Orange Chicken Sweet Tangy (Print View)
Golden crispy chicken tossed in fresh citrus sauce with savory aromatics.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1.3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
→ Marinade
02 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tbsp rice wine (or dry sherry)
04 - 1 egg white
05 - 3 tbsp cornstarch
→ Sauce
06 - 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
07 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
08 - 3 tbsp sugar
09 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
10 - 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
11 - 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
12 - Zest of 1 orange
13 - 1 tsp sesame oil
→ For Frying
14 - 4.2 oz cornstarch
15 - 2.5 cups vegetable oil
→ Aromatics
16 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
17 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
18 - 1 red chili, sliced
→ Garnish
19 - Sliced green onions
20 - Toasted sesame seeds
# How to Make:
01 - Combine chicken pieces with soy sauce, rice wine, egg white, and cornstarch in a bowl. Mix thoroughly to coat and let marinate for 15 minutes.
02 - Pour vegetable oil into a deep pan or wok and heat to 350°F.
03 - Dredge marinated chicken pieces in additional cornstarch until thoroughly coated.
04 - Deep-fry chicken in batches until golden and crispy, approximately 4-5 minutes per batch. Remove and drain on paper towels.
05 - Leave 1 tbsp oil in the pan. Add garlic, ginger, and chili; sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
06 - Whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, and orange zest in a bowl. Pour into the pan and bring to a simmer.
07 - Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens, 1-2 minutes.
08 - Add fried chicken to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly. Serve hot, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- That restaurant-style glossy sauce coats every single piece of chicken evenly, no dry spots allowed
- The chicken stays crispy even after tossing in the sauce, thanks to a simple double-dredge trick I discovered by accident
- Comes together in 45 minutes but tastes like you spent all day perfecting it
02 -
- Don't skip the paper towel draining step after frying—excess oil prevents the sauce from clinging properly to the chicken
- The sauce continues thickening off heat, so remove it from the pan slightly earlier than you think is necessary
- Cut your chicken pieces uniformly small, about 2cm cubes, because larger pieces take too long to fry through and dry out
03 -
- Use a splatter guard when frying—orange sauce spatters are surprisingly stubborn to clean
- Prep all sauce ingredients and measure them into one bowl before you start cooking, because once you start frying, everything happens fast