Tangy Crispy Orange Chicken is tender pieces of crisp chicken drenched in a sweet citrus orange sauce filled with fresh flavor. Well, let me just say I’m all in when it comes to this dish. I love the hint of tart, savory, and sweetness associated with this dish.
If you are watching your weight, this dish is not for you, sorry! Not a fan of foods that are too sweet? This dish is not for you. However, if you like a little heat, savory, and sweetness, you are going to love this dish! Additionally, the chicken has been double fried to give that added crunch. I make no apologies for the calories and the taste. I love this Crispy Orange Chicken! And the best part of it all is it can be made right in your kitchen.
Besides being delicious, orange chicken is one of the most popular dishes on the take-out menu. It’s simple, easy to make, however, it just takes a little planning and preparation. Make orange chicken for a weekday meal. It can be ready in less than an hour.
Why Orange Juice?
Fresh orange juice offers the best favor for the sauce. The juice of one sweet orange lends a certain brightness and citrus flavor to the Crispy Orange Chicken.
Here’s where the planning takes place. You need to make the orange sauce and have it ready before the chicken has finished frying. This will require a bit of multi-tasking! However, it’s not a problem. Measure the ingredients for the orange sauce. Set aside until needed.
Tips For Making Crispy Chicken
Double fry is the key to Crispy Chicken. First, fry the chicken until lightly brown but not done. Then, allow the chicken to rest (or deep fry the next batch) for five minutes before cooking for a second time until golden brown and done. Without a doubt, you will have Crispy Chicken.
I used skinless, boneless chicken breast to make this orange chicken. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes.
- Toss the chicken pieces in a bowl and coat with egg white, flour, corn starch, salt, and pepper. Allow the chicken to marinate for 5 minutes.
- In a wok (skillet with high sides or a deep fryer), fry the pieces of chicken, leaving space between them to avoid overcrowding (3-4 minutes). Deep fry until lightly golden brown on each side. Remove the first batch from the oil. Allow to rest on a paper towel while frying the second batch of chicken. Cook the second batch using the same technique.
How to Make Orange Sauce?
- Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to a saucepan, skillet, or wok. Sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
- In a bowl, mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, water, corn starch, orange zest, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and Thai pepper (optional, with seeds removed).
- Add the mixture to the saucepan.
- Stir frequently to prevent lumps from forming.
- Once the mixture begins to thicken, add the orange juice. Continue stirring until the sauce is thick and smooth. Add more water if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Add the crispy chicken to the orange sauce. Mix until every chicken piece is thoroughly coated. Garnish with chopped green onions. Enjoy!
I like to serve long-grain white rice as an accompaniment. Cook the rice in advance by following the package instructions. Add a side salad or steamed broccoli to complete the meal. Another dish you might like to try is my Easy Ginger Shrimp Fried Rice it’s delicious easy to prepare and is perfect for a weekday meal.
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- 3 chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup corn starch
- 1 egg white
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Peanut oil for frying, (oil of your choice)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp. corn starch
- 1 tsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2-3 Thai Red peppers, chopped and deseed (optional)
- 2 tsp. orange zest
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup water, if too thick
- 1 green onion, chopped
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes.
- Next, toss the chicken pieces in a bowl and coat with egg white, flour, corn starch, salt, and pepper. Then, allow the chicken to marinate for 5 minutes.
- In a wok (skillet with high sides or a deep fryer), fry the pieces of chicken leaving, space between them to avoid overcrowding the pan (3-4 minutes). Deep fry until lightly golden brown on each side. Remove the first batch from the oil. Allow to rest on a paper towel while frying the second batch of chicken. Cook the second batch using the same technique. Next, cook each batch of chicken for a second time until golden brown and done. Without a doubt, you will have Crispy Chicken.
- Add one teaspoon vegetable oil to a saucepan, skillet, or wok. Sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
- In a bowl mix, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, water, corn starch, orange zest, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and Thai pepper(optional, with seeds removed).
- Add the mixture to the saucepan.
- Stir frequently to prevent lumps from forming.
- Once the mixture begins to thicken, add the orange juice. Continue stirring until the sauce is thick and smooth. Add water if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Add the crispy chicken to the orange sauce. Mix until every chicken piece is thoroughly coated. Garnish with chopped green onions. Enjoy!
