Orange Chicken Recipe

  If you know me well, you know that I love orange chicken. It's one of the foods I'm always interested in eating. =)

  Since I love it so much, it stands to reason that I would develop my own recipe. My recipe is a combination of several from various places on the internet, with many alterations of my own. Now I can honestly say that my homemade orange chicken is best I've ever tasted. Yes, it's even better than Panda Express. =) And it isn't difficult to make either, it just takes some time.

The other thing I love about making my own orange chicken is that I can freeze portions of it to reheat later, when I don't feel like making dinner. And it tastes just as delicious reheated. While the chicken is thawing, I start by making the sauce, the important part:

 Water, orange juice concentrate (you can substitute fresh orange juice for the first two ingredients, but the flavor won't be quite as strong), brown sugar, and soy sauce.

  Then add a little:

  Garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and orange zest. You can use freshly grated, but in this recipe,

 Dried works just as well. =)

  Whisk all those together, and start them boiling. While they heat, mix up some cornstarch and water.

  Now is also a good time to chop up some green onions.

 Once your sauce is boiling, pour in the cornstarch mixture and whisk it up really well.

  Keep whisking over low heat until your sauce is nice and thick:

  Add the green onions and mix well. If you follow my recipe, you'll end up with about a quart of sauce. This sauce also makes a great salad dressing, and if you aren't into fried chicken, can be mixed with shredded chicken or beef for a lighter meal.

Now, on to the chicken! Cut it into small pieces, less than an inch each. In a separate bowl, mix together some flour, pepper, and salt:

  Crack a couple eggs too, and beat them well.

  Mix the chicken pieces into the eggs, then sprinkle a handful of pieces on top of the flour mixture:

  Shake the bowl around until the chicken is covered, and repeat until it is all coated in flour. Start heating your oil while you are sprinkling and shaking.

Once the chicken is coated and the oil is hot (about 350 degrees Fahrenheit), lift out some chicken pieces with a slotted spoon, shake slightly to get rid of any loose flour, and drop in the hot oil. If the oil is the right temperature, they will boil like crazy.

  Keep adding chicken until the pan is decently full, but not crowded. While it is cooking, line a tray (or a cookie sheet) with paper towels. You will probably need to fry several batches.

When the chicken starts to get golden, lift it out with a different slotted spoon and set it on the paper towels to drain, then mix it up with some of that amazing orange sauce.

  And serve! This time I served it with a simple salad and brown rice, but of course it is even better with fried rice and egg rolls. =)

   Are you hungry yet? I am!

  Make this, just once, and just try to tell me you don't love it.

   Here is the entire recipe:

  
Thanks for stopping by!