go with orange chicken?

Steamed white rice, chow mein and steamed broccoli make a full plate. Egg rolls or potstickers start the meal, and garlic green beans or stir-fried bok choy add more green.

What vegetables go with orange chicken?

Plain green ones: steamed broccoli, garlic green beans, stir-fried bok choy, snow peas with garlic or Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce. A smashed cucumber salad is the cold choice.

What rice goes with orange chicken?

Steamed white rice takes up the sauce. Egg fried rice makes a fuller plate, brown rice is chewier, and sticky rice is the easy one to lift with chopsticks.

What soup goes with orange chicken?

Egg drop soup, hot and sour soup or wonton soup, in a small bowl before the chicken. Chicken and sweet corn soup is the mild one.

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All 38 sides

Rice 4

  • Brown rice Nutty and chewy under the sticky glaze.
  • Egg fried rice Fried with egg and green onion. Go easy on the soy sauce, the chicken is sweet.
  • Steamed white rice Plain, so it soaks up the orange sauce.
  • Sticky rice It clumps, so it is easy to lift with chopsticks.

Noodles 5

  • Chow mein Stir-fried noodles with cabbage and onion, a scoop next to the chicken.
  • Cold sesame noodles Make them ahead and serve them cold against the hot chicken.
  • Garlic noodles Buttery and savory, to balance the sweet glaze.
  • Lo mein Soft, saucy noodles. Keep the vegetables in them crisp.
  • Stir-fried rice noodles Thin and light, tossed with bean sprouts and a little soy sauce.

Vegetables 9

  • Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce Blanched, laid on a plate and drizzled with the sauce.
  • Garlic green beans Cooked in a hot pan until they blister, then tossed with garlic.
  • Smashed cucumber salad Cold and garlicky with rice vinegar, to cut the sweetness.
  • Snow peas with garlic A quick turn in a hot pan. They should still snap.
  • Steamed broccoli Bright green and plain. Drag the florets through the extra sauce.
  • Stir-fried bean sprouts Quick and crunchy, with green onion and a little soy sauce.
  • Stir-fried bok choy Halved and cooked fast with garlic, so the stems stay crisp.
  • Stir-fried mixed vegetables Carrots, snow peas, mushrooms and peppers in a light sauce.
  • Stir-fried napa cabbage Soft, sweet and mild, with a splash of rice vinegar.

Soups 4

  • Chicken and sweet corn soup Thick, mild and a little sweet, served in small bowls.
  • Egg drop soup A small bowl first, while the chicken finishes.
  • Hot and sour soup Peppery and tart, a good start before a sweet main dish.
  • Wonton soup Dumplings in clear broth, light enough to leave room.

Dumplings and starters 7

  • Crab and cream cheese wontons Fried until golden. Let them cool a little before biting.
  • Egg rolls Hot and crisp, with a dish of sweet and sour sauce for dipping.
  • Fried wonton strips A bowl to nibble with duck sauce and hot mustard.
  • Potstickers Pan-fried on one side, with soy sauce and vinegar to dip.
  • Scallion pancakes Cut into wedges and passed round the table.
  • Steamed pork buns Soft and fluffy, one each on the side.
  • Vegetable spring rolls Thin, crackly wrappers. Serve them the moment they are cooked.

Toppings and a sweet finish 6

  • Almond cookies Crumbly and not too sweet, with a cup of tea.
  • Chili oil A few drops for anyone who wants more heat.
  • Fortune cookies One each at the end, read aloud.
  • Orange wedges Cold and juicy after the meal.
  • Sliced green onions Scatter them on top for something fresh and green.
  • Toasted sesame seeds A pinch over the chicken just before serving.

Drinks 3

  • Hot jasmine tea Poured from a pot into small cups through the meal.
  • Iced green tea Unsweetened, since the chicken is sweet enough.
  • Sparkling water with a slice of orange Cold and plain between sticky bites.