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Level easy
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Prep time 20 minutes
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Cook time 15 minutes
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Total time 35 minutes
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Servings 4
Course: Dinner
Main Ingredient: Chicken
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs - boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 large - eggs
- 1 teaspoon - salt
- 1/4 teaspoon - black pepper
- 1/2 cup - corn starch
- 1/2 cup - all-purpose flour
- 2 cups - vegetable oil - for frying
- 2 cloves - garlic - chopped
- 1 large - shallot - chopped
- 2 scallions - chopped
Ingredients for Orange Sauce
- 1 orange - zest
- 1/4 cup - orange juice
- 1/4 cup - soy sauce
- 1/4 cup - water
- 1/3 cup - rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon - corn starch
- 1 tablespoon - sesame oil
- 1/2 cup - sugar
Directions
- Make the orange sauce: Whisk together sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Directions
- Prep the chicken: Cut chicken into about 1-inch cubes. Whisk eggs with salt and black pepper in a bowl and add chicken. Stir together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and cornstarch. Remove chicken from eggs with a slotted spoon or tongs, letting excess egg drain off, then transfer to cornstarch mixture and coat well.
- Fry the chicken: Add oil to a large 10- to 12-inch skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350˚F. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can also test the temperature by sprinkling in some flour and it should fizzle immediately.
- Once oil is hot, fry the chicken in two batches. The oil might not completely cover the chicken—that’s okay. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 to 4 more minutes. Total cook time is about 6-8 minutes.
- Remove fried chicken cubes and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, so the chicken can drain. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
- Simmer the chicken in the sauce: Once chicken is done, pour out hot oil and wipe pan clean. Add a fresh tablespoon of oil along with chopped garlic and shallot. Cook for a minute and then add the sauce. Simmer the sauce until it starts to thicken.
- Once the sauce is lightly bubbling, add fried chicken and toss together to coat. The sauce should continue to thicken and stick to the chicken. Let simmer for a minute or two more. Serve orange chicken over cooked white rice, garnished with sesame seeds and fresh scallions.
Resources
Crispy Chicken – If you’re looking for deliciously crispy pan seared chicken, the folks at America’s Test Kitchen suggest that—contrary to what you might think—the key is a cold pan or skillet, not a searing hot one like you’d have for a steak. Here’s why. The key is that by allowing the chicken and the pan to come up to temperature together, you have enough time for the chicken to render its fat, cooking the skin nice and crispy without overcooking the rest of the meat. You’ll probably need to pierce the skin a few times with a sharp knife to give the fat somewhere to render out, but other than that, there isn’t much more to this tip.