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Home Made Orange Chicken

Victoria Haneveer
home made orange chicken
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Home made orange chicken always hits the spot. If you are looking for an orange chicken sauce recipe which is both easy and tasty, I think you’ll like this one. It’s an easy orange chicken recipe similar to the Panda Express orange chicken recipe.

The chicken and the orange are the main ingredients in this dish, and the whole family will love it. So save on the UberEats or GrubHub delivery fees and treat your taste buds to this wonderful meal.

Is an Orange Chicken Recipe Healthy?

Uh, no, not exactly. Now it goes without saying orange chicken isn’t exactly the healthiest meal, whatever diet or eating plan you’re following.

It’s rich in sugar and also contains a moderate amount of fat and (if you add it or order a restaurant version in) MSG as well, which I don’t have any issue with but I know some people prefer to avoid.

You can make a reduced carb version of home made orange chicken by subbing artificial sweetener for the sugar and swapping your favorite low carb baking mix for some of the flour. That’s certainly healthier than most P.F. Chang’s or Panda Express recipe of orange chicken options, but won’t taste exactly the same, so it depends whether you want to pursue flavor or nutrition.

How to Serve this Recipe for Orange Chicken

It’s great over rice or egg noodles or you could make your own special fried rice. Once you know how to make chicken orange sauce you can experiment to see which sides you prefer.

Veggies like broccoli, snow peas, baby corn, mushrooms, and water chestnuts are also good so you could stir-fry or steam a selection of vegetables as a side dish if you wanted.

Chicken in Orange Sauce Preparation: Overview

Whether you prefer using boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and then dredge through beaten egg and then seasoned flour.

The sauce ingredients need to simmer for a while and the cornstarch will thicken it up to get the perfect consistency.

Next the chicken is cooked in oil and then tossed with the orange sauce. Your home made orange chicken recipe is then all ready to serve and enjoy.

I like to sprinkle green onions on my orange chicken bites, and sometimes toasted sesame seeds too. Orange zest also looks pretty as a garnish. To toast sesame seeds, warm a skillet but don’t add any oil. Add some sesame seeds to the preheated, dry pan and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden.

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Home Made Orange Chicken

home made orange chicken
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You can’t go wrong with this super-easy homemade orange chicken recipe. It’s every bit as good as (or, dare I say, even better than!) Panda Express orange chicken or other copycat chicken in orange sauce dishes.

  • Author: Victoria Haneveer
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stove
  • Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless) in bite-sized chunks
  • 3 beaten eggs
  • 1/3 cup (40g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Oil, for frying

Orange Sauce

  • 1 cup (250ml) orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
  • 2 minced garlic cloves or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (UK: cornflour)
  • Zest of an orange
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
  • Orange zest and/or green onions (spring onions), for garnish

Instructions

  1. Put the orange juice, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes (if using) in a pot, and gently cook for 3 minutes.
  2. Whisk 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch until you get a paste.
  3. Add this paste to the orange sauce mixture in the pot and cook for another 5 minutes.
  4. When it’s thickened you can take the pot off the heat and stir in the orange zest.
  5. Meanwhile, sift the flour and cornstarch into a shallow dish and mix in some salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Dip the chicken in beaten egg and then dredge through the flour mixture.
  7. Heat 2 or 3 inches (5 or 7.5cm) of oil in a heavy pot until it reaches 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C.
  8. Fry the chicken in the oil in batches for a few minutes until golden brown all over, then drain on paper towels.
  9. Toss the fried chicken with the orange sauce and serve garnished with orange zest and/or green onions if liked.

Notes

  • Use white vinegar if you don’t have any rice vinegar and/or tamari if you don’t have soy sauce
  • Use brown sugar or honey instead of white sugar if you choose
  • Boneless chicken thighs will also work if you prefer the meatier flavor
  • Add a pinch of MSG for that takeout taste or omit it if you prefer
  • Make sure you use plenty of salt else this recipe might come out a bit bland

Keywords: home made orange chicken, homemade orange chicken, chinese orange chicken, asian orange chicken, orange sauce for chicken

home made orange chicken recipe

 

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