Orange Chicken
791kcal45.8g protein45.9g fat47.8g carbs~$2.16/ serving*Estimates computed from the ingredient list; cost uses average US supermarket prices. Not a substitute for packaging measurements or your receipt.
Contains egg, soy · usually contains gluten · only in an optional ingredient: sesame
Restrictions
Containsegg · soyIt is in an ingredient you cannot leave out.
Usually containsgluten (soy sauce → Tamari)The usual version has it. One without it exists — it is the one named here.
Only if you add itsesame (sesame seeds)Leave that ingredient out and the dish does not have it.
Diets
No porkNo alcohol
Worked out from the ingredient list. It knows nothing about brands, shared equipment or cross contamination, and it is not a certification — if you have an allergy, you still have to read the label.
Ingredients
Servings:
| 2 lb |  chicken (thighs, 1-inch pieces) |
| 2 unit |  eggs (beaten) |
| ¾ cup |  cornstarch (divided) |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| 4 cup | vegetable oil (for frying) |
| 2 unit |  orange (juice and zest of both) |
| 3 tbsp |  soy sauce |
| ⅓ cup |  sugar |
| 3 tbsp |  vinegar (rice or white) |
| 3 clove |  garlic (minced) |
| 1 tbsp |  ginger (minced) |
| ½ tsp |  red pepper flakes |
| 2 unit |  scallions (sliced) |
Optional
Not counted above. The dish works without them.
| 1 cup |  rice (steamed) |
| 1 tsp |  sesame seeds |
Steps
- Mix4 minsauce fully assembled before any fryingorange juice + zest + soy + sugar + vinegar + 1 tbsp cornstarch stirred until dissolved — the sauce waits ready because fried chicken loses crispness by the minute, and the difference between good and soggy orange chicken is how fast the toss happens after the fryer
- Season5 minegg first, then cornstarch, pressed onchicken through beaten egg + salt, then the remaining cornstarch, pressed so it clings in a craggy shell — cornstarch fries lighter and crispier than flour and, critically, stays crisp longer under a wet glaze, which is the entire job description here
- Fry12 min350°F, batches, until deep goldthe pieces 4–5 minutes a batch, drained on a rack — dark gold, not blond: pale-fried chicken is already soft before the sauce arrives, and the sauce shows no mercy
- Saute1 minmedium, a spoon of the frying oilgarlic + ginger + pepper flakes thirty seconds until fragrant — the aromatic base the bottled sauces fake with powder
- Simmer3 minsauce in, until glossy and thick+ the sauce mixture, whisked as the cornstarch activates — it turns from cloudy juice to translucent glaze in under a minute; pull it when it coats a spoon, because it keeps tightening
- Toss2 minoff heat, chicken through the glazethe fried chicken folded through until every piece shines, scallions + sesame over — served IMMEDIATELY; orange chicken has a fifteen-minute window and the takeout drive home has been the dish's quiet saboteur all along