Chinese Orange Chicken
A better orange chicken than you’ve ever had! It’s full of fresh orange flavor and there’s no jarred orange marmalade or corn syrup. Perfection and the most amazing, sweet, and sticky orange sauce coats them. Talk about delicious, incredible food for comfort!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Orange Chicken
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 5
Calories: 608 kcal
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts, and cut into 1-1 1/2-inch piece
1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp of finely grated orange zest, zest of 1 1/2 fairly large orange.
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup of white vinegar
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 tsp of dried ginger
2 Tbsp of grated yellow onion (Add some of the juices when measuring)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp of Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
Freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste
1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp of cornstarch
2 Tbsp of cold water
2 large eggs
vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
Chopped sesame seeds and green onions for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
-Place chicken pieces and set them aside in a gallon-size resealable bag.
– Mix the chicken broth, the orange juice, the orange zest, the vinegar, the soy sauce, the granulated sugar, the ginger, the yellow onions, the garlic, the Sriracha, and the pepper in a medium saucepan.
– Whisk the mixture well, then measure 2/3 cup of the mixture and pour it into a resealable bag over the chicken.
– When the excess air is pressed out, seal the bag and then press the chicken into the marinade.
– In a bowl or baking dish, place the bag and refrigerate for 40 minutes.
– Meanwhile, over medium heat, return the remaining sauce mixture and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.
– Whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, and then stir the mixture into the sauce.
– Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.
– In a large cast-iron dutch oven, pour vegetable oil, fill the pot approximately 1 1/2 – 2 inches deep, and then heat the oil to 350 degrees.
– Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, whisk the eggs until they are well blended.
– Pour a separate shallow dish with the remaining 1 1/4 cups of cornstarch.
– Remove and drain the chicken from the refrigerator and also discard the chicken marinade.
– Dip the chicken pieces into the egg, followed by the cornstarch, and coat the chicken pieces evenly in the cornstarch, then gently place 1/3 of the chicken pieces in preheated oil and cook for around 7 mins until golden, turning once while cooking.
– Remove fried chicken from the oil using a skimmer and then transfer it to a paper towel-lined cookie sheet to drain excess oil.
– Repeat the process in two more batches with the remaining chicken, and pour the drained fried chicken into a bowl and toss with the sauce.
-Serve warm over white or brown rice garnished with sesame seeds and green onions (optional).
Author: Cooking Classy