Orange Chicken

Recipe: BlogChef

This was good. The orange flavor was not too much, which was good. Orange chicken isn't my favorite meal. The chicken always seems a little crunchy or hard or something. And, the chicken is always way too fatty in restaurants. So, this way I can trim the heck out of the chicken and not bite into a surprise of rubbery goo. I think the trick is getting the oil just the right temperature. Hot enough that the chicken will cook fast enough not to make it too greasy and slow enough that the chicken will be cooked through. A good recipe. I'll make it again. This is less than half the recipe. We ate it over sushi rice. I can't get enough of sushi rice. I use it for everything except making sushi. I can't go back now.

Chicken:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-1/2” cubes)
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 eggs (beaten)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Oil (for frying)

Orange Sauce:
1 cup water
2 tablespoons FRESH orange juice
¼ cup FRESH lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ginger root (minced)
½ teaspoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons green onion (chopped)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture and shake in flour mixture to coat. Deep fry chicken in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer (or use a wok) until completely cooked.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil.

Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired add red pepper flakes and garnish with green onions.