One of the most popular take out recipes has to be the classic orange chicken. There are so many unique ways to make this dish, and this is mine. As someone who has ordered this meal a LOT in her lifetime, I can confidently say this version is going to remind you of the real deal.
There are 3 simple steps in creating your chicken masterpiece, batter, sauce, and fry. This means we need to make a batter for the chicken, create our sauce, and fry. As daunting as this may sound, I promise you it is way simpler when we break it down.
Batter
We want crispy chicken, so we need to make the right batter for the dish. For this recipe, cornstarch, flour, and egg whites will be used.
In a bowl, add 1/2 cup of flour to 1/4 cup corn starch. Then, add 1 egg white and about 1/4 cup of water. If you need to thin out your batter, add more water 1 tbsp at a time. Next, we need to season your batter. You can use whatever you want! I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Toss in your cubed chicken and give it a stir until the chicken is easily coated. We are going to let this sit while we make the sauce, but the first part is already done!
Sauce
This sauce is the perfect amount of freshness and sweetness! In your saucepan, add 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 cup orange juice (fresh is preferred, but bottled OJ will work too), 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2-3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water. Give your sauce a thorough whisk and let it simmer. The corn starch and sugar are going to give you a nice thick glaze-y sauce. Add a bit of orange zest for extra burst of fresh orange flavor
Fry
Lastly, fry the chicken. In a shallow nonstick skillet, fill it with about 1/2 inch oil or about 1 cup and fry your chicken on medium to high heat. Since we are working with smaller pieces, they do not take that long to cook. When your chicken pieces are done, remove the chicken and set aside.
Pour out the remaining oil, and toss your chicken back into the pan for one last time to crisp. Then, add in your thick sauce and give it a mix. Evenly coat your entire chicken with the delicious sauce!
Serve your chicken with fluffy white rice and top with some green onion!
Easy Homemade Copy Cat Mandarin Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 Chicken Thighs or 2 Chicken breasts diced
- 1/2 Cup Flour
- 1/4 Cup Cornstarch
- 1 Eggwhite
- 1/4 Cup Water (add any more 1 tbsp at a time)
- 1 Tsp Each: Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Paprika
Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1 Cup Orange Juice (fresh squeezed preferred but not required)
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- Orange Zest
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp Cornstarch mixed in 1/4 cup water (slurry)
Fry
- 1 Cup Preferred Frying Oil such as Vegetable or Canola.
Instructions
Batter
- In a mixing bowl, add flour, cornstarch, egg white, water, and seasonings. Mix until a thick batter forms.
- If it needs thinning out, add additional water 1 tbsp at a time.
- Toss in your diced chicken and evenly coat. Let this sit while we make the sauce.
Sauce
- In a pan, add soy sauce, sesame oil, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, and slurry.
- Simmer this on low until the sauce is nice and thick.
Fry
- Add your oil into the nonstick pan and fry your chicken.
- Remove your cooked chicken.
- Once your chicken is cooked, remove the oil and crisp up your chicken in the same pan, adding your orange sauce.
- Serve over white rice and top with green onion
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