This orange chicken recipe has everything you want in a takeout classic: crispy chicken, delicious orange-flavoured sauce, and a sprinkle of spring onions. It's sweet, savoury, and perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Category
Dinner
Servings
4
Prep time
30 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
This orange chicken recipe has everything you want in a takeout classic: crispy chicken, delicious orange-flavoured sauce, and a sprinkle of spring onions. It's sweet, savoury, and perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 tsp YUMYUM (MGS)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- oil for frying
- 100g (3.5 oz) flour
- 200g (7 oz) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 4 cloves garlic, finely crushed
- thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
- 2 spring onions, whites finely diced and greens finely sliced
- zest and juice of 2 oranges
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes
- 100g (3.5 oz) brown sugar
- 50ml (1.7 fl oz) light soy sauce
- 30g (1 oz) cornflour, dissolved in 60ml (2 oz) water
- rice, to serve
Directions
In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces, egg, salt, and MSG. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and cornflour.
- Coat the chicken by adding about one-third of the flour mixture to the chicken bowl, ensuring each piece is well-covered.
- Heat oil in a wok to 160°C (320°F). Fry the chicken pieces by coating in flour for a second time, then shaking any excess off then carefully placing them in the hot oil. Fry for 6-7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the chicken and let it drain on a wire rack. Repeat until all chicken is cooked.
- In a clean wok over high heat, add a small amount of oil and sauté the spring onion whites, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. Add the orange juice, orange zest, chilli flakes, brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and soy sauce. Mix well and bring to a light simmer.
- Thicken the sauce by stirring in the cornflour mixture. Once the sauce has thickened, return the chicken to the wok, tossing it in the sauce to coat evenly. Just before serving, add the spring onion greens and toss again.
- Serve the orange chicken alongside steamed white jasmine rice.
