Orange Chicken
Transform your kitchen into a cozy takeout spot with this delightful Orange Chicken recipe! Featuring succulent chicken pieces tossed in a zesty orange sauce and a hint of ginger, this dish is a flavor explosion that’s surprisingly simple to whip up. Get ready to impress your taste buds and enjoy a homemade favorite that’s better than the restaurant version!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- garlic
- ginger
- fresh orange juice
- orange zest
- water
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- chicken
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- egg white
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- brown sugar
- cornstarch
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- black pepper
🍯Sauces & Condiments(2)
- rice wine vinegar
- soy sauce
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, combine together your chicken, cornstarch, black pepper, soy sauce, and egg white and water until you form a thin, paint-like batter consistency.
- 2
Fry these for about 4-5 minutes until golden, bonus points if you double fry them to get maximum crispiness.
- 3
To make the sauce, grate some garlic and ginger, add in soy sauce, fresh orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, and rice wine vinegar.
- 4
Bring this to a boil, stir in some cornstarch to thicken, and finally toss in your fried chicken pieces.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Fry the chicken pieces at 325°F for the first fry to cook the interior through, then increase oil to 375°F for a quick second fry of 60-90 seconds to create maximum surface crispiness via rapid moisture evaporation.technique325°F then 375°F
- ✓Whisk cornstarch into cold water (never directly into hot liquid) at a 1:2 ratio before adding to the boiling sauce, since cornstarch granules gelatinize instantly on contact with heat and will clump if not pre-dispersed.ingredient1:2 cornstarch to water ratio
- ✓Toss the fried chicken in the sauce within 60-90 seconds of it thickening and serve immediately, because prolonged contact with the hot liquid sauce breaks down the fried crust's structure through steam infiltration.timing60-90 seconds
- ✓Grate orange zest before juicing the orange, since the zest's essential oils (limonene) are released through mechanical rupture of oil glands and degrade quickly once exposed to air, losing aromatic potency within minutes.techniquezest before juicing
- ✓Maintain oil temperature between 325-350°F during frying by cooking chicken in small batches of 5-6 pieces, as overcrowding drops oil temp by 50-75°F and causes the cornstarch batter to absorb oil instead of forming a crisp shell.equipment325-350°F, 5-6 pieces per batch
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Orange Chicken
Transform your kitchen into a cozy takeout spot with this delightful Orange Chicken recipe! Featuring succulent chicken pieces tossed in a zesty orange sauce and a hint of ginger, this dish is a flavor explosion that’s surprisingly simple to whip up. Get ready to impress your taste buds and enjoy a homemade favorite that’s better than the restaurant version!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- garlic
- ginger
- fresh orange juice
- orange zest
- water
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- chicken
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- egg white
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- brown sugar
- cornstarch
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- black pepper
🍯Sauces & Condiments(2)
- rice wine vinegar
- soy sauce
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, combine together your chicken, cornstarch, black pepper, soy sauce, and egg white and water until you form a thin, paint-like batter consistency.
- 2
Fry these for about 4-5 minutes until golden, bonus points if you double fry them to get maximum crispiness.
- 3
To make the sauce, grate some garlic and ginger, add in soy sauce, fresh orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, and rice wine vinegar.
- 4
Bring this to a boil, stir in some cornstarch to thicken, and finally toss in your fried chicken pieces.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Fry the chicken pieces at 325°F for the first fry to cook the interior through, then increase oil to 375°F for a quick second fry of 60-90 seconds to create maximum surface crispiness via rapid moisture evaporation.technique325°F then 375°F
- ✓Whisk cornstarch into cold water (never directly into hot liquid) at a 1:2 ratio before adding to the boiling sauce, since cornstarch granules gelatinize instantly on contact with heat and will clump if not pre-dispersed.ingredient1:2 cornstarch to water ratio
- ✓Toss the fried chicken in the sauce within 60-90 seconds of it thickening and serve immediately, because prolonged contact with the hot liquid sauce breaks down the fried crust's structure through steam infiltration.timing60-90 seconds
- ✓Grate orange zest before juicing the orange, since the zest's essential oils (limonene) are released through mechanical rupture of oil glands and degrade quickly once exposed to air, losing aromatic potency within minutes.techniquezest before juicing
- ✓Maintain oil temperature between 325-350°F during frying by cooking chicken in small batches of 5-6 pieces, as overcrowding drops oil temp by 50-75°F and causes the cornstarch batter to absorb oil instead of forming a crisp shell.equipment325-350°F, 5-6 pieces per batch