Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken orange chicken sauce without cornstarch? ›

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.

In most countries in the western hemisphere, the names "orange chicken", "orange peel chicken", "orange-flavored chicken", and "tangerine chicken" are typically used for this particular dish. This dish may have originally come from the "tangerine chicken" dish from Hunan, China.

Orange Chicken is crispy and light due to its thin glaze. Meanwhile, Sweet and Sour Chicken is crispy with a thicker and more indulgent sauce. Their different textures make them both a delicious choice when you are craving Chinese food.

We love serving this baked orange chicken recipe (and this Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken) over a bed of brown rice, white rice, or quinoa. For a low-carb option, Cauliflower Fried Rice would also be tasty. Salad. Try serving your orange chicken with a salad like this Ramen Salad or Asian Cucumber Salad.

Egg yolks, arrowroot, tomato paste or butter can thicken sauce in place of flour or cornstarch.

General Tso's chicken is typically spicier and has a more complex flavor profile, with a sauce that includes soy sauce, vinegar, and chili peppers. Orange chicken, on the other hand, has a sweeter and tangier sauce made with orange juice and zest.

The most famous dish at Panda Express is the Orange Chicken. Inspired by flavors of the Hunan Province in China, Chef Andy Kho developed it in 1987, and it has been a consistent part of the menu ever since. Distinguished with its orange-flavored chili sauce, it has spawned several 'copycat' recipes.

What's the difference between General Tso and Kung Pao Chicken? General Tso's is sweeter with a milder spice, featuring deep-fried battered chicken. Kung Pao is spicier with stir-fried chicken, vegetables, and peanuts.

Choosing by taste:

Sesame chicken if you like the nutty notes of sesame oil and seeds. General Tso if you like a bit of spice. Orange chicken if you want something a bit sweeter.

Although they're both made with an orange-based sauce, mandarin chicken and orange chicken are different dishes. Mandarin chicken is typically sweeter because it uses more dark brown sugar than orange chicken. The sauce for mandarin chicken also tends to be thicker and much stickier.

How to make Sam's orange chicken? ›

Cooking Instructions:

Deep frying: preheat fryer to 350°F and thaw unopened sauce pouch in a bowl of hot water. Deep fry chicken for 5-7 minutes. Let cool, then drizzle sauce over chicken or use for dipping.

Continue cooking until the chicken is no longer pink, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 1 to 2 hours.

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.

If you don't have cornstarch, you can substitute all-purpose flour in favor for a more routine breading and frying procedure. You can also use rice flour or potato flour, which are commonly used for tempura, and this will create a similar lacy, crunchy texture.

To thicken your sauce without cornstarch, use all-purpose flour or arrowroot powder instead of the cornstarch. Follow the same method by mixing with cold water to create a slurry before whisking into the simmering sauce.