
Listen if you love food as much as I do, then I imagine you have the occasional craving for some orange chicken. While it would be easy to go to Panda or your local favorite Chinese spot, making it from home can be more satisfying AND a little more macro-friendly. This way, you have control over how it’s prepared and can still input the recipe into your tracker and give yourself a better idea of your intake versus just ordering takeout. I personally loved that this recipe made their recipe with chicken breast to get a less fatty cut of protein and allows you to go lighter on the breading if cutting out extra carbs it’s important to you. I’ll leave the link below so you can get more details if you want it!Â
Nutrition Information Per Serving (Serves 4)
Calories 553
Fat 12 g
Sodium 954 mg
Carbohydrates 46 g
Fiber 2 g
Protein 58 gÂ
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. plus 1 tbsp. cornstarch, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1 Tbsp. canola oil, plus more for frying
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. finely chopped peeled ginger
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2/3 c. fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Cooked white rice for serving
Step 1-In a shallow bowl, beat eggs until blended. In another shallow bowl, mix flour and 1/2 cup cornstarch; season with salt and black pepper. Coat chicken in egg, then toss in flour mixture, tapping off any excess.
Step 2-Into a large, deep skillet, pour oil to a depth of 1/4". Heat until shimmering and a piece of chicken sizzles when added. Working in batches, fry chicken until golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Step 3-In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add garlic, ginger, and red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Whisk in orange juice, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, chili sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and lemon juice and bring to a simmer.
Step 4-Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Slowly whisk into sauce to thicken and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is syrupy, about 5 minutes.
Step 5-Transfer chicken to a platter. Add sauce, toss to combine, and top with scallions. Serve over rice.
Enjoy!