Ingredients
For the Chicken & Marinade
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
For the Dredge
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
For the Orange Sauce & Assembly
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon Sambal oelek
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- Neutral oil, for frying
First, Marinate the Chicken and Make the Sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white until it’s a little frothy. Add the Shaoxing wine and low-sodium soy sauce and whisk to combine. In a separate small bowl, mix the cornstarch, baking soda, MSG, sea salt, and white pepper. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
Add the chicken pieces to the batter and mix until every piece is thoroughly coated. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
While the chicken marinates, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients, from the orange juice to the dark soy sauce. Whisk until the sugars are dissolved.
Next, Dredge and Double-Fry the Chicken
In a separate bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dry dredge: cornstarch, flour, baking powder, MSG, and sea salt.
Pour enough neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer to fully submerge the chicken and preheat it to 350F.
Working with a few pieces at a time, remove the chicken from the marinade, let any excess batter drip off, and dredge it thoroughly in the dry coating mixture. Make sure each piece is completely covered.
Carefully add the coated chicken to the hot oil, being sure not to crowd the pot. Fry in batches for ~4-5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and lightly golden. Remove the chicken to a wire rack to drain.
Once all the chicken has been fried once, increase the oil temperature to 375F. Fry the chicken again, in batches, for another 2 minutes until it’s a deep golden brown and extra crispy. Return it to the wire rack to drain.
Finally, Make the Sauce and Assemble the Dish
In a large wok or skillet, heat a tablespoon of neutral oil over medium heat. Add the grated garlic, ginger, and Sambal oelek. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until they are very fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the tablespoon of Shaoxing wine.
Give the sauce mixture a final whisk and pour it into the wok. Bring it to a simmer. Stir your cornstarch slurry and pour it in while whisking the sauce. Let it bubble for a minute until it thickens into a glossy glaze.
Add the double-fried chicken to the sauce and toss quickly to coat every piece. Serve immediately.
Takeout-Style Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Marinade
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
For the Dredge
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
For the Orange Sauce & Assembly
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon Sambal oelek
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- Neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix egg white, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, baking soda, MSG, salt, and white pepper to make marinade.
- Coat chicken pieces in marinade and rest 15 minutes.
- Whisk sauce ingredients together until sugars dissolve.
- Combine cornstarch, flour, baking powder, MSG, and salt for dredging mixture.
- Heat oil to 350F in deep pot.
- Dredge marinated chicken pieces in dry coating mixture.
- First fry: Cook chicken in batches 4-5 minutes until lightly golden.
- Increase oil to 375F.
- Second fry: Cook chicken 2 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Heat oil in wok over medium heat. Stir-fry garlic, ginger, and Sambal 30 seconds.
- Add Shaoxing wine, then sauce mixture. Simmer.
- Add cornstarch slurry, cook until thickened.
- Toss chicken in sauce until coated.
