The Best Orange Chicken I've Ever Tasted

Chinese restaurants, move over! There’s a better dish in town. As I’ve mentioned before, one of my favorite kitchen hobbies is to recreate restaurant favorites in my own kitchen (especially dishes I can’t find locally), so when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I’d try it. This time, though, my husband took the culinary reins. Okay, to be honest, he was hungry and I was working, so he decided to start on his own – a scary prospect, since, when I met him, his cooking achievements included mac’n’cheese and tacos. I have to admit though, I laughed as he took out my largest mixing bowls to dredge chicken and when he frantically tried to figure out how to zest an orange, but he really scored with this one! I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best orange chicken I’ve ever tasted – perfectly crisp, great sweet to heat ratio, and, as my husband said, “Easy enough a pilot can make it!”

Chicken: 

1 ½ - 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1 ½ cups cornstarch

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup canola oil (for frying)

Sauce:

1 ½ cups water

¼ cup orange juice

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2 ½ T. soy sauce

1 T. orange zest

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp ginger root, finely minced

1 tsp garlic, finely minced

¼ - ½ tsp red pepper flakes

3 T. corn starch

3 T. water

Combine corn starch, salt, and pepper on a plate or bowl. Prepare separate dishes with beaten eggs and another with bread crumbs. Dip chicken in egg then dredge in cornstarch. Dip in egg again then coat with bread crumbs; set prepared chicken aside. Preheat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry chicken in batches until cooked through and golden brown. Drain on paper towel-covered plate and set aside; cover with foil to keep warm.

In a large saucepan, combine 1 ½ cups of water, orange juice, soy sauce, and vinegar. Whisk together and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Stir in orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil.

Combine 3 T. cornstarch with 3 T. water in a small bowl; mix thoroughly to form a paste. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until thickened. Toss chicken with sauce. Serve over steamed rice.

*Recipe from The Noshery