Crispy Orange Chicken (Printable Version)

Golden fried chicken in a sweet and tangy orange glaze with crispy coating and vibrant citrus aromatics.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Marinade

02 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
04 - 1 egg white
05 - 3 tbsp cornstarch

→ Sauce

06 - 0.5 cup fresh orange juice
07 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
08 - 3 tbsp sugar
09 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
10 - 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
11 - 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
12 - Zest of 1 orange
13 - 1 tsp sesame oil

→ For Frying

14 - 4.2 oz cornstarch
15 - 2.5 cups vegetable oil

→ Aromatics

16 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
17 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
18 - 1 red chili, sliced

→ Garnish

19 - Sliced green onions
20 - Toasted sesame seeds

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine chicken with soy sauce, rice wine, egg white, and cornstarch in a bowl. Mix thoroughly until each piece is coated and let marinate for 15 minutes to tenderize and flavor the meat.
02 - Pour vegetable oil into a deep pan or wok and heat to 350°F. The oil should be deep enough to submerge chicken pieces completely.
03 - Dredge each marinated chicken piece in the additional cornstarch, pressing gently to ensure an even, thick coating that will create a crispy exterior.
04 - Deep-fry chicken in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes per batch until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil.
05 - Discard all but 1 tbsp of frying oil from the pan. Add garlic, ginger, and chili. Sauté quickly for 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic.
06 - Whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, and orange zest in a bowl. Pour the mixture into the pan with aromatics and bring to a gentle simmer.
07 - Stir in the cornstarch slurry and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens to a glossy coating consistency.
08 - Add the crispy fried chicken to the sauce, tossing gently to coat each piece evenly. Serve immediately while hot, garnished generously with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • The sauce achieves that perfect restaurant-style gloss without any food coloring or artificial flavors
  • Crispy chicken stays crunchy even after tossing in the sauce thanks to a simple coating trick
  • Ready in under an hour but tastes like you spent all day perfecting it
02 -
  • Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature dramatically, resulting in soggy, greasy chicken—fry in batches for best results
  • Add your cornstarch slurry only after the sauce is simmering, or it will not activate properly and your sauce will stay thin
  • Sauce consistency thickens as it cools, so remove from heat slightly earlier than you think is necessary
03 -
  • Pat your chicken pieces dry before marinating to help the coating stick better
  • Let your fried chicken rest on a rack for at least 2 minutes before tossing in sauce
  • Grate your ginger with a microplane to avoid fibrous bits in the finished sauce

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