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    Home Β» Side dishes

    Published: Mar 30, 2023 Β· Modified: May 16, 2023 by Zen Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

    Best Orange Chicken Sides

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    The best side dishes for orange chicken that are better than takeout, with a variety of flavors and textures to complete that sweet and sour orange sauce!

    Stir-fried Singaporean Mee Siam with omelette and fishcakes on a white plate.
    Jump to:
    • Rice
    • Noodles
    • Bread
    • Soup
    • Pork
    • Snacks
    • Veggies
    • πŸ’¬ Comments

    Orange chicken is a perfect Chicken Recipe for Date Night, but needs a couple of easy sides to make it a complete meal!

    Rice

    The crispy chicken in a sweet and tangy sauce makes Orange chicken taste great with even just a simple bowl of white rice, brown rice or even cauliflower rice! However, if you want something fancier, try 1 of these Asian rice recipes!

    Pumpkin Seafood Rice

    A scoop of Chinese pumpkin rice with some red chili, dried shrimp and coriander.
    Chinese Pumpkin Rice
    This Chinese Pumpkin rice is a super easy and flavorful rice cooker recipe: the soft pumpkin cubes melt in your mouth, contrasting with the firm bite of the white rice grains. Moreover, it only takes 10 minutes to prepare and the rest of the work is up to your rice cooker!
    Click here for the rice cooker recipe.
    Close-up of a bowl of brown coloured rice with pumpkin cubes, red chili, coriander and dried prawns.

    Rice

    A South East Asian feast of 2 types of pandan rice and other foods.
    Pandan Rice
    2 easy Pandan Rice recipes: I show you how to cook a fragrant white rice or a pandan-flavored, olive-green, creamy rice using 2-3 simple ingredients.
    Click here for the southeast asian rice recipe.
    A Singporean meal with 2 types of pandan rice, fried egg, eggplant and sambal kangkong.

    Fried Rice

    Personally, I wouldn't go with something as strongly flavoured as Kimchi Fried rice but a more neutral Egg Fried Rice with Soy Sauce or Yang Zhou Fried Rice (ζ‰¬ε·žη‚’ι₯­), paired with these easy rice side dishes, would go really well with orange chicken!

    The savory fried rice with the sweet and sour chicken is the perfect balance of flavors and textures!

    Noodles

    Stir-fried Rice Noodles

    A pair of chopsticks grabbing some fried vermicelli noodles with sliced carrots.
    Singapore Fried Vermicelli (Bihun Goreng)
    Singapore Fried Vermicelli, also known as Bihun Goreng, is delicious, easy to cook and quick to make in under 30 minutes. Using only simple ingredients (no chicken broth needed), it's a complete meal in itself. It's also cheap enough that some hawker centres (street food stalls) in Singapore sell it for only S$2/ US$1.50!
    Click here for the Economic Noodles Recipe.
    A plate of Singaporean fried vermicelli noodles with egg, carrot and fish cake.

    Singapore Noodles

    Close-up of chopsticks picking up a shrimp from a plate of shrimp Mei Fun.
    Shrimp Mei Fun (Fried Rice Noodles)
    Shrimp Mei Fun is an easy Stir Fried Thin Rice Noodles Dish. Packed with shrimp and vegetables, it's a complete meal with fibre and protein that cam be made in under 30 minutes!
    Click here for the classic Chinese takeaway recipe.
    Close-up of chopsticks picking up a shrimp from a plate of shrimp Mei Fun.

    Sesame Noodles

    Sesame noodles is a 15-minute tasty side dish that is typically served cold. Coated in a savory, sometimes spicy, sesame sauce, it's a great make-ahead side for a Chinese feast! (Just add red pepper flakes if you want more heat!)

    Note: if you want to go more multi-culture, Korean cold noodles is another good meal prep side dish.

    Thai Noodles Salad

    A plate of Thai vermicelli noodles amongst Chinese New Year decorations.
    Thai Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Abalone
    Tangy, sweet, spicy, and savory, this light Thai Vermicelli with Abalone Salad is a great make-ahead recipe for your Chinese New Year 2023 celebration dinner. It can even be a no-cook recipe, and is the perfect dish for beginner home chefs!
    Click here for the Thai cold noodle recipe.
    Vermicelli glass noodles mixed with sliced abalone, coriander, peanuts and dried shrimp on a leaf-shaped plate.

    Lo Mein

    Vegetable or Shrimp Lo Mein is an easy 20-minute noodle takeout recipe.

    Bread

    If you're tired of the typical rice or noodle side dish, mantou bao buns are a great carb when serving orange chicken- they're delicious dipped into the sticky sauce!

    Alternatively, try some of these classic Asian bread recipes.

    1 matcha green tea bun before being steamed.

    If you want a neutral flavor, just omit the matcha powder!

    Easy Matcha Buns (1-rise Mantou)
    An easy matcha bun (Chinese mantou bao) recipe which only requires 1 proof (1 rise), along with a mantou FAQ section on how to use a metal steamer (instead of the traditional bamboo steamer) and why your naturally vegan matcha buns aren't smooth.
    Click here for the mantou bao recipe.
    1 matcha green tea bun before being steamed.
    Spiral Pandan Mantou (Steamed Chinese Buns)
    Click here for the spiral bao buns.
    A few steamed spiral mantou buns on a serving board.

    Soup

    Wonton Soup

    Chinese wontons in a bowl of clear chicken soup.

    If you're vegan, I have a vegan version of Orange Chicken and more Chinese vegan recipes here! Delicious with fried garlic slices on top!

    Tip: wonton goes superbly with home pickled green chilies!

    Easy Vegan Wonton Soup for Colds
    Done in 20 minute vegan Chinese wonton soup that tastes as good as the traditional version. Gluten-free and made without commercially bought stock/ bouillon cube OR hours of making homemade stock! A great flu fighter thanks to the ginger and garlic!
    Click here for the vegan Chinese soup recipe.
    Chinese wontons in a bowl of clear chicken soup.

    Chinese Pumpkin Soup

    Close-up of a bowl of Chinese steamed soup in a pumpkin bowl.
    Chinese Pumpkin Soup with Carrots
    A deliciously savory dish, this Chinese Pumpkin Soup with carrots is also very nutritious and really easy to make in a few simple steps! (Basically, cut + steam!)
    Click here for the Chinese Soup recipe.
    A hand holding Chinese pumpkin soup served in a small pumpkin and white bowl.

    Egg Drop Soup

    Egg Drop Soup is the ultimate simple Asian comfort food. Its neutral flavor goes with just about anything!

    Hot and Sour Soup

    This easy, vegan version of hot and sour soup (ι…ΈθΎ£ζ±€) requires only a few ingredients!

    Pork

    Close-up of a pork rib with fingerlicking sticky sauce and caramelised bits.

    If you want more protein, try some of these easy Chinese pork recipes. My favorite is this 5-ingredient spare ribs recipe that is fingerlicking good!

    12345 Chinese Spare Ribs (5-ingredients)
    These Chinese Spare Ribs are delicious, finger-licking Asian-style pork spare ribs that are as simple to cook as 12345 (a mnemonic device that will also help you recall the recipe.) Using only the Asian pantry staples of wine, dark soy sauce, vinegar and sugar to braise the meat, with only a few minutes of active cooking, this is the best easy sticky Chinese Spare Ribs for a lazy food lover.
    Click here for the braised pork recipe.
    Close-up of a pork rib with fingerlicking sticky sauce and caramelised bits.

    Snacks

    Scallion Pancakes

    Crispy and flaky pan fried scallion pancakes on parchment paper.
    Taiwanese green onion pancake recipe (Cong you bing)
    Taiwanese green onion pancake (Cong you bing), also known as Chinese scallion pancake, is a delicious savoury street snack that is easy to batch make and freeze.
    Click here for the Chinese spring onion pancake recipe.
    Crispy and flaky pan fried scallion pancakes on parchment paper.

    Crab Rangoon

    The tangy orange sauce is a great way to brighten the heavy cream cheese filling of this classic American Chinese appetizer fried wontons. If you don't love crab, try these easy but delicious Asian appetisers!

    Egg Rolls

    These Shrimp Egg Rolls are a freezer-friendly, tasty side dish with a crispy exterior and flavorful filling. It's the perfect no-hassle side as you can make them in advance!

    Spring Rolls

    A lighter alternative to egg rolls, Springs Rolls or ζ˜₯卷 are filled with fresh vegetables such as carrots and radish, and also pair well with orange chicken. Dip them in the orange chicken sauce!

    Veggies

    Pickled Cucumbers

    Sliced cucumbers and red chilies in a glass jar.

    A burst of acid helps to brighten many Chinese dishes, and is a great palate cleanser!

    Asian Quick Pickled Cucumbers (5-min)
    These easy and delicious Asian Quick Pickled Cucumbers are ready in 5 minutes, and make a great cooling side dish in summer! (I show you how to make 2 versions: 1 that can be immediately after tossing in the brine (the 5-min recipe) and a 2nd that has a milder flavor and needs to pickle for 15- 30 minutes.)
    Click here for the Asian pickled vegetables recipe.
    A jar of homemade pickled cucumbers with chilies and an onion next to it.

    Cucumber Salad

    Cut cucumbers with chilli oil, soy sauce and vinegar heaped on top of them.
    Cold cucumber salad recipe
    The easy Chinese cold cucumber salad recipe is delicious and full of spicy flavor. Best of all, it only requires 4-ingredients and takes 5-10 minutes to make.Β 
    Click here for the Chinese Cucumber salad recipe.
    Close-up of red spicy asian cucumber salad.

    Steamed Vegetables

    Steamed veggies are a classic side dish that can go with just about anything! Think steamed broccoli, green beans, snow peas, carrots, and bok choy to add color, texture, and flavor to the meal.

    Soy Mushrooms

    A plate of seared mushrooms tossed in a butter soy sauce.

    Ok, mushrooms are technically not a veg, but you know what I mean- they're good for you! So good, you should check out this list of easy Asian mushroom side dishes!

    Quick Eryngii Mushrooms (3-ingredients)
    A 25-minute, easy to make and delicious eryngii mushroom recipe. These have a nice meaty texture which make them great meat substitutes for vegan meals.
    Click here for the easy soy butter mushroom recipe.
    A plate of seared mushrooms tossed in a butter soy sauce.

    If these ideas for what to serve with Orange Chicken were helpful, maybe you'd like to sign up for my Asian food newsletter?

    I have other recipes you may like here! :)

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      Mayak Eggs
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      16 Best Authentic Asian Egg Recipes
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      What to Eat with Samosa (29 ideas)
    • Close-up of a fat pork dumpling dipped in a chili soy sauce.
      Easy Chinese Dumpling Sauce

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    Hi I'm Zhen also known as GGG! I couldn't boil water till I was 18 but after living abroad (in St. Andrews then London) for 11 years and having to cook for myself, I now love cooking for friends and family. Learning to cook late, I make sure my recipes go into enough detail for those new to Asian cuisine or who love a test kitchen approach to cooking!

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