Orange Chicken Crispy Bites (Printable)

Tender chicken pieces fried to crispiness and coated in flavorful orange sauce.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.3 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1/2 cup cornstarch
04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
07 - Vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 2/3 inches deep)

→ Orange Sauce

08 - 3/4 cup fresh orange juice (from approximately 2 oranges)
09 - 2 tablespoons orange zest
10 - 1/4 cup soy sauce
11 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
12 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
13 - 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
14 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
15 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
16 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
17 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (slurry)

→ Garnishes (optional)

18 - 2 spring onions, sliced
19 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch, all-purpose flour, salt, and black pepper. Dip each chicken piece into the egg, then dredge thoroughly in the flour mixture to coat evenly.
02 - Heat vegetable oil to 350°F (175°C) in a deep skillet or wok, maintaining approximately 1 2/3 inches of oil. Fry chicken pieces in batches for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
03 - Combine orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, minced garlic, grated ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
04 - Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and turns glossy.
05 - Add the fried chicken pieces to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly. Cook for 2 minutes to heat through and meld flavors.
06 - Transfer coated chicken to a serving dish. Optionally, garnish with sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Those crispy chicken bites stay crunchy even after they're coated in sauce, which honestly shouldn't work but does.
  • The orange flavor tastes bright and fresh, not like you dumped a bottle of something artificial over fried chicken.
  • You can have it on the table in less than an hour, making it perfect for nights when takeout menus feel too expensive or too slow.
02 -
  • Don't add the chicken to the sauce until you're ready to serve it, or it'll lose that crispness you worked for and become chewy.
  • If your sauce seems too thin after adding the slurry, mix a little more cornstarch with water and stir it in; the difference between glossy and watery changes everything about how the dish looks and feels.
03 -
  • Cut your chicken into consistent pieces so everything cooks at the same rate; one huge chunk and one tiny bite mean uneven results.
  • Have everything prepped and ready before you start frying, because once the chicken hits the oil you need to be focused and present.
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