Orange Chicken

Crispy fried chicken in a sweet, tangy orange glaze — the American-Chinese classic.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• Oil for frying
• Sauce: 1/3 cup orange juice, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp orange zest, 1 tsp ginger, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water
• Sesame seeds, scallions, rice

Method

1. Toss chicken in cornstarch. Fry in 1" oil at 350°F until golden and crispy (5 min). Drain.

2. Simmer sauce ingredients 3 min until thickened.

3. Toss crispy chicken in the sauce. Serve over rice with sesame seeds and scallions.

What You're Practicing

• Double-coating in cornstarch creates an extra-crispy shell that holds up to the sauce.
• The sauce should be thick enough to glaze, not pool — reduce it if it''s too thin.