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In Bill's Kitchen
(Mostly) healthy recipes with a lot of spice and a little snark...
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MANDARIN ORANGE CHICKEN

MANDARIN ORANGE CHICKEN









Mandarin Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

6 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Canola oil for frying

1-2 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons cold water

8 thin strips orange peel (optional)

Coating:

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon five spice powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt & fresh ground black pepper


Directions:

Combine the chicken broth, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper in a large saucepan; whisk to blend well.

Measure out 3/4 cup of the mixture and transfer it to a large ziploc bag.

Add the chicken pieces to the bag, pressing out the excess air and sealing well.

Refrigerate and let marinate 30-60 minutes.

Add the remaining mixture to a saucepan on the stove and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until it forms a smooth slurry. Add the slurry to the saucepan with the sauce.

Continue simmering until the sauce is thick and translucent, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in the strips of orange peel, if using.

In a fresh ziploc, combine the cornstarch and spices. Shake to blend thoroughly.

Drain the marinated chicken in a colander or large strainer; pat dry with paper towels.

Transfer the chicken to the cornstarch bag and shake to coat thoroughly.

Heat 2-3 Tablespoons of canola oil in a Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan.

Remove the chicken from the bag, shaking off the excess cornstarch mixture.

Carefully place the chicken pieces in the oil and fry until golden brown (about 5 minutes).

Remove from the oil with a skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Reheat the sauce and toss in the cooked chicken pieces. Stir gently until all the chicken is coated in sauce.


Notes:

Serve over jasmine rice, garnished with sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Add some steamed broccoli, bean sprouts, snow peas or other veggies. Make your mother happy because you're eating a vegetable.

This is not the heavily breaded orange chicken you may be accustomed to ordering from takeout, or buying in a bag from Trader Joe's. Nothing bad to say about those, but this is just as tasty (no, tastier!) and much healthier. You don't need all that deep-fried food in your life anyway.
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