Orange chicken, also called orange peel chicken, is a popular take-out dish in America that serves Chinese-American flavors in a plate. Panda Express, one of America’s largest American-Chinese food chains, also serves this well-loved orange chicken recipe. You guessed it right, orange is the main ingredient of the sauce. The use of fresh orange peel adds a sweet and sour citrusy note to the usual deep-fried chicken, and the addition of ginger and garlic gives the orange chicken a wondrous umami taste.
Ever wondered if the popular Chinese orange chicken in the US actually came from China? Truth is, the orange chicken recipe did not really originate from China but was inspired by Chinese cuisine. The original orange chicken in China is actually called tangerine chicken, and is made with dried tangerine peels.
Orange chicken is one of the easiest takeout meals you can prepare at home. This easy orange chicken recipe won’t disappoint with its heavenly fried chicken and perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce that will surely satisfy your Chinese cravings. If you’re looking for more Chinese cuisines, we are sure you’ll love our Crispy Fried Shrimp and Pork Wonton and First-Rate Fried Rice. Meanwhile, here’s how to make your favorite Chinese orange chicken recipe at home.
How To Make Easy Orange Chicken
Cooking your favorite Chinese fried chicken in orange-flavored sauce has never been this easy!
Ingredients
For Sauce:
- ½ cup oyster sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 oz orange juice
- 3 oz rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
For Chicken:
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 1 lb chicken thighs, boneless, skin-on, cut in to 1½-inch cubes
- 1¼ cups tempura flour, divided
- water, enough to make a batter
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
For Garnish:
- sesame seeds, toasted
- green onions, chopped
To Serve:
- 1⅓ fried rice, per serving
Instructions
Sauce:
- Combine the oyster sauce, brown sugar, orange juice, paprika, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce. Bring it to a boil.
- Make a slurry by dissolving the cornstarch in vinegar, then add it to the sauce.
- Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Continue simmering for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and no flour taste is present. Set aside.
Chicken:
- Make a batter with ¾ cup of tempura flour, then add enough water to achieve a pancake batter consistency.
- Dredge the chicken in ½ cup of tempura flour until evenly coated.
- Heat up vegetable oil, ready for deep frying.
- Dip the chicken in batter and deep fry the chicken for around 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove excess oil in the fried chicken by placing them over paper towels.
- Heat the sauce in the skillet until warm.
- Combine both the sauce and chicken. Toss to coat.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Adjust accordingly.
- Place the orange chicken over the fried rice.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, and chopped green onions. Serve.
Nutrition
- Sugar: 24g
- :
- Calcium: 44mg
- Calories: 438kcal
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Cholesterol: 89mg
- Fat: 16g
- Fiber: 1g
- Iron: 3mg
- Monounsaturated Fat: 6g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g
- Potassium: 329mg
- Protein: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Sodium: 1167mg
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Vitamin A: 404IU
- Vitamin C: 9mg
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Commonly Asked Questions
Why is it called orange chicken?
It’s called orange chicken because the orange flavor dominates the taste of the dish. Besides giving the orange color of the dish, orange also adds to it the sour citrus flavor that perfectly complements the sauce’s sweet taste.
Is orange chicken healthy to eat?
With the deep fried chicken and sweet sauce of orange chicken, it’s not exactly the healthiest dish. However, you can serve it with rice and/or vegetables on the side and use healthier and fresher alternatives for the ingredients.
Conclusion
Orange chicken is one of the guilty pleasures of Chinese-American cooking. It’s the perfect take-out food that you can easily recreate at home. It’s that ‘take out fake out” recipe that’s perfect for your budget and comfort food cravings. Once you try this, you won’t be ordering take out anytime soon!Have your own special recipe to share? Submit Your Recipe Today!
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