I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for a number of years. It’s been a favorite of ours since I downloaded it from some random website – evidenced by the splashes of sauce over my printed version along with my notes on how I’ve tweaked it. In fact, I’ve tried to take pictures for the blog a few times but for some reason with this recipe, there was always one picture I couldn’t live it – and plenty of other recipes that had all the pictures I needed. And so I waited.
I don’t admit to being a master at Asian flavors, in fact, it’s probably the ethnic cuisines that I struggle the most to master. I don’t claim that this Orange Chicken recipe is authentic, but it is pretty darn tasty!
A slightly sweet, slightly spicy, citrusy orange sauce, coats lightly breaded chicken breasts and is served over rice. Not only has it been a favorite of ours, but it has been a favorite on our hunting adventures as well! In fact, this is one of those recipes that my dad would request I hide the leftovers for him so he didn’t have to share!
Here’s what you need:
We start by making the sauce – this needs to be done in advance because once the sauce cools you want the chicken to marinate in it for a couple of hours, although I often let it marinade overnight so I can come home and start cooking. A little prep work makes this an easy weeknight recipe. And even better – when you make the sauce – double it! Then you can put half the sauce in the freezer for the next time you want to make the recipe.
I start by getting my aromatics ready. Slicing some scallion, grating some ginger and garlic (I may have minced it in this picture – either works!), and zesting an orange – it is orange chicken after all. You also want some red pepper flakes.
Put your aromatics in a pan along with some water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar.
Bring the ingredients up to a boil.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temp.
Next add half of the marinade to a plastic bag with ½ inch chicken pieces that you have cut from 2 chicken breasts. Pop this into the fridge and allow to marinade a couple hours or overnight.
Before you get ready to cook, take another bag (or a container with a lid) and mix together some flour and a little salt and pepper.
Drain the chicken from the marinade and add to the flour. Close the top of the bag or container and shake until the chicken is coated.
Now we’re going to cook the chicken. Coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium heat until it shimmers. Add a single layer of chicken (you may need to do this in multiple batches).
Flip the chicken once it has browned on the first side and cook until it reaches 160 degrees.
Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
Continue with additional batches of chicken. When all the chicken is cooked, wipe the pan with a paper towel. Add in the remaining marinade (the stuff you didn’t use for the chicken) and bring to a simmer.
When the sauce comes to a simmer, mix in a slurry of cornstarch and water. Reduce to a simmer. Cook until the mixture begins to thicken.
Add the chicken back in and stir gently to coat. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens to your liking and the chicken warms through again.
Serve chicken over rice.
Enjoy!
- 1 ½ c water
- 1 T grated orange zest (from about 1 orange)
- 2 T orange juice
- ¼ lc emon juice
- ⅓ c rice vinegar
- 2 ½ T soy sauce
- 1 c packed brown sugar
- ½ t fresh ginger, grated or minced
- ½ t minced or grated garlic
- 2 T sliced green onions
- ¼ t red pepper flakes
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into ½ in pieces
- 1 c flour
- ¼ t salt
- ¼ t pepper
- 3 T vegetable oil
- 2 t cornstarch
- 1 T water
- Cooked white rice, for serving.
- In a small sauce pan add water, orange zest and juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, onions and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Add half of the marinade to a Ziploc bag along with the chicken and seal. Transfer remaining marinade to a container and refrigerate. Allow to marinade for 2 to 24 hours.
- Drain the marinade from the chicken.
- Mix flour, salt and pepper in a container with a lid or another Ziploc bag.
- Add chicken to flour mixture, seal container or bag and shake to coat.
- Heat half of the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a single layer of chicken. Cook until brown and chicken reaches 160 degrees, flipping to brown both sides. Remove chicken to a paper towel lined plate. Add remaining oil and repeat with remaining chicken. Cook in more batches if needed, adding additional oil as needed.
- Once all chicken is cooked and removed from the pan, wipe pan with a paper towel (be careful, the pan is hot!)
- Add remaining marinade to the pan and bring to a simmer.
- Mix cornstarch and water and add to sauce. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until sauce begins to thicken.
- Add chicken back to pan. Gently stir to cover with sauce. Continue to simmer until chicken is warmed and the sauce thickens to your liking.
- Serve over white rice.
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