How to make Asian Orange Chicken?
Orange Chicken is a traditional Chinese recipe where chicken pieces are coated in a sweet orange-flavored chili sauce, which thickens or caramelizes to a glaze. This dish is also known as “Dried Citrus peel chicken”, referring to dried orange peel or tangerine peel.
Ingredients for Orange Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Ingredients for Chicken:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup cornstarch, plus
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 tablespoons oil (for frying)
Direction: Orange Sauce
- Prepare a saucepan and pour 1 ½ cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar and soy sauce on it.
- Set the pan over medium high heat. Then stir in the orange zest, brown sugar (or just sugar), ginger, garlic, chopped onion and red pepper flakes.
- After the ingredients have boiled, remove it from the heat.
Direction: Chicken
- Place the chicken pieces in large bowl and set it aside. Then take a medium bowl and stir egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix them well and keep it aside.
- Stir together ½ cup of cornstarch and the flour in another medium sized bowl.
- Coat the chicken pieces with the egg mixer, then add to flour mixture (stirring to coat).
- Take a deep fryer and heat oil to 375 degrees. Add chicken (small batch at a time) in the fryer and let it get fried for 3 to 4 minutes or fry till it gets golden crisp. (Do not overcook chicken)
- Drain the chicken’s excess oil with a paper towel and set it aside.
- Place the orange sauce to boil again and add the cooked chicken. Stir until it gets well mixed.
- Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to chicken.
- Heat it until the sauce gets thick. You can stir in sesame oil and orange zest if you like.
- After the sauce is thicken, your orange chicken is ready to be served over rice.
