Homemade Orange Chicken

Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

4.71 from 17 votes

This homemade Orange Chicken is truly perfection!! So for those of you who order this every time you get takeout - try and make it and home and see what you think!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

For the Chicken

3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 egg whites
2 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces and patted totally dry

For the Sauce

½ cup Orange Juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
Kosher salt and crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cornstarch
vegetable oil for frying
green onion for garnish (or chives!)

Instructions

For the Chicken

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and egg whites with a fork until almost frothy, about 1 minute. Add the patted dry chicken to the mixture and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

For the Sauce

Meanwhile, put the Orange Juice, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, salt, crushed red pepper and garlic in a small nonstick skillet and whisk. Heat until bubbling and starting to thicken, about 5 minutes.
Whisk together the cornstarch and ¼ cup water in a small bowl and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch slurry to the sauce. Mix in and thicken for 1 minute.
Heat about 2-3 inches of vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 350 degrees F. In batches, carefully drop the chicken into the oil (I drop 1-2 pieces in at a time and move it around for a second before adding more pieces), flipping gently, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Be very careful not to overcrowd the pan. Let the pieces drain on a plate lined with paper towels for 2 to 3 minutes.
Repeat the process with the remaining batches. Once all the batches have their initial fry, drop them back into the oil for 1 minute to really solidify the coating. Toss the chicken in the sauce and serve with the green onion garnish

Notes

The chicken is easy to prep and no you cannot skip the cornstarch. It’s a vital element in making it crispy!! Also you need to make sure the chicken is blotted TOTALLY dry before adding into the cornstarch egg white mixture otherwise the coating wont stick. This is crucial, especially if the chicken was previously frozen and defrosted.

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