Citrussy and syrupy, this Chinese Orange Chicken is absolutely delicious, one of my favorite chicken recipes! The star player in this dish is the sauce. Don’t be put off by the number of ingredients – you will more than likely have most of them in your store cupboard at home. Together they make for a complex, sharp yet sweet, salty yet sour sauce that cooks down to a delicious syrup, perfect for coating the crispy-fried chicken chunks.
You’ll find authentic versions of this dish in Chinese restaurants, but the sauce always ends up gloopy and thick. This homemade version is zingy and fresh, and goes perfectly with a big pile of rice to absorb that amazing sauce.
So, how to make Orange-Glazed Chicken?
Place the orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, and crushed chili in a pan over a medium heat. Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes.
Whisk the cornflour into 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, until it thickens. Add to the orange sauce and whisk until blended.
Cook the sauce, stirring every so often, for a further 5 minutes until it begins to thicken.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the orange zest.
Mix the flour, cornflour, and salt in a shallow bowl and spread out across the bottom of the bowl. Pour the beaten eggs into another shallow bowl.
Dip each piece of chicken in the beaten egg, followed by the flour mixture and transfer to a plate.
Pour 2-3 inches of oil into a heavy-based skillet and heat to 350°F.
In batches, cook the chicken in the oil for 2-3 minutes, turning frequently until the chunks are golden brown all over. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Repeat until you have cooked all of the chicken pieces.
Add the chicken pieces to the pan of sauce and toss until well coated.
Sprinkle the chicken with the chopped scallions and orange zest to serve.
This Orange-Glazed Chicken is a real Chinese-style hit, a million times better than a takeaway version! Why not give it a try? I’d love to hear what you think of one of my favorite dishes - leave a comment below or tag #cookmerecipes in your photo uploads!
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