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Calories · Chinese

Calories in orange chicken

A typical restaurant serving of orange chicken (one entrée portion, rice not included, about 200 g) is about 520 calories, usually 380–850.

Restaurant portions vary; this is a typical estimate, not a label. Also called Chinese orange chicken, crispy orange chicken.

~520
Orange chicken

The usual range

Drawn on one 0–2,000 scale shared by every dish page, so plates compare at a glance.

Protein, carbs and fat

  • Protein29 g
  • Carbs45 g
  • Fat25 g

One serving

Serving
one entrée portion, rice not included
Weight
~200 g
Per 100 g
~262

The dish

About orange chicken

Orange chicken is battered, fried chicken tossed in a sweet orange glaze, so it carries both frying oil and sugar. That makes it one of the denser takeout entrées per bite, and full orders are large.

What moves the number

Why one plate is 380 and another 850

  • Battered, deep-fried chicken pieces
  • Sugary orange glaze
  • Plate size: a full restaurant order is over 600 g

Ordering lighter

If you want a lighter plate

  • Order a half portion or share
  • Pair it with steamed vegetables
  • Choose steamed rice over fried rice or chow mein

Side by side

Next to other Chinese dishes

Chinese · typical restaurant servingAll about Chinese food →

  • Siomai (siu mai)~160four pieces, one steamer basket · usually 120–260
  • Wonton soup~170one bowl with broth and a few wontons · usually 120–380
  • Steamed dumplings~230eight steamed pork dumplings, dipping sauce not included · usually 180–400
  • Fried spring rolls~290two takeaway meat spring rolls, dipping sauce not included · usually 140–450
  • Beef and broccoli~320one plate portion, rice not included · usually 250–600
  • Xiao long bao~360one basket of 6 pork soup dumplings · usually 270–480
  • Kung pao chicken~390one plate portion, about half a takeout order, rice not included · usually 290–780
  • Mapo tofu~420one restaurant plate, rice not included · usually 300–550
  • Chicken chow mein~510one takeaway portion · usually 380–750
  • Orange chicken~520one entrée portion, rice not included · usually 380–850
  • Sweet and sour pork~520one main portion, rice not included · usually 400–800
  • Peking duck~570a share of roast duck with six pancakes, sauce, cucumber and spring onion · usually 420–800

In PlateDiary

A rough number for the dishes you save — only if you want one.

Off unless you turn them on

Calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and, when PlateDiary AI reads your photo of the table, each dish gets one rough “~” number. Accept it or change it; a number you correct is remembered for that dish. With Calories off, the app looks exactly as it did before.

A read sends small pictures of the cut-out dishes, with the place's name as a hint — never the table photo, faces or your location. Calorie numbers never go to analytics, and nothing is written to a health app. PlateDiary AI starts with free tries; here is how it works.

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How these numbers were made

Method and sources

Last reviewed

Restaurant portions and cooking vary, so these are typical estimates for one serving, built from the sources below. Treat it as a rough number: your plate may land anywhere in the range.

If you manage a health condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

AI helped draft this page; every number was checked against the sources.

  1. USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) — Restaurant, Chinese, orange chicken, FDC 167679 (order 648 g)

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many calories are in orange chicken?

A typical restaurant serving of orange chicken (one entrée portion, rice not included, about 200 g) is about 520 calories, usually 380–850. The number depends mostly on the portion and how it is cooked.

Why is orange chicken so high in calories?

The chicken is battered and deep-fried, then tossed in a sugary glaze: frying oil and sugar together, about 520 for a 200 g portion.

How big is a full restaurant order of orange chicken?

Often over 600 g, three times the portion here, so sharing or a half order matters most.

Is orange chicken higher than sweet and sour pork?

About the same: both are battered, fried and glazed — about 520 for 200 g of either, with sweet and sour pork.

What changes the calories in orange chicken?

Battered, deep-fried chicken pieces. Sugary orange glaze.

How can I order orange chicken lighter?

Order a half portion or share. Pair it with steamed vegetables.

Can PlateDiary show calories for the dishes I eat out?

Yes, if you want it to: calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and each dish you save from a photo of the table gets one rough “~” number you can accept or change.