Many of you might have already tried this popular Orange Chicken at Panda Express or other Chinese takeout restaurants. The dish itself tastes as wonderful as it sounds. The original Orange Chicken was first developed by Panda Express in the United States. In other words, Orange Chicken is actually a Chinese-American dish.
After having tried various chicken recipes among Chinese, Thai, Korean, and American styles, Orange Chicken is definitely one of my favorites. The chicken is nicely coated with flour mixture and is double-fried for extra crispiness. More importantly, the chicken is tossed with a rich, tangy, and flavorful orange sauce. The crispy texture along with the sweet and sour taste truly opens up your appetite and makes you crave for more!
To learn how to make the perfectly crispy and juicy fried chicken, check out my Perfect Easy Fried Chicken for Crispy Juicy Thighs recipe.
THE CHICKEN
I have a strong preference for dark meat. As in many of my other chicken recipes, I use boneless chicken thighs that are cut in smaller pieces. You can always use chicken breast if you prefer, but you will lose moisture and tenderness.
BATTER – THE COATING
I do find that the combination of Rice Flour, Cornstarch, and All-purpose Flour helps increase the crispiness of the chicken. If Rice Flour is unavailable to you, you can just use Cornstarch (7.5 tbsp) and All-purpose Flour (2.5 tbsp).
ORANGE SAUCE
To make the best flavor possible Orange Sauce, I highly recommend that you use a fresh orange. The store-bought processed Orange Juice is simply less fresh and less tasty by comparison. To balance the sweet and tangy taste, you also need brown sugar, honey, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar. A small amount of paprika adds a delightful little kick.
I hope you will enjoy making this Crispy and Tangy Orange Chicken recipe! Once given a try, you will want to make it every day!
MORE CHINESE FRIED CHICKEN RECIPES:
Chinese Crispy Honey Lemon Chicken
The Best Chinese Pepper Chicken
Chinese Sichuan Spicy Popcorn Chicken
Crispy and Tangy Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade
- 400 g Boneless Chicken Thighs, cut in smaller pieces
- 1 tbsp Ginger, grated
- 2 large Garlic Cloves, grated
- 2.5 tbsp Orange Juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Batter
- 5 tbsp Rice Flour
- 2.5 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2.5 tbsp All-purpose Flour
- 90 ml Water
Orange Sauce
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 50 g Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 4 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 8 tbsp /120 ml Orange Juice, freshly squeezed
Starch Water
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Water
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together Chicken, Ginger, Garlic, Salt, Black Pepper, and Orange Juice. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- In another bowl, add in Rice Flour, Cornstarch, and All-purpose Flour. Then gradually add in the water and mix well until you get a smooth and fluid texture.
- Remove Chicken from the fridge. Add the Chicken pieces into the mixture. Combine well. Set aside.
- In a bowl, mix together Paprika, Brown Sugar, Honey, Orange Juice, Light Soy Sauce, and Rice Vinegar. Orange Sauce is ready. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mix together Cornstarch and Water. Starch water is ready. Set aside.
- In a frying pan or a wok, add in enough oil on medium-high heat. Fry the Chicken in batches. First fry the Chicken for 3-4 minutes until little golden. Drain and set aside.
- Return all the Chicken to the oil, on medium-high heat, and do a second fry. Fry for another 1 minute until light golden brown. Drain and set aside.
- In a wok, on low heat, add in the Orange Sauce. Once it beings to boil, gradually add in the starch water a little bit at a time. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens up.
- Once the sauce thickens, add in the fried Chicken. Combine thoroughly. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Continue to cook until the sauce turns sticky.
- Garnish with some chopped Green Onions and some Orange wedges. Ready to enjoy!
Notes
- When frying, it is important to take a closer look at the color of the chicken as you do not want the color to turn too brown. During the last step of coating with the sauce, remember to continue cooking until the sauce becomes really sticky and thickens up.
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