Orange you Glad you Cooked some Chicken?

As a huge fan of Ree Drummond, I have always admired and loved her cooking style. Her recipes are quick, easy and not complicated, which makes them suitable for a busy wife and mother like me. One example is this quick and easy chicken recipe- Orange Chicken.

When my friends get stuck in a cooking rut, I recommend that they cook this easy chicken recipe. Not only is it easy, but it also adds variety to an otherwise simple fried chicken dish. I don’t know why but children NEVER get tired of eating fried chicken! Sometimes I get tired of just cooking it LOL!

An Easy Chicken Recipe that’s Nutritious and Delicious

I decided to adapt Orange Chicken recipe from Ree’s, except that I used real oranges instead of store-bought orange juice. I think the kids got tired of eating the oranges, so better make good use of them! And since I’m feeding 4 boys, I doubled the recipe (Yep, an ARMY, or a basketball TEAM haha!).

Now, I don’t want the chicken to be oily. Draining the excess oil makes the chicken oil-free and crunchier. I used my very own Kitchenatics cooling rack to drain the chicken pieces. It can fit up to 20 large parts of chicken. Just had to make sure I kept my eye on them lest somebody steals a piece!

The great thing about this chicken recipe is that you can also customize it to your preference. You can make it spicier by adding more red pepper flakes. You can also use fresh orange juice or fresh oranges, depending on which is available. The ingredients are also easily available and budget-friendly. You can also use different chicken pieces such as drumsticks or wings.

Let’s start cooking!

Don’t forget to share this recipe with your friends to give them more ideas to cook chicken! What about you? Care to share your quick and easy recipes? Feel free to comment once you’ve tried this! You can also check out another easy chicken recipe — Cajun Chicken!

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5 from 1 vote

Orange Chicken

As a huge fan of Ree Drummond, I have always admired and loved her cooking style. Her recipes are quick, easy and not complicated, which makes them suitable for a busy wife and mother like me.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Chinese

Keyword cajun chicken, easy recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• Vegetable or Peanut Oil for frying
• 4 whole egg whites
• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs Cut into Bite-Sized Pieces

For the Sauce:

• 1/2 cup Orange Juice
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp packed brown sugar, white sugar, or honey
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar or regular distilled vinegar
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil
• dash of salt to taste
• dash of crushed red pepper to taste
• 1 clove garlic pressed or minced
• 2 tsps minced ginger
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• zest of 1 orange optional
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 whole green onions, sliced

Instructions

For the Chicken:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and egg whites with a fork until almost frothy, for about 1 minute.
• Add the chicken to the mixture and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Drain the chicken pieces on the cooling rack then place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Set aside.

For the Sauce:

• Meanwhile, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, salt, crushed red pepper, garlic and ginger (and orange zest, optional) in a small nonstick skillet and whisk together. Heat until it bubbles and starts to thicken, for about 3-4 minutes.
• Whisk together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch slurry to the sauce. Mix and let it thicken for a minute. If sauce gets overly thick, just add 1/4 cup water and whisk.
• Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Use a deep-fry thermometer and heat it to 350 degrees F. In batches, carefully drop one piece of chicken at a time to prevent them from sticking together. Let it fry for about 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown.
• Toss the chicken in the sauce. Serve hot and garnish with orange zest and sliced green onions on top.