Orange chicken is one of our favorite meals to order at Chinese restaurants. But, we’re never actually sure what’s in it. This recipe is sweet and spicy and full of flavor. Your whole family is sure to love it. Serve it with some rice and you’ve got yourself a tasty dinner.
Ingredients:
Chicken:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 eggs, whisked
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup flour
- oil for frying
Orange Chicken Sauce:
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- orange zest from 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Garnish:
- green onions
- orange zest
Instructions:
Orange Chicken Sauce:
- In a medium pot add orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red chili flakes. Heat for 3 minutes.
- Whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to form a paste in a small bowl. Add to the orange sauce and whisk together. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the moisture thickens. When the sauce is thickened, remove it from the heat and add orange zest.
Chicken:
- Put the flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish or plate and add a pinch of salt and stir.
- Whisk the eggs in a shallow dish.
- Dip the chicken pieces in the egg mixture and then the flour mixture and place them on a plate.
- Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Wait for it to reach 350 F.
- Work in batches to cook several pieces of chicken at a time. Cook each for 2-3 minutes, turning often until they are golden brown. Place the chicken on a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the other pieces.
- Toss the chicken in the orange sauce. Top the chicken with green onion and orange zest.
