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Orange Chicken-Chinese at Home

Posted on 04/22/2010 by Maura

While I love going out to a nice dinner–it’s actually one of my favorite things–I would much rather make the same food at home for much cheaper, especially if it is Chinese food.  I often wonder what goes into those sauces and what quality meat is served at (most) Chinese restaurants.  Making it at home is a great way to really see what is going into your meal.  This is one of the reasons I love cooking so much–being able to control the ingredients, portions, quality and, simply, what is going into my body.

This dish tasted EXACTLY like it came from the kitchen of a nice Chinese restaurant–the taste was spot-on.  It had heat from the red pepper flakes and sweetness from the orange juice and granulated sugar, and together it made a great all-around dish that hit your taste buds on many different levels.

The only thing I will change in the future is the amount of sauce, which was my fault.  The chicken was coated beautifully but there wasn’t enough sauce for the rice.  That was because I used 2.5 pounds of chicken instead of the 2 pounds the recipe called for.  Nonetheless, it was a huge hit, and my boyfriend who hates Chinese food AND rice loved it!

Orange Chicken

Serves 6

Ingredients

Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup flour

oil for frying (enough to fill a large pot 1 inch)

Orange Sauce

1 tablespoon ginger root, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

___

5 tablespoons soy sauce

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

zest of 1-1/2 oranges

juice of 2 oranges

1/4 cup water mixed with 1 tablespoon corn starch

Instructions

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Combine the egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of oil into a large bowl.  Add the chicken and toss to coat.  In a small bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch and pour over the chicken.  Toss to coat.

Heat 1-2 inches  oil in a large pot or wok on high heat for five minutes, then reduce heat to medium-high.  Add the chicken in four batches, cooking until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned (about 6-8 minutes, depending on chicken size).  Remove with a slotted spoon and let the chicken drain on a paper towel.

While the chicken is cooking, add ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, green onion, 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil to a large pot over medium-high heat.  Stir for about 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes fragrant. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch-water mixture into the pot and bring to a boil.  Add the cornstarch-water mixture and stir to thicken, about 5 minutes.  Add the chicken and toss in the sauce until coated.

Serve with brown rice and broccoli!

*Recipe adapted from Recipe Zaar and Crepes of Wrath

About Maura

I have a secret: I cannot do anything in moderation. I always have to take things to the extreme, at the expense of my own and my family's sanity and often times my dad’s checkbook. When I started taking horseback riding lessons, I insisted on having a pony. When I ice skated for probably the second time, I made my mom buy me ice skates that were never again worn. When I thought I wanted to be a teacher, I made my parents turn one of the rooms in the basement into a school room, stocked with an overhead projector, pull-down maps and a real, classroom-sized chalkboard and white board. When I discovered cooking I bossed my older sister around in the kitchen for an entire day, forcing her to make dozens of recipes with me against her will and then had her do all the dishes (sorry Cait). And, when I discovered food blogs I bought the biggest binder I could find, printed out 250 recipes in one day and laminated and categorized each one. My dad was not happy about the ink situation. So, what does this tell you about me? For one, you can trust that every recipe I post is more than delicious and has been meticulously tried and tested for you. Also, that I’m an anal freak. Enjoy! View all posts by Maura → This entry was posted in Chinese, Dinner and tagged broccoli, chicken, Chinese, orange, rice, take out. Bookmark the permalink. ← Sweet Potato Fries Perfect Pizza Dough →