Spicy Orange Chicken
photo by Late Night Gourmet
- Ready In:
- 2hrs 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 17
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 lbs chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch chunks
- 3 large oranges
- 6 tablespoons sugar, ground in coffee grinder (or use caster sugar)
- 8 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1⁄2 ounce ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 chili pepper, serrano, finely chopped
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 1⁄2 cups water
- 5 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1⁄2 bell peppers, any color
- 8 ounces snap peas
- 1⁄2 ounce green onion, chopped in 1-inch pieces
directions
- Mix the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and chili pepper.
- Grind sugar in a coffee grinder for 15 seconds to reduce the granules. Alternately, use caster sugar. The sugar needs to be fine to dissolve properly in the marinade. Add to mixture.
- Zest the peel of 1 orange into the mixture. Squeeze the juice from 3 oranges into the mixture and blend thoroughly. Retain orange peels for later if you want to add zest to the end product.
- Add mixture to a zip lock bag or sealed container, and add chopped chicken breast. Allow to marinade, refrigerated, at least 2 hours.
- Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice and a pinch of salt and return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until water is absorbed (about 16 minutes). Rice should have steam holes when it's ready.
- Using a colander, strain the marinade juices into a pan to separate them from the chicken. Heat on low heat to reduce, stirring as it starts to bubble up.
- Heat the oil in a wok or large pan.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, taking care to not wipe off garlic and ginger bits. Mix the cornflour with the salt and pepper. Toss the chicken in the mixture until completely coated.
- When the oil is hot, reduce heat to medium and cook the chicken in batches, about 5 minutes on each side. If you have a meat thermometer, the chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove each batch of chicken with a slotted spoon, and place in a bowl lined with a paper towel to soak up excess fat.
- When all the chicken is cooked, add the bell pepper, snap peas, and green onion to the hot pan. Saute until the peppers soften up a bit (about 5 minutes), then add marinade juices. Add the chicken back in and stir until blended. Heat until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Serve up with white rice. Top with orange zest if desired.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Late Night Gourmet
Harrison Township, Michigan
I have two teenagers who keep things very busy around our house during the daytime. I also work long hours at Ford Motor Company, and I do want to spend time with my family every day. If I try to cook when my kids have their friends over, I'm certain to be interrupted. In other words, my available times for cooking are very limited.
I don't want to give up on anything I love - my family, my job, my cooking - so I do most of my cooking after everyone has gone to bed. My wife is a teacher, so this can be very late at night during the summer. Sometimes, I don't get started with my prep work until 12:30 a.m. Am I crazy?? Maybe.
I'm also constantly working on healthier ways to prepare food. I deconstruct every recipe I like, and try to make it with healthier ingredients. The big challenge is keeping the food tasty. I believe it's possible to enjoy what you eat and still be healthy. I lost 15 pounds in 6 months largely by preparing my own food (and exercising). If I didn't keep such loony hours, I'd call myself "The Healthy Gourmet".