Orange chicken, Asian style recipe
Chicken marinated in an orange flavored, asian style marinade, coated with flour and fried, then cooked in a sweet and sour sauce. The recipe takes a bit of time and effort to make, but it is worth it. Serve the chicken with noodles or rice, steamed or fried.
Preparation time: 50 minutes, Cooking time: 120 minutes, Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients
Orange chicken sauce
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp grated orange zest (optional, for extra orange flavor)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger root
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp chopped green onion
Orange Chicken
2 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp chili flakes
3 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp of water
Directions
Prepare the chicken orange marinade
In a saucepan over medium high heat pour the water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar and soy sauce, orange
zest (if using), brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and chopped onion. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Marinate the chicken
Place the chicken pieces into a plastic bag. Pour 1 cup of the sauce into the bag, reserving remaining
sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Cook the chicken
When the chicken is marinated, remove from the bag and drain. In another plastic bag mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, and shake until well coated.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. Place the chicken in
the frying pan and brown on both sides, stirring constantly. Remove the chicken and place on paper towels. Cover and keep warm.
Note: When frying the chicken, do not over-crowd the pan or wok. Instead, cook the chicken in batches, as many as it takes, in order to get an even cooking on all chicken pieces.
Cook the chicken in the orange sauce
In the same frying pan or wok add the reserved orange sauce and chili flakes. Bring to a boil over
medium-high heat. Add the constarch and water mixture and stir well. Reduce heat to medium low and add the chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from heat and serve with noodles or Chinese fried rice.