Baked orange chicken can be made from scratch at home to create the same awesome flavors as the classic takeout dish.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: baked, orange chicken, take out
Ingredients
2poundsbonelessskinless chicken thighs
1/2cupflour
2eggs
1cupbreadcrumbs or panko
cooking spray
1tablespoonvegetable or canola oil
1tablespoondried ginger
6 to 8clovesminced garlic
1/2teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes
1tablespooncornstarch
2tablespoonswhite wine or rice wine
1/4cupfresh-squeezed orange juice
1teaspoonsesame oil
3tablespoonslow-sodium soy sauce
10tablespoonssugar
10tablespoonswhite vinegar
zest of one orange
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil.
Cut the chicken thighs into one-inch, bite-sized pieces.
Set up three bowls. In the first bowl, add the flour. (I ended up needing a lot more than the 1/2 cup, so be prepared to add more if necessary.) In the second bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. (I also had to add an additional egg by the end of my preparation.) In the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs. (If you're using panko, run it through a food processor to get it into smaller bits, and again, be prepared to add some extra if necessary.)
Dip the chicken into the flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs and then place on the baking sheet. Try to keep the pieces from touching each other, but don't worry about crowding the pan.
Spray the coated chicken with cooking spray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown.
For the sauce, heat one tablespoon vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red peppers and stir, sauteing for about 30 seconds.
Add the rest of the ingredients, and bring the mixture up to a slow boil, stirring continuously. Once the mixture starts to thicken, remove the sauce from the heat.
Once the chicken is finished, toss it in the sauce to coat it and serve.