Description

This Double Crunch Orange Chicken recipe features tender, thinly pounded chicken breasts with a flavorful, crispy spiced coating, fried to golden perfection and glazed with a sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy homemade orange sauce. Perfectly balanced with fresh garlic, orange zest, and a blend of warming spices, this dish is an irresistible fusion of crispy texture and vibrant citrus flavor, ideal for serving alongside noodles or rice.

Ingredients

Scale

Orange Sauce

3 cloves minced garlic
3 tbsp peanut oil or other vegetable oil
3 cups orange juice
Finely grated zest of one small orange
3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp chili flakes or 2 tsp crushed chili paste (adjust to taste; use 1/4 if less spicy preferred)
1 1/2 to 2 rounded tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup water

Chicken and Coating

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups flour
4 tsp salt
4 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground thyme
2 tsp ground sage
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 eggs
4 tbsp water
Canola oil for frying

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound them to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Alternatively, carefully slice the breasts horizontally to create thinner cutlets.
Mix the Coating: Sift together the flour, salt, black pepper, ground ginger, nutmeg, thyme, sage, paprika, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. This dry mix is sufficient for two batches and can be stored in the freezer for future use.
Create Egg Wash: Whisk the eggs and water together in a separate bowl to make an egg wash.
Coat the Chicken: Season the chicken breasts lightly with salt and pepper. Dip each breast first into the flour and spice mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally back into the flour mixture, pressing to ensure a good, even coating.
Fry the Chicken: Heat about half an inch of canola oil in a skillet over medium-low heat (around 4.5 out of 10 on a burner). Fry the chicken gently for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy. The thinness of the meat ensures it cooks through evenly.
Drain and Set Aside: Remove the chicken and drain on a wire rack for a few minutes.
Make the Orange Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add the minced garlic and oil. Sauté until garlic softens but doesn’t brown. Add the orange juice, orange zest, honey, rice wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, and chili flakes or paste. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes until reduced by half, skimming any film from the surface.
Thicken the Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the corn starch and water. Slowly pour this mixture into the saucepan, stirring continuously to thicken the sauce to a glaze-like consistency. Boil for an additional minute and then remove from heat.
Coat and Serve: Dip the fried chicken breasts into the prepared orange sauce to coat evenly. Serve immediately with noodles or rice for a complete meal.

Notes

For less spicy sauce, reduce chili flakes or paste to a quarter of the recommended amount.
The flour and spice dredge mix can be made in bulk and frozen for future use.
To ensure even cooking and crispiness, make sure the chicken is uniformly pounded to about 1/2 inch thickness.
Use a wire rack to drain excess oil after frying, which helps maintain crispiness.
Carefully control the oil temperature during frying to avoid burning the coating before chicken is cooked through.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Frying
Cuisine: American-Chinese Fusion

Keywords: orange chicken, crispy chicken, double crunch chicken, homemade orange sauce, fried chicken breasts, spicy orange glaze, Asian-inspired chicken