branching out. [homemade Chinese orange chicken]

December 18th, 2013 by | comments

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It’s been a big week for me, guys. I baked something with chocolate and I made a Chinese dish. Woohoo! This orange chicken was incredibly delicious, but frying the chicken was messy and time consuming. I guess I need to ask Santa for a deep fryer. ;)


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homemade Chinese orange chicken
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • Chicken recipe:
  • 1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1½ cups plus 4 tbsp. cornstarch, divided
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 2-3 cups vegetable oil
  • Sesame seeds, for garnish
  • Sliced green onions, for garnish
  • Brown or white rice
  • Marinade recipe (might not use all of the marinade):
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup (2 large oranges) freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ⅔ cup vinegar
  • ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp. orange zest
  • 2 tsp. Sriracha, or more, to taste
  • ½ tsp. ginger
  • ½ tsp. white pepper
Instructions
  1. Whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, Sriracha, ginger and white pepper in a large bowl.
  2. In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine chicken and 1⅓ cup of the marinade; marinate for at least 30 minutes, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade in the bag.
  3. Heat remaining marinade in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir in 4 tbsp. cornstarch combined with 4 tbsp. water. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 2-4 minutes; keep warm.
  4. Working three to four pieces at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the eggs first, then dredge in remaining 1½ cup cornstarch, pressing to coat.
  5. Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Once hot, add chicken pieces and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Discard excess oil.
  6. Once all the chicken is fried, place pieces in a large bowl and pour desired amount of sauce over chicken; toss. (Might not use all the sauce)
  7. Serve chicken over brown or white rice (I used brown basmati rice), then garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious.

 

 

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