Baked Orange Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my orange chicken soggy? ›

Avoid Soggy Chicken: To keep the chicken crispy, fry it until it's just done and don't let it sit in the sauce for too long. Toss it in the sauce right before serving to maintain that delightful crunch. Fresh Orange Zest: Don't skip the orange zest in the sauce; it adds a fresh and vibrant flavor.

One distinct characteristic of orange chicken is that it is sweet, and that comes from the addition of brown sugar (and honey), which gives the sauce it's sticky, caramelized glaze. The addition of brown sugar in many Asian recipes helps to balance out sour flavors and spices added to the dish.

Once you sear all the chicken pieces, it's best to let the chicken cool off for 2 to 3 minutes first. The crust will crisp up a bit more during this time. And the crust will hold up to the sauce better without turning soggy immediately after you add the liquid ingredients.

Brine the chicken: Soaking the chicken in a brine solution (water and salt) for a few hours before baking can help to keep it moist and tender. Add a liquid: Adding a bit of liquid, such as chicken broth, white wine, or even water to the baking dish can help to keep the chicken moist and tender.

How to make the orange chicken sauce. The orange sauce is made from a mixture of the orange juice and zest, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar. This is bubbled up in the wok until slightly thickened. The chicken is then added back in, and tossed in the sauce until fully coated.

Mix 2 tablespoons (16 g) of flour with 1/4 cup (60 mL) of cold water, then add to your sauce and stir over medium heat until it thickens. Alternatively, create a sauce-thickening roux by whisking 1 tbsp (15 g) of butter and 1 tbsp (9 g) of salt together, then adding the mixture to your sauce.

This is a common Chinese cooking technique called velveting the meat. Basically, the meat is marinated in egg whites and cornstarch (other optional seasonings may be added, depending upon what flavor you wish to achieve), then refrigerated for about an hour before cooking.

While the orange chicken is one of the most famous Chinese dishes in America, it is a purely American invention, with no authentic Chinese resturants or restaurants in China serving this dish.

The chicken itself is also different, as orange chicken is made with dark meat chicken ( chicken thighs) and sweet and sour chicken is made with chicken breasts and fried in a batter that yields a puffy and airy crust.

The chicken is then air-dried for 10 to 12 hours before being flash-fried, then oil-poached. The skin gets its signature crispiness from 10 to 12 minutes of basting with scalding hot oil right before serving.

What is the secret to crispy chicken? ›

FLOUR + CORNSTARCH + BAKING POWDER

My not-so-secret tip to the best fried chicken is a combination of FLOUR, CORNSTARCH, and BAKING POWDER. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color!

To thicken the sauce, pour it into a small saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water to make a cornstarch slurry. Once the sauce starts to bubble in the pan on the stovetop, add the cornstarch slurry and stir to combine.

Given the fact that drumsticks and thighs are dark meat and won't dry out as easily as breasts, the range from 350 to 450 degrees is okay for baking them. 350 to 375 is generally best for breasts. The best answer to these questions? Simply check the chicken for doneness using an instant read thermometer.

Temperature and Timing

Cooking lean meats at a high temperature means they cook more quickly, and this can help capture the moisture and flavor. Adler recommends cooking bone-in chicken breast at 450 degrees, which can take up to 20 minutes for a bone-in breast.

Mushy, mealy, stringy chicken, which is sometimes the result of cooking low and slow for an extended period of time. I've learned this the hard way, after many attempts at cooking chicken in the crockpot on a workday, for 8 plus hours at a time.

If you notice any texture changes, such as increased softness, sliminess, stickiness, or residue, it's likely no longer safe to eat. Raw chicken shouldn't be slimy, sticky, or tacky and should be glossy and somewhat soft. Cooked chicken that has gone bad will usually be slimy, sticky, and overly soft.

If your chicken is greasy, soggy and dry, you are probably cooking it at too low of a temperature for too long. If your oil isn't hot enough, the breading will absorb oil rather than become crispy, that's why it is greasy and soggy.

You may have wondered how Chinese restaurants come to have such soft, silky textured meat in their dishes? Rather than stir-frying the meat and searing it all over until browned, they use a special technique called velveting.