BETTER THAN TAKEOUT – Orange Chicken Recipe
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Today we are making a well-known American Chinese food - orange chicken. It is not traditional, but the technique of making fried chicken and coat it with a sweet and sour sauce is commonly used in many many Chinese recipes such as sweet and sour pork, fish, shrimp, and tofu. In this video, I am going to show you how to achieve that crispy outside, tender inside consistency, and a perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce so you can make sweet and sour anything.
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INGREDIENTS
- 300 grams of chicken breast, slice it into 1/4 of an inch pieces
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp of orange juice
- 100 grams of cornstarch
- 2 medium size eggs
- Enough frying oil
- 2 tsp of cooking oil
- 1 tsp of ginger
- 1 tbsp of garlic
- Few shakes of red pepper flake [Amazon Link:
- 1/4 cup of Orange juice
- 3.5 tbsp of light soy sauce [Amazon Link:
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar [Amazon Link:
- 1 tbsp of honey for the taste [Amazon Link:
- 1.5 tsp of orange zest
- 3 tbsp of vinegar
- Cornstarch water(1.5 tbsp of water + 1 tbsp and 1 tsp of cornstarch)
- Some diced scallion and red pepper flake for garnish
INSTRUCTION
- Cut the chicken breast in half. Angle your knife to 45 degrees and slice the chicken into 1/4 of an inch thick pieces. Marinade it with 1/2 tsp of salt, a little bit black pepper to taste, and 2 tbsp of freshly squeezed orange juice. The acid in the fruit can tenderize the meat and this amount of liquid will keep the chicken moist. Just mix everything until the chicken absorbed all the liquid. Cover it and Let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Next, let’s make a batter. Crack 2 eggs, beat them well. Mix it with 100 grams of cornstarch. Use a fork stir it continually. The cornstarch might clump up at the beginning. Just keep mixing it and you will get a really smooth, shiny looking batter.
- Coat the chicken with the batter.
- Heat the oil to 360 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test it by dropping a little bit batter. If you see it bubbles a lot and floats to the top, that means you are good to go. Fry the chicken for 3-5 minutes or until the surface is getting hard. Doesn’t need to be golden brown. Take out the chicken and let it rest for 10 minutes and we gonna double fry it.
- This time, heat the oil to 390 degrees F. You can add all the chicken in once because they will not stick to each other anymore. Double frying is the key to make sure all your chicken pieces come out crispy. Keep stirring until you get a light golden color.
- Set it aside and we will make the sauce. Heat up your wok. Add a little bit oil, some minced ginger, garlic, and few shakes of chili powder. Stir until fragrant then pour in 1/4 cup of orange juice, 3.5 tbsp of light soy sauce, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1.5 tsp of orange zest. Stir to melt the sugar. I like to add 1 tbsp of honey, just for the honey flavor, it is optional and also depends on your taste. Then pour in 3 tbsp of white vinegar. The reason we add it now is that we can drop down the temperature of the liquid and you can add in the cornstarch water. If you add it while the liquid is boiling hot, it will clump up easily. Keep cooking it on medium-low heat. Make sure you taste the sauce to find a perfect balance between the sweetness, sourness, and saltiness. I made this many times and I know this is perfect for me. In about 2 minutes you should reach a consistency that is a bit thicker than syrup texture. If the sauce is too thin, the chicken will lose the crunchiness when you mix everything.
- Turn off the heat and dump all the chicken in. Quickly stir and make sure all the pieces are coated well. Take them out. Top some green onion, few shakes of red chili powder and you can serve.
Recipe: Crispy Chicken a l'Orange
Expand this to view the recipe, and to read a comment about coconut oil (at the bottom of this description).
As part of my monthly newsletter, I include a recipe, and for June 2013, it's Crisy Chicken a l'Orange. Join the newsletter party at
RECIPE:
~~~ INGREDIENTS ~~~
2 - 3 bone-in chicken breasts
1 tbsp. vegetable oil (I use coconut oil instead)
4 tbsp. honey
1/2 frozen orange juice concentrate
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt & Pepper, to taste
~~~ DIRECTIONS ~~~
First, make the orange glaze, by adding the 1/2 cup of frozen orange juice concentrate and the 4 tablespoons of honey to a saucepan, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil on medium heat, and boil for three minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Generously salt the 2-3 bone-in chicken breasts, and pat in.
(Side note: as you will see in my recipe video, I used the remaining OJ concentrate to marinate the chicken breasts prior to this salting step. Do this if you really want to taste that sweet orange flavor, but skip if you prefer the flavor to be light.)
After the salt has been patted-in, lubricate a saute pan with the 1 tbsp of vegetable (or coconut) oil. Skin-side-down, sear the chicken breasts for approximately five minutes, on medium-high heat. You want a crispy golden brown, so adjust the time, according to that look.
Once you've achieved the crisp, flip the chicken, so that they are now skin-side-up, and apply a coat of the orange glaze. Put the saute pan in the oven, and cook for a total time of 15 minutes, give or take. In the end, you want your chicken breasts to reach an internal temperature between 160° - 170° F. Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, you may have to adjust this time as well. (Mine took about 20 minutes.)
Halfway through the cooking time, remove the saute pan, and apply another coat of glaze.
Optionally, when the chicken is finished, you can throw on another coat of glaze.
If you would like to do this, you may want to set aside a portion, specifically for after-cooked use. That way, you are not dipping your brush into the same batch that may have touched raw chicken. It can also be be good to have some set aside for re-heating, if you have leftover chicken. Just some thoughts. :)
Serve with a side dish that will counteract sweet, to give your mouth a full array of flavors. Or, if you're like me, just put it on a bed of rice and enjoy this sweet entree. Let me know what you think!
==================
COCONUT OIL
I felt it necessary to elaborate upon coconut oil, as there were two comments posted (one person deleted theirs), saying that coconut oil is bad, due to saturated fat.
The debate on whether coconut oil is unhealthy, is a topic that is UNRESOLVED. Yes, coconut oil IS saturated fat, but it is not fair to compare it to animal saturated fats. It is not like butter or bacon, because it is made up of medium chain triglyerides (MCTs). Our bodies metabolize MCTs very quickly.
Of course, this does not mean you can go crazy and eat a bunch of plant fats, without monitoring. As with anything, moderation plays a huge role in balancing your health. A proper balance of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats actually promote healthy levels of HDL (good cholesterol).
Saturated fat is not as damaging as HYDROGENATED oils/ trans fat. With that said, use VIRGIN coconut oil to avoid this. But read the label fully: look for key words such as UNREFINED or COLD-PRESSED, because there are no standards set as to what defines virgin. I use Trader Joe's ($6):
Here is a good read, in laymens terms about the saturated fat myth:
From my experience, after incorporating coconut oil into my diet, I have lost weight, have more energy, and my food tastes better, is more satisfying, & I feel full/content longer. I obviously support coconut oil, but since it is indeed a saturated fat, you may want to look into another plant-based oil, if you are overweight and/or have heart problems. In the comments, Rebecca suggests canola, peanut, or olive oils.
Orange Chicken Recipe | Chicken Breast Cooked In Orange Juice
Orange Chicken Recipe | Chicken Breast Cooked In Orange Juice | O J Chicken Recipe | Sweet Chicken Recipe | Meetha Chicken Recipe
Ingredients List:
Marinating Chicken for 10 minutes:
1½ lbs. Boneless Chicken Breast -
½= Tsp Salt to taste -
½= Tsp Black Pepper -
Making Orange Sauce:
3= Oranges
½= Tsp Salt to taste -
1= Tsp Coriander Powder -
1= Tsp Cumin Powder -
¼= Tsp Ground Cinnamon -
¼= Tsp Ground Nutmeg -
½= Tsp Ginger -
½= Tsp Garlic -
1= Tsp Black Pepper -
2= Tbsp. Olive Oil -
1= Tsp Parsley Flakes -
Please cook and enjoy with your family/friends. Please share your experiences with me, I would like to hear from you, Thank You.
Additional items may be used:
Pressure Cooker -
Frying Pan -
Tramontina 3-pc. Deep Sauté Pan Set -
Tramontina Dutch Oven Red -
Splatter Screen -
Stainless Steel Colander -
Expandable Trivet -
Measuring Spoons -
Measuring Cups -
Cutting Boards -
Slotted Turner -
Masala Dabba -
Pressing Garlic Chopper -
Broiler Pan and Rack -
Copper Chef -
Magic Bullet -
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**Disclaimer: All information is for educational purposes only and is the personal view of the author.
***Disclaimer: This Recipes to nourish is purely for informational and educational purposes only, not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or prescription. If you have any questions about food, diet, nutrition, natural remedies or holistic health then please do your own research and consult with your health care practitioner.