Orange Chicken
Orange Chicken Say it: OR-anj CHIK-en
Orange chicken is the Chinese-American takeout classic: bite-sized pieces of chicken marinated with egg white, coated in cornstarch and fried until shatteringly crisp, then folded into a glossy sauce of fresh orange juice and zest, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and dried chilies. Sweet, sour, salty and gently hot, with a bright citrus perfume, it is a dish of contrasts — crunchy outside, juicy within. You will not find it in China; it was born in Chinese-American restaurant kitchens and is now a fixture of home tables across the United States.
Orange Chicken
Orange Chicken
Pronounced OR-anj CHIK-en
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, egg, soy, sesame. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the chicken
For the orange sauce
For frying and finishing
Method
Toss the chicken pieces in a bowl with the egg white, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and salt until every piece is slicked, then let sit for 15 minutes while you make the sauce.
Whisk the orange juice, orange zest, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil and chicken stock in a bowl until the sugar dissolves; stir the cornstarch and cold water together in a small cup and set both aside.
Combine the cornstarch and flour in a shallow dish. Add the chicken in batches, pressing each piece so the coating sticks, then shake off the excess and set on a rack.
Heat the 4 cups (960 ml) of oil in a wok or deep pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken in three batches for 3 to 4 minutes each, until deep golden and the crust feels hard and crisp; drain on a rack. For extra crunch, raise the oil to 375°F (190°C) and refry everything for 45 seconds.
Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the oil and set the wok over medium heat. Add the dried chilies, garlic, ginger and scallion whites and stir for about 30 seconds, until fragrant and the garlic is pale gold but not browned.
Pour in the sauce mixture, bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 minute. Stir the cornstarch slurry once more and add it, then simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce turns glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
Tip in the fried chicken and toss briskly for 30 seconds so every piece is lacquered with sauce. Turn off the heat, scatter in the scallion greens, and serve at once with steamed rice.
Regional variants
Some kitchens double-fry the chicken for a cracklier crust and add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce; the same sauce is used in Chinese-American restaurants for crispy orange beef, made with thinly sliced flank steak.
Cook's notes
- Chicken thighs stay juicy under the hot oil; if you use breast meat, fry it a minute less.
- Keep the oil at 350°F (175°C) — too hot and the coating darkens before the chicken cooks through, too cool and it turns greasy.
- The sauce tightens as it stands, so toss the chicken just before serving and loosen leftovers with a splash of stock.
Serve with
Steamed jasmine rice and quickly blanched broccoli or green beans; hot tea or a light lager.
Make ahead and storage
Fry the chicken up to 2 hours ahead and recrisp at 400°F (205°C) for 6 to 8 minutes; the sauce can be made 3 days ahead and reheated before tossing.
