Chinese Orange Chicken

I love Chinese orange chicken and I decided to make it since my older son is home from the university for Thanksgiving weekend and he loves Chinese food.  I found a recipe online that didn't look too difficult to make even though it has a lot of ingredients. Although it was very time consuming so only make it when you have a lot of time to spare.  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Chinese Orange Chicken

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups oil for frying
1 cup cornstarch (for coating chicken)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Some chopped green onion for topping

For the Marinade:

1 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
A few drops sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

For the Sauce:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
A few drops sesame oil
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger minced (can use powdered)

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons cornstarch
Salt to taste

Directions

Marinate Chicken

Combine the ingredients for the marinade.
Add chicken and marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Make Sauce

In a small to medium sized pot add chicken broth, a few drops of sesame oil, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.
Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes.
Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger and garlic
Stir in cornstarch and water mixture until sauce thickens, then season with salt to taste.
Check sauce for the desired thickness. If it is too runny for you then you can add a bit more corn starch and water.
Set sauce aside and keep warm.


Cook Chicken

Take chicken out of marinade, shaking off the excess and toss cubes in the 1 cup cornstarch.
Shake off excess cornstarch and place on a plate.
Heat up the 3 cups oil in a pot or wok.
When oil just begins to smoke, add the first batch of chicken cubes and deep-fry until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
Reheat orange sauce and add fried chicken cubes.
Mix until well-coated.
Place the chicken servings on two plates and sprinkle sesame seeds and green onion on top.
Serve with side of white rice and vegetables

Enjoy!