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Orange Chicken is not your traditional Chinese dish. Its an Americanized take on Chinese food meaning you will not find this in China. This dish is one of the most popular dishes at Chinese restaurants. Growing up in Los Angeles, you get exposed to all kinds of food from really early in life. My mom's favorite has always been Chinese food. So, as a child, we ate at Chinese restaurants pretty often.
This is my version of Orange Chicken. It's much healthier, tastier, & crispier than Panda Express or any other Chinese restaurant take out. I personally only eat chicken breast so I tend to mostly cook with chicken breast. Anywhere you eat Orange Chicken, you will realize it is made with chicken thigh. I've found a way to perfectly coat the chicken without a batter and still have it come out super crispy. My sauce is tangy and sweet at the same time. It is super easy to make and only takes about 30 minutes.
Ingredients:
Chicken
4 pieces Boneless skin-less chicken breast (cut into bite size cubes)
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sake
1 tablespoon Fresh ginger (grated)
1/2 cup corn starch
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Sesame Oil (optional)
Orange Sauce
3/4 cup Orange juice
1/3 cup Orange marmalade
2 teaspoons Corn starch
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Directions:
Put the chicken in a bowl with the soy sauce, sake and ginger and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
When the chicken is done marinating, add corn starch and mix well to cover all chicken pieces.
Heat a wok or pan with at least 1/2" of oil in it over high heat until hot. (I used mostly corn oil and added about 3 tablespoons of sesame oil for additional flavor.) Once oil reaches a frying temperature, reduce heat to medium high and begin to fry chicken in small batches so not to overcrowd until golden brown and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
In a bowl or separate pan, add the orange juice, orange marmalade, 2 teaspoons of corn starch, and the salt and whisk to combine.
When the chicken is done frying, heat the orange sauce over medium high heat, stirring constantly to prevent clumping until the sauce is thickens. Add the fried chicken into the orange sauce and toss well to coat evenly.
If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #EATDRINKPLAYLA. I'd love to see how yours turned out!