Home Chinese Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- Orange - Zest of 1
- Orange Juice - 1/4 cup
- Soy Sauce - 1/4 cup
- Water - 1/4 cup
- Rice Vinegar - 1/3 cup
- Cornstarch - 1 tablespoon
- Sesame Seed Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Chicken Thighs - 650g
- Egg - 2 large
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp
- Cornstarch - 1/2 cup
- All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
- Vegetable Oil - 2 cups
- Garlic - 2 cloves chopped
- Shallots - 1 chopped
- Scallions - Sliced
- Sesame Seed - Garnish
- Rice - To serve
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Instructions
- Make the orange sauce: Whisk together sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Set aside.
- Prep the chicken: Cut chicken into about 1-inch cubes.
- Whisk eggs with salt and black pepper in a bowl and add chicken.
- Stir together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and cornstarch.
- Remove chicken from eggs with a slotted spoon or tongs, letting excess egg drain off, then transfer to cornstarch mixture and coat well.
- Fry the chicken: Add oil to a large 10- to 12-inch skillet.
- Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F.
- If you don’t have a thermometer, you can also test the temperature by sprinkling in some flour.
- If the oil is hot enough, it should fizzle immediately.
- Once oil is hot, fry the chicken in two batches.
- The oil might not completely cover the chicken—that’s okay.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Flip the chicken pieces and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 to 4 more minutes.
- Total cook time is about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Remove fried chicken cubes and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, so the chicken can drain.
- Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
- Simmer the chicken in the sauce: Once chicken is done, pour out hot oil and wipe pan clean.
- Add a fresh tablespoon of oil along with chopped garlic and shallot.
- Cook for a minute and then add the sauce.
- Simmer the sauce until it starts to thicken.
- Once the sauce is lightly bubbling, add fried chicken and toss together to coat.
- The sauce should continue to thicken and stick to the chicken.
- Let simmer for a minute or two more.
- Serve orange chicken over cooked white rice, garnished with sesame seeds and fresh scallions.
- Did you love this recipe? Let us know with a rating and review! LEFTOVERS! The orange chicken keeps well in the fridge for 5 days.
- Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water over low heat.
- Freeze the orange chicken for up to 3 months, but be sure to thaw it before reheating so the chicken doesn’t clump together.