Orange Chicken Recipe

Steps

1. Cut your chicken into bite sized pieces. Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken into bite size pieces, about 1 inch by 1 inch.

2. Make the egg marinade. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek (or sriracha), and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Stir in the chicken and set aside.

3. Make the dry flour mixture: In a shallow bowl or pie plate, add 1 cup cornstarch (yes!! 1 cup!) and 1 cup flour. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon ginger powder, and 1 teaspoon granulated garlic. Set it next to your stove.

4. Prep the sauce. We are not cooking this now, just getting it ready. In a wok or large skillet (that will be able to fit all the chicken later), zest 3 or 4 oranges using a microplane grater. Keep going until you have 2 tablespoons.Cut the oranges in half and squeeze them into a measuring cup until you have 1 cup of fresh orange juice. Add to the skillet.

5. To the skillet, add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup orange marmalade, 1/4 cup soy sauce, and 1/4 cup rice vinegar. Add 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and 1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek (or sriracha.)

6. To the skillet, add 8 cloves of garlic*, smashed and minced. Add 1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger.** Stir it all together. Set this sauce mixture aside.

7. In a small bowl, stir together 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/2 cup COLD water (or orange juice!) Set it the side.

8. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a high-sided skillet. How much you need depends on how large your pan is. I use a 12-inch high sided skillet, and 2 inches of oil was at least 8 cups. You will need less oil in a smaller pan. Heat the oil over medium heat until a thermometer reads 375 degrees F. It will take 10-15 minutes. (Save the container for the oil, for discarding later)

9. Prepare to fry the chicken. While you're waiting for the oil to heat up, lay out several sheets of paper towels on a baking sheet (or better yet, a torn paper grocery bag—they are so absorbent.)

10. Set up your frying assembly line. 1)chicken in marinade 2)flour/cornstarch 3)oil 4) lined baking sheet. Send the children and pets away and turn on a fan, maybe open a window. We're frying chicken here!

11. Fry the chicken. You'll be frying the chicken in batches, making sure not to crowd the pieces too much so that they don't stick together. When the oil reaches 375 degrees F, take a handful of chicken and let the marinade drip off a bit. Add it to the flour mixture and gently move it around until all sides of each piece are coated in the mixture.Using tongs or a slotted spoon, gently and carefully place the pieces of chicken into the hot oil. Turn each piece over with tongs halfway through, to ensure both sides cook thoroughly. The chicken will be done in 2-4 minutes, depending on how large they are. You will know they are done when they have turned a light golden brown on all sides.

12. Remove the chicken to the lined baking sheet using a slotted spoon or a spider strainer.

13. Continue in batches until all the chicken is fried. Let the oil reheat to 375 degrees before frying the next batch! Check the temperature every time and wait if necessary.

14. Cook the sauce. When you're getting ready to start frying the last batch, place the large skillet with the orange sauce on the stove. Turn the heat to medium and bring it to a low simmer. Let it cook for about 2 minutes.

15. Add the cornstarch mixture. Stir the cornstarch in the bowl of water/orange juice to make sure it is dissolved. Add this mixture to the simmering sauce and quickly whisk it in. The sauce will start to thicken right away. Cook for about 30-45 seconds, until it thickens just a little bit.

16. Combine and serve. Add the fried chicken to the skillet with the sauce, using a spatula to coat the chicken in the sauce. Stir it around and coat all the chicken.

17. Serve hot with lots of rice! Sprinkle with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. YUM! Pile it ridiculously high into a styrofoam takeout container for the full effect.

18. Storage: Not gonna lie, orange chicken is best on day one. But store any leftovers covered in the fridge. They are going to need some help when it comes to reheating. The microwave doesn't help much, it just gets soggy. I recommend adding it back to a skillet and gently heating on medium-low, or adding chicken pieces to a baking sheet and baking at 350 for 5-10 minutes. Reheat the sauce in the microwave.

19. Freezing: Nope. Don't go there. 😂