Orange Chicken
Cuisine: Chinese
Categories: World Eats, Main Dishes & Chicken
Recipe Source: My Latina Table
Orange Chicken is a popular Chinese-American dish that features crispy, bite-sized pieces of chicken coated in a sweet and savory orange sauce. 1 The chicken is typically marinated, battered, and fried until golden brown and crispy. 1 The sauce is a delicious blend of orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and often a touch of ginger and garlic, creating a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors. 2 Orange Chicken is often served with steamed rice and vegetables, making it a satisfying and flavorful meal. 3
Difficulty: EASY
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serving Size: 4-6 servings
For the Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bit sized pieces and seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- 3/4 cup of corn starch, combined with a pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup of wheat flour, combined with a pinch of salt
- 2 eggs, beaten with salt and pepper
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying.
Directions:
- Heat the oil that you will use to fry in a deep pot or a fryer.
- First cover each piece of chicken in the corn starch.
- Next dip in the egg mixture.
- Finally coat in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
- Fry until golden brown and put in a bowl with a paper towel.
- Set aside
For the Orange Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup of fresh orange juice (or from a bottle)
- Zest from one lemon
- 3/4 cup of chicken stock
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons of sesame seed oil
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1/4 cup of ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of corn starch
- 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
- 1 Tablespoon chili sauce (optional)
- salt to taste
Directions:
- Heat the sesame seed oil over medium heat with the green onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes.
- Add the orange juice and lemon zest and bring to a slow boil for about 2 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce, the vinegar, 1/2 cup of chicken stock, ground ginger, chili sauce (optional), and the brown sugar and stir.
- Separately, in a small bowl, stir together the remaining chicken stock with the corn starch and once combined, add to the sauce.
- Mix everything well, and let it simmer until it has thickened.
- Season with more salt or sugar depending on the taste.
- Toss together with the chicken, add sesame seeds on top and enjoy!