Description
Is there a more satisfying meal than Orange Chicken with Stir-Fry Veggies? I think not… With the best blend of zest, tang, and crunch, this dinner will be a favorite of your family’s to make over and over again.
Ingredients
Scale
For the marinade and sauce:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 6 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
For the coating and frying:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 3 cups peanut or canola oil
For the stir-fried veggies:
- 3–4 tablespoons oil
- 1 large head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- Hot cooked rice, for serving
- Thinly sliced green onion and sesame seeds, optional garnish
Instructions
- Place the cut pieces of chicken in a large sealable bag or bowl.
- In a medium bowl, add the broth, orange juice, zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Measure out 3/4 cup of the orange juice mixture, and pour it over the cut pieces of chicken. Stir to combine. Seal the bag, or cover the bowl of chicken with plastic wrap. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes, but no longer than 1 hour.
- Place the rest of the orange juice mixture in a small saucepan.
- In a small bowl (or measuring cup), combine the corn starch and cold water. Mix with a fork until smooth. Add the corn starch mixture to the saucepan with the orange juice mixture, and whisk to combine. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a simmer, and allow to cook for about a minute, until the sauce starts to thicken, about 3 minutes.
- Pull the sauce off the heat, and move on to fryin’ up that chicken.
- Preheat the oil to 350 degrees in a large skillet, pot, or dutch oven.
- Beat the two eggs in a bowl until they start to get foamy.
- Put the cornstarch in a shallow dish.
- Dip the pieces of chicken in the egg, and then dip them in the cornstarch, making sure the cornstarch coats the chicken completely. Drop the coated chicken in the hot oil, and fry until cooked through and starting to brown, around 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the chicken half way through the cooking time.
- Fry the chicken in two or three batches so that you don’t crowd the pan. When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oil, and put it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- To cook the veggies, heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add all of the veggies. Stir often so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Cook until the veggies are bright in color and tender-crisp.
- Reheat the sauce if necessary and then pour it onto the chicken to coat. Serve the orange chicken over hot cooked rice, with the veggies on the side.
- Garnish with thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds if you’d like.
Notes
- If you’d like, you can used about half of the sauce on the chicken and save the other half to serve with the vegetables. It’s so delicious that way!
- Don’t feel like you have to stick with broccoli and bell peppers for your veggies. You can cook up any that you like or have on hand to go with this meal.
- Prep Time: 45 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Category: dinner
- Method: fry
- Cuisine: American, Asian