Most of the time I try to avoid fried foods but sometimes I just can’t resist. Like Asian orange chicken for example. How could I do without it? I don’t make fried chicken of any kind too often because 1. It’s obviously not the best thing for you and 2. I never like how my house smells when I fry something. But again the fried smell is sometimes oh so worth it. Like with this. It’s funny I actually didn’t hate the fried smell as bad with this recipe I made because it almost had a light orange scent to it =). This was the best orange chicken I’ve ever had. I’m not trying to brag because it’s my own recipe, it’s just simply the best I’ve ever had (who knows though maybe I just don’t get out much =). Tender, marinated then fried chicken is coated with an orange sauce that is loaded with intensely delicious and exciting flavors, most of it being orange. It doesn’t have a lot of water in the sauce (like some orange chicken recipes out there, that kind of seems like a flavor dilution to me) and it has so much fresh, vibrant orange flavor. I will always love fried foods, I personally think there is nothing wrong with enjoying them in moderation. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless, chicken breast halves, diced into 1 - 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (zest of 1 1/2 fairly large oranges)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp dried ginger
- 2 Tbsp grated yellow onion (be sure to get some of the juices when measuring)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
- Freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste
- 1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp cold water
- 2 large eggs
- vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
- chopped green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Place chicken pieces in a gallon size resealable bag, set aside. In a medium saucepan combine chicken broth, orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, granulated sugar, ginger, yellow onion, garlic, Sriracha and pepper. Whisk mixture well, then measure out 2/3 cup of the mixture and pour it over the chicken in resealable bag. Seal bag while pressing excess air out, and press chicken into marinade. Place bag in a bowl or baking dish and refrigerate 30 minutes. Meanwhile, return remaining sauce mixture over medium heat and bring mixture just to a boil, stirring frequently. In a small bowl whisk together 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water then stir mixture into sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 1 - 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until thickened, remove from heat.
- Pour vegetable oil into a large cast iron dutch oven, filling pot about 1 1/2 - 2-inches deep and heat oil to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a shallow dish until well blended. Pour remaining 1 1/4 cups cornstarch into a separate shallow dish. Remove chicken from refrigerator and drain and discard marinade from chicken. Dip chicken pieces into egg followed by cornstarch and toss pieces to evenly coat in cornstarch, then carefully place 1/3 of the chicken pieces into preheated oil and cook for 5 - 7 minutes until golden, turning once during cooking. Using skimmer, remove fried chicken from oil and transfer to a paper towel lined cookie sheet to drain excess oil. Repeat process with remaining chicken working in two more batches. Pour drained fried chicken into a bowl and toss with sauce. Serve warm over white or brown rice garnished with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
- Recipe Source: Cooking Classy
Yammie @ Yammie’s Noshery: I think I’m the one who doesn’t get out much… I don’t know if I’ve ever actually had orange chicken! It’s been on my to-do list for a while though. Your looks AWESOME. February 11, 2013 at 6:57pm
Jaclyn: Haha =) theirs a lot of foods I’ve never had. I wish I could try everything – er well almost everything =). Thanks by the way =). February 12, 2013 at 11:05pm
Laurie: Yum! Sounds absolutely delicious! February 12, 2013 at 8:02am
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious: I’m totally going to have to make this for dinner tonight! February 12, 2013 at 2:02pm
Jeannette: I am so looking forward to making and eating this! Thank you!
By the way, you have some great recipes! February 12, 2013 at 2:37pm
Jaclyn: Jeannette – Thanks so much! and your welcome =). I hope you love it! February 12, 2013 at 11:23pm
Rachel @ Bakerita: This sounds amazing!! What a yummy, decadent dinner treat. :) February 12, 2013 at 3:39pm
Curry and Comfort: Wow… that is jaw dropping good!! I mean you really captured all the best of chinese orange chicken here!! Bravo!! Amazing job. :) February 13, 2013 at 7:04am
Jaclyn: Thank you so much =)! February 14, 2013 at 9:17am
Parrish Ritchie: Hello I found you on Pinterest and love your blog and I cannot wait to make this chicken, it looks gorgeous!! I want to invite you my linky party so you can share some of your amazing recipes!! Hope to see you there!! http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com/two-girls-and-a-party-week-3-valentines-edition/ February 13, 2013 at 12:06pm
Shawn @ I Wash…You Dry: I’m a totally sucker for orange chicken. But usually none compare to Panda Express (I know I’m awful), I have tried several and they have all fallen short. I am going to try yours because your recipes are always a winner at my house! Can’t wait! February 13, 2013 at 6:51pm
Jaclyn: That’s not awful at all =) I’ve heard a lot of people say panda is their favorite =). I hope you love this recipe though Shawn! Thanks for your comment, I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed my recipes that’s awesome to hear! February 17, 2013 at 11:11am
Krystyna Cooks In Sydney Australia: I made this on Saturday night Yes it was delicious It was much better when I ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning Even though I have a “Sunbeam” Press & Seal – similar to cryovac ing I simply placed the chicken in a shallow bowl Massaged the marinade into the poultry & let it sit for an hour I also used FRESH GINGER instead of dried Ginger which gave it a more stronger flavour I assume I have a recipe for Lemon Chicken from “Pei Mei Chinese Cookbooks” 1 & 2 Similar in preparation Except I found using “Lee Kum Kee” Lemon Sauce easier to use for me I once read why not cut corners if you can We LOVED this dish THANK YOU so much for your GREAT recipe & I will also make this a favourite go to February 17, 2013 at 6:12pm
Jaclyn: Krystyna ~ I’m so glad that you enjoyed this, and what a great breakfast =)! Thanks so much for returning to leave a comment! February 17, 2013 at 10:37pm
what katie’s baking: oh myyy this literally made my mouth water haha! February 17, 2013 at 10:00pm
Jeannie: Wow! That dish looks pretty awesome! I love the flavors combinations! Oranges are in abundance right now, so is chicken:D February 17, 2013 at 11:10pm
Orange Chicken with Couscous- Fried Rice Style | Curtis Camp: [...] was perusing Pinterest looking for new ideas and came across this recipe from Cooking Classy. I can’t say that I followed the marinade to the T, but it was pretty [...] February 21, 2013 at 11:53am
Jess: I totally pinned for later! YUM!!
I’d love for you to join me at my Blog Hop! :)
http://www.pluckys-secondthought.com/pluckys-blog-hop/ February 22, 2013 at 9:50am
Around the Web: Asian Inspired Recipes | SocialCafe Magazine: [...] Chinese Orange Chicken by Cooking Classy [...] February 28, 2013 at 3:53pm
Viridiana: Hello I came across your recipe through Pinterest and I’m new at cooking (hehe rookie right) this might sound (not like a smart question) but I want to clear something out. I have to put the cast iron (is it a pot or can I use a regular pan?) in the oven to heat the oil (in the oven) and that’s how you fry the chicken in the oven??? Or do you take out the pan from the oven once you are going to fry the chicken? Please I hope it’s not a dumb question the heating instructions aren’t so clear to me. March 7, 2013 at 10:27am
Jaclyn: Viridiana – Sorry I should have been more specific, you heat it on the stove top NOT in the oven. Just a sturdy pot on the stove top works great. And don’t worry it’s not a dumb question =). March 8, 2013 at 5:04pm
Viridiana: Thanks so much!!!! I’m going to surprise my husband with this recipe tonight!!!!!! March 13, 2013 at 4:42pm
Jaclyn: I hope you both love it Viridiana! March 14, 2013 at 4:03pm
Sandy: Just made this for dinner and “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner” It was amazing. The smell around my house reminded me so much of the orange chicken I get at restaurants. Will definately make this recipe again. Now on to Honey Sesame Chicken….. March 10, 2013 at 4:19pm
Jaclyn: I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this Orange Chicken Sandy! Thanks for returning to leave a comment! I hope you enjoy the Honey Sesame Chicken too! March 16, 2013 at 9:53pm
Chinese Orange Chicken | Culinary Explorer: [...] Recipe from Cooking Classy [...] March 11, 2013 at 7:54pm
Path Less Traveled: Best. Recipe. Ever. March 13, 2013 at 7:56am
Jaclyn: I’m so glad you think so =)! March 13, 2013 at 8:47am
nanci: hey! can’t wait to try this out, i was just wondering idk if i missed it or not but for how many people is this recipe for??/ March 19, 2013 at 11:52am
Jaclyn: Nanci – probably about 3 – 4 servings. Sorry I forgot to add the serving amount =). March 19, 2013 at 4:03pm
Victory: Delirious delicious! I doubled up on the chili sauce, used fresh ginger, cut back on the vinegar and added a tbl spoon of honey. I tripled batched reserving sauce seperate from chicken to keep it crispier for work lunch the next day. Thank you! March 19, 2013 at 4:33pm
Jaclyn: I didn’t have any fresh ginger on hand but I’m going to have to try it next time and the honey is a great idea too! Thanks so much for your comment, I’m so glad you enjoyed this Orange Chicken! March 20, 2013 at 4:13pm
Katie: Found this recipe on pinterest and made it for dinner and served it with brown rice. It was absolutely delicious! Will definitely be making this recipe again! Thank you for sharing it. And I know this sounds silly but do you know how many calories a serving would be? April 13, 2013 at 5:24pm
Jaclyn: I’m glad you enjoyed this Katie! I’m sorry but I don’t have the nutritional info for my recipes, I always just recommend sites like myfitnesspal. Hope that helps! April 16, 2013 at 6:43pm
Donna Howard: Just finished cleaning the dishes from our awesome orange chicken dinner!! My husband said to be sure and let you know it’s the best he’s ever had!! We both loved it. Followed your recipe exactly but we try not to do carbs so skipped the rice. Still yum!!! Thanks you so much for all your yummy recipes — pinning on my 5 stars board!!!! Love you Jaclyn! April 17, 2013 at 4:09pm
Jaclyn: Donna that is awesome to hear! Thanks so much for your comment and pinning to your 5 star board :)!! April 18, 2013 at 5:55pm
Selle: Oh WOW! I made this dish last night and it was a hit!!! No left over for the next day! I was afraid it was going to taste weird because I’m not a fan of orange flavored food but this is delicious!! This is for sure going in my recipe book! I had to substitute rice with quinoa though but either way it was delicious!
You are awesome for sharing! May 9, 2013 at 6:53am
Jaclyn: You’re very welcome Selle! I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for leaving a comment! May 15, 2013 at 1:46pm
Natalie: hi jaclyn –
have a ?, do u think i can make chicken before like 2-3 hours, and than will just make sauce and mix together…or its not good….i really want to make this chicken before my parent come to my house…what do you think?
thanks a lot May 13, 2013 at 5:06pm
Jaclyn: Yeah that would probably be fine but I don’t think you’d want the chicken to rest at room temp too long so you should probably refrigerate it and rewarm it in a warm oven. May 14, 2013 at 10:37am
Joanna: This recipe is the absolute BOMB! Thank you for it, I am hooked. June 5, 2013 at 5:00pm
Jaclyn: I’m so glad you are hooked :)! Thanks for your comment Joanna! June 10, 2013 at 11:10pm