Description
This Double Crunch Orange Chicken recipe offers a crispy, flavorful chicken breast twice-dredged in a spiced flour mixture and fried to golden perfection, then coated in a tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy homemade orange sauce. Perfectly balanced with the zest and juice of fresh oranges, honey sweetness, and a mild kick from chili flakes, this dish pairs wonderfully with rice or noodles for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
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
- canola oil for frying
- 2 eggs
- 4 tbsp water (for egg wash)
- salt and pepper for seasoning chicken breasts
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)
- 1 1/2 to 2 rounded tbsp corn starch
- 1/4 cup water (for corn starch slurry)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound them evenly to about 1/2 inch thickness. Alternatively, slice horizontally with a sharp knife to create thinner breasts.
- Mix the Flour and Spices: Sift together the flour, salt, black pepper, ground ginger, nutmeg, thyme, sage, paprika, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Note that this mixture can be stored for future use.
- Create the Egg Wash: Whisk the eggs and 4 tablespoons of water together in a separate bowl until well combined.
- Coat the Chicken: Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dip each breast first into the flour and spice mix, then into the egg wash, and finally back into the flour mixture, pressing the coating well onto the meat to ensure it sticks.
- Fry the Chicken: Heat about half an inch of canola oil in a skillet over slightly below medium heat (around 4.5/10 on a burner dial). Fry the chicken breasts gently for 4 to 5 minutes per side until they turn golden brown and crispy. The thinness ensures the chicken is fully cooked by the time the crust is browned.
- Drain the Fried Chicken: Place fried chicken on a wire rack to drain off excess oil for a few minutes.
- Prepare the Orange Sauce Base: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add the minced garlic and peanut oil. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the garlic softens but does not brown.
- Add Sauce Ingredients: Stir in orange juice, orange zest, honey, rice wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, and chili flakes or crushed chili paste. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the sauce reduces by about half, skimming off any foam or film on the surface.
- Thicken the Sauce: Mix the corn starch with 1/4 cup water to form a slurry. Slowly pour this into the simmering sauce while stirring constantly until the sauce thickens to a glaze-like consistency. Boil for one more minute and remove from heat.
- Coat Chicken with Orange Sauce: Dip the drained and crispy chicken breasts into the orange sauce to coat them well just before serving.
- Serve: Serve the double-crunch orange chicken immediately with steamed rice or noodles.
Notes
- The flour and spice mixture makes enough coating for two batches of chicken; store leftovers in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for future use.
- Adjust the amount of chili flakes or paste to your preferred spice level; using one quarter of the amount will give a milder sauce.
- Maintaining oil temperature just below medium-low heat prevents the chicken from browning too quickly and ensures thorough cooking.
- Using a wire rack to drain fried chicken keeps the crust crispy rather than soggy.
- The sauce should have a thick glaze consistency; adjust corn starch slurry quantity accordingly.
Keywords: Orange chicken, crispy chicken, fried chicken breast, homemade orange sauce, Asian-inspired chicken recipe, sweet and spicy chicken, double coated chicken