Your favorite Chinese takeout just got a little easier.
Make this for yourself and watch everyone else drool.
Have I got a dish for you!
It truly is a "made over" dish. I had an older version of the dish I had made a few times before and it was just "okay". We all ate it. We cleaned our plates. We didn't complain.
But in my heart of hearts I knew I could do better. I have trouble leaving things alone when I know they can be better. This orange chicken was the latest victim.
It's crispy, sweet, crunchy and full of flavor. And it didn't come from a restaurant! I love me a good Chinese restaurant, don't get me wrong.....anything to get out of the house some days.....but I did it you guys.
I made it taste just like they do.
Letting the chicken soak in a slurry of cornstarch and whipped egg whites does this chicken wonders. It gives it a crisp, yet light breading.
Why am I not using this to cook all my chicken? I should. I really, really should. But then I'd be frying EVERYTHING.
So.
Never mind.
I know I already told you that the breading makes this chicken, but I lied. It's the sauce. Forget everything I just said.
This sauce is sweet from the orange zest, garlicky from the {well, garlic} and has just a zing of a bite to it. Nothing spicy, yet nothing boring. I should start pouring it all over my least favorite vegetables in an effort to eat more of them.
After you fry the chicken {and by fry, I simply did it with oil in a pot on the stove, you don't have to have a fancy fryer} you put it back in the pan with the reduced down sauce.
Toss it all together, toss it with some freshly cut green onions and viola! Perfectly good, fresh, better-than-takeout orange chicken.
You might want to double the batch.
I learned my lesson on that one. My kids eat a LOT these days. Definitely double batching this next time.
Crispy Orange Chicken
Yield: 6
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 10 Mtotal time: 20 M
Trust me, I love some good Chinese takeout, but it's also fun to make at home! Then you can also determine the ingredients. This Crispy Orange Chicken is sweet and tastes amazing over rice.
ingredients:
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 3 egg whites
- 3 T. cornstarch
- 1 T soy sauce
- 1 T brown sugar
- 1 T rice wine vinegar
- 1 t sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- zest of one orange
- 1/8 t crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 t salt
- 1 t pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup canola oil, for frying
instructions:
How to cook Crispy Orange Chicken
- Pour oil in a large sauce pan and place on medium-high heat.
- Whisk the egg whites and 2 T. of the cornstarch until frothy. Place the cubed chicken in this mixture. Let set for 10 minutes.
- For the sauce, put the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, seasonings, orange zest and 1/4 c. of the water in a medium sized skillet. Whisk together and bring to a low boil.
- Mix together the remaining water and 1 T. cornstarch and pour into the sauce. Whisk together until thickened. If it gets too thick, just add a bit more water. Set the sauce aside.
- After soaking the chicken and the oil is hot, cook the chicken pieces in two batches until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes each. Stirring often. Remove the chicken when golden brown. Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- When the all chicken is done, place in the skillet and toss with the sauce. Top with green onions. Serve warm with rice.
Calories
313.82
313.82
Fat (grams)
21.17
21.17
Sat. Fat (grams)
2.07
2.07
Carbs (grams)
9.44
9.44
Fiber (grams)
0.78
0.78
Net carbs
8.67
8.67
Sugar (grams)
3.97
3.97
Protein (grams)
21.01
21.01
Sodium (milligrams)
608.46
608.46
Cholesterol (grams)
51.00
51.00
