The Best Chinese Orange Chicken Recipe
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Category
Stir Frying
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Cusine
Chinese
What do you need?
How to make?
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
1 egg white
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons 80-proof vodka
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch chunks
For the Dry Coating:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Sauce:
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seed oil
2 teaspoons grated zest and 1/4 cup juice from 1 orange
1 tablespoon corn starch
4
2 teaspoons peanut, vegetable, or canola oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons thinly sliced scallion bottoms
To Finish:
2 quarts of peanut, canola, or vegetable oil for deep frying
Steamed white rice and steamed broccoli for serving
Directions
Beat egg whites in a large bowl until broken down and lightly foamy. Add soy sauce, wine, and vodka and whisk to combine. Set aside half of marinade in a small bowl. Add baking soda and corn starch to the large bowl and whisk to combine. Add chicken tp large bowl and turn with fingers to coat thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Combine flour, corn starch, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk until homogenous. Add reserved marinade and whisk until mixture has coarse, mealy clumps. Set aside.
Combine soy sauce, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, sugar, sesame seed oil, orange zest and juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir with a fork until cornstarch is dissolved and no lumps remain. Add dried orange peel. Set aside. Combine oil, garlic, ginger, and minced scallions in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are aromatic and soft, but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir sauce mixture and add to skillet, making sure to scrape out any sugar or starch that has sunk to the bottom. Cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens, about 1 minute. Transfer sauce to a bowl to stop cooking, but don't wipe out skillet.
Heat 1 1/2 quarts peanut, vegetable, or canola oil in a large wok or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F and adjust flame to maintain temperature. Working one piece at a time, transfer chicken from marinade to dry coat mixture, tossing in between each addition to coat chicken. When all chicken is added to dry coat, toss with hands, pressing dry mixture onto chicken so it adheres, and making sure that every piece is coated thoroughly. Lift chicken one piece at a time, shake off excess coating, and carefully lower into hot oil . Once all chicken is added, cook, agitating with long chopsticks or a metal spider, and adjusting flame to maintain a temperature of 325 to 375 degrees F, until chicken is cooked through and very crispy, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined bowl to drain. Add chicken to empty skillet and return sauce to skillet. Toss chicken, folding it with a rubber spatula until all pieces are thoroughly coated. Serve immediately with white rice.
