Orange chicken is a dish with an interesting history and a flavor all its own. It’s one of the most successful Chinese-American creations of the last few decades, yet its roots go back to traditional Chinese cooking, from which it has evolved into many regional variations.
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Where Orange Chicken Comes From
The dish most likely descends from Chinese tangerine peel chicken (chén pí jī), a classic of Hunan and Sichuan cooking made with dried citrus peel. Restaurants like Panda Express made orange chicken famous around the world – chef Andy Kao is credited with creating the Chinese-American version at a Panda Express in Hawaii in 1987. The TV series The Big Bang Theory gave it another boost through Sheldon Cooper, who was famously devoted to it. Its sweet and sour flavor and fragrant orange zest win over just about anyone who loves Chinese food. Culinary traditions travel and change from place to place, and orange chicken shows that a dish can keep its character even as it adapts.
Orange chicken is a Chinese-American dish that often gets dismissed as inauthentic. In reality, it carries many traditional Chinese flavors – it has simply adapted to the tastes and ingredients of its new home.
A Bit of History
Like many Chinese-American dishes, orange chicken grew out of the way Chinese immigrants in the United States adapted their home cooking to American tastes. Much like sweet and sour chicken, the earlier versions weren’t made with battered chicken pieces. The sauce was made from leftover orange or lemon peel cooked with soy sauce, chili and garlic. It had a citrus note, but it was neither as bold nor as sweet as today’s version.
Tips
The key to a sauce with real orange flavor isn’t just orange juice – it’s the zest, so don’t leave it out.
Once all the chicken is fried, let it cool for 2–3 minutes. The crust will get a little crispier and will hold up better once the sauce goes on, instead of turning soggy right away.
If you want extra-crispy chicken, let the pieces rest for 5–10 minutes, then reheat the oil and fry them again for 1–2 minutes.
You can add a little baking powder to the batter for a lighter, puffier coating.
Orange Chicken (Chén Pí Jī 陈皮鸡)
Ingredients
Orange sauce
- 1 orange zest only
- ¼ cup orange juice 60 ml
- ¼ cup soy sauce 60 ml
- ¼ cup water 60 ml
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar 80 ml, light or dark
- ½ cup sugar 100 g
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Chicken
- 450 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs about 1 lb, or breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground white or black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable oil about 500 ml, for frying
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Garnish
- 1 scallion sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Put the chicken pieces in a bowl with the Shaoxing wine, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the orange sauce ingredients until the sugar and cornstarch dissolve.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs, cornstarch and flour into a smooth batter. Add the chicken and coat each piece well.
- Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan to about 175 °C (350 °F). Gently add the battered chicken one piece at a time, keeping the pieces apart so they don’t stick together.
- Fry until the chicken is golden and crispy, then lift out and drain on paper towels. Let it rest for 2–3 minutes so the crust firms up.
- Pour the frying oil into a heatproof container, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the wok. Add the garlic and stir-fry until fragrant or lightly golden. Give the sauce a stir, pour it into the wok and bring to a gentle simmer until it thickens.
- Add the fried chicken and toss until every piece is coated. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallion and serve right away with rice.