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Homemade Orange Chicken served with steamed rice, sesame seeds, and an orange slice garnish.

Orange Chicken Recipe

Crispy chicken coated in a tangy citrus sauce makes Orange Chicken a satisfying meal, especially when served with steamed rice or your favourite fried rice.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Recipe adapted from Rasa Malaysia

Ingredients

  • 500 g – 1 lb chicken tenderloins – cut into small bite-sized cubes

For the Stir Fry

  • ½ tsp dried red chillies – crushed
  • 1 ½ to 2 tsp minced orange zest
  • 4 cloves garlic – minced
  • ½ tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • sesame seeds – for garnish
  • oil – for deep frying

For the Orange Sauce

  • ½ cup – 120 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
  • ¼ cup – 60 ml lemon juice
  • ¼ cup – 60 ml chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp – 30 ml soy sauce
  • 2 to 4 tbsp – 30 to 60 ml vinegar – depending on how sweet the oranges are
  • 10 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • salt and pepper – to taste

For the Batter

  • 1 cup – 240 ml water
  • 115 g – 4 oz all-purpose flour
  • 55 g – 2 oz cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil – plus more for deep frying
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions

Prepare the Orange Sauce

  1. Combine all the orange sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pass the mixture through a sieve to obtain a smooth sauce, then set aside.

Prepare and Fry the Chicken

  1. Combine all the batter ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
  2. Dip the chicken pieces into the batter, coating them evenly.
  3. Deep fry the coated chicken pieces in hot vegetable oil until golden brown and cooked through. Adjust the oil temperature as needed to allow the chicken to cook fully without burning.
  4. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

Make the Orange Chicken

  1. Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a wok. Stir fry the minced garlic and ginger paste for 30 seconds.
  2. Add the crushed dried red chillies and orange zest. Pour in the prepared orange sauce and cook until thickened.
  3. Coat each fried chicken piece in the sauce and arrange on a serving plate. Garnish with sesame seeds and spoon over extra orange sauce if desired.

  4. Serve hot with steamed long-grain rice or fried rice.