You can get Orange chicken everywhere these days. You can order it of course at any Chinese Restaurant, the mall food court, even in the frozen food section of the grocery store. But there's nothing like homemade orange chicken to satisfy your taste buds and make it exactly the way you like it. The recipe is very easy to make but the trick is getting that chicken moist and tender and not chewy and overcooked. I found the secret! I use Star Fine Foods Asian Cuisine Cooking oil to marinade my chicken and also to fry it. Oh my what a difference in taste and texture!
Orange Chicken
Marinade
2 lbs boneless skinless, chicken breast or thighs, diced into 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup Star Fine Foods Asian Cuisine Cooking Oil
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2/3 cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
Place chicken pieces in large resealable plastic bag. Whisk all ingredients and pour marinade over chicken in bag. Seal and massage bag so that all pieces are covered. Refrigerate for an hour.
Orange Sauce
¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
¾ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
6 tablespoons white vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup dark brown sugar
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (or use 1 teaspoon of dried)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
In a large saucepan, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper; whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved. Bring mixture in the saucepan to a boil over medium high heat.
In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water; whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Set sauce aside.
Chicken
2 egg whites
1 cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
4 tablespoons Star Fine Foods Asian Cuisine Oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Remove chicken from refrigerator and shake off excess marinade. Place the egg whites in a shallow dish and beat with a fork until frothy. In a second pie plate, whisk together the cornstarch, baking soda and cayenne if using. Pat the chicken with paper towels to remove any excess marinade. You want to fry the chicken in batches so place half of the chicken pieces in the egg whites and turn to coat. Transfer the pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly.
To fry the chicken, heat both oils in a Wok or large saute pan until hot and sizzling. Carefully place chicken (in two batches) in the oil; fry to golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning each piece with tongs halfway through cooking. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
To serve, add the chicken to the orange sauce and reheat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Serve immediately over white sticky rice.
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Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with STAR Fine Foods for my recipes and photography using their wonderful products. This post is sponsored by STAR. I am compensated for my time and work and I am sent products as I request them. However, all opinions of the product stated in this post are 100% my own. I truly love their products!
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