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From @Joshua Weissman Recipes

The Best Orange Chicken Ever

1 hr · Serves 5

1 hrtotal
25steps
5servings

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Ingredients

For the chicken (ahead)

  • 900 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lb), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp MSG
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
  • 2.5 cm knob ginger (about 1 inch), peeled and finely grated

For the sauce

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
  • 2 red Fresno or red jalapeño chillies, finely diced
  • 5 cm knob ginger (about 2 inches), peeled and finely diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 200 g white sugar (1 cup)
  • 240 ml rice vinegar (1 cup)
  • 120 ml soy sauce (1/2 cup)
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 80 ml water (1/3 cup)
  • 1 tsp MSG
  • 1 orange, zested and juiced
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water

For the breading

  • 110 g all-purpose flour (3/4 cup)
  • 190 g cornstarch (1 1/2 cups)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 splash water

For frying and assembly

  • Neutral oil, for deep frying
  • 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 lbs (908g) boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces about ½” (1.3 cm) thick
  • 1 Tbsp (15mL) Shaoxing wine
  • 1” (2.5 cm) knob fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 Fresno chilies, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
  • 2” (5 cm) knob ginger, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large orange, zested and juiced
  • 1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced for garnish
  • Medium-grain white rice, optional, for serving

Method

For the chicken (ahead)

  1. Mix the chicken pieces with the salt, MSG, baking soda, Shaoxing wine, grated garlic, and grated ginger in a bowl until every piece is coated.

  2. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight.

For the sauce

  1. Heat the neutral oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

  2. Add the diced chillies, diced ginger, chopped garlic, and a pinch of salt to the pan.

  3. Sauté the vegetables until softened, stirring occasionally, 2–3 minutes.

  4. Scrape the sautéed vegetables out of the pan into a small bowl and set aside.

  5. To the empty saucepan, add the sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, 80 ml water, MSG, and orange juice.

  6. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

  7. Boil and reduce the sauce for 5 minutes.

  8. Whisk the 2 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water together in a small bowl to make a slurry.

  9. Lower the heat under the reduced sauce to low.

  10. Stir in the reserved orange zest and sautéed vegetables.

  11. Pour in the cornstarch slurry a third at a time, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and turns glossy.

For the breading

  1. Whisk the flour and cornstarch together in a large shallow bowl.

  2. Whisk the eggs and a splash of water together in another bowl until smooth.

  3. Using one hand for dry ingredients and one for wet, toss a batch of the chicken in the flour-cornstarch mixture and shake off any excess.

  4. Transfer the dusted chicken into the egg wash and toss to coat completely.

  5. Transfer the chicken back into the flour-cornstarch mixture for a second coating, shaking off the excess, and place on a tray.

  6. Repeat with the remaining chicken until all pieces are breaded.

For frying and assembly

  1. Fill a Dutch oven or heavy pot halfway with neutral oil and heat to 350°F (176°C).

  2. Lower a third of the breaded chicken into the hot oil using a spider strainer.

  3. Fry the chicken in batches until golden brown, crisp, and cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (73°C), 3–5 minutes.

  4. Transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack to drain.

  5. Place the fried chicken in a large bowl, ladle the sauce around the edges and over the top, and toss until evenly coated.

  6. Pile the sauced chicken into a serving bowl and garnish with the sliced green onions.

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