Quick n Easy Orange Chicken Recipe 

Chicken Orange. Flaky chicken fried to perfection with a zesty orange sauce. Simple to prepare in 30 minutes at home! I demonstrate how to air fried or shallow fry the chicken.

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COMPLETION: TIME 30 minutes

 INGREDIENTS FOR Quick n Easy Orange Chicken Recipe 

1. One pound of skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2. Use potato starch instead of ¼ cup cornflour.
3. ⅓ cup vegetable oil or other flavor-neutralizing oil (use two tablespoons of oil if air-frying).

Orange Chicken Sauce:

1. Squeeze 1 cup of fresh orange juice (approximately 4-5 medium-sized oranges) and remove the pulp.
2. ¼ cup plus two tablespoons each of rice or white vinegar and brown sugar
3. Two tablespoons of ordinary soy sauce
4. Two minced garlic cloves and a tsp of ginger powder, or use freshly grated ginger instead
5. One tablespoon cornflour, alternatively use potato starch in its place
6. If desired, add an optional ½ teaspoon of red chilli flakes. hot and spicy

Optional Garnish:

1. ½ coarsely sliced green onion
2. 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3. 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds

 INSTRUCTIONS FOR Quick n Easy Orange Chicken Recipe 

1. Mix the sauce ingredients (given above) in a small bowl. Stir thoroughly and reserve.
2. Keep the chicken thighs somewhat wet for the following stage; refer to the Notes section below for further details. Don’t pat them dry. Cut thighs into bite-sized pieces, approximately 1.5 x 1.5 inches in width (each thigh should provide 6–8 pieces, depending on size).
3. Place the chicken pieces in a big basin and then add potato or cornflour. Using tongs, mix to evenly coat each piece.

Method of Shallow Frying:

1. Add vegetable oil to a wok or big skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Let the oil heat up. A wooden chopstick can be used to test the oil by sticking it in and searching for bubbles. The oil is heated if bubbles are visible.
2. Quickly split apart the breaded chicken after lowering it gently into the oil. Do not touch or reposition the chicken pieces once they have been split apart. Let the pieces sear for five to six minutes on each side, or until they have a golden crust.
3. When a golden crust begins to form, turn the chicken pieces over and continue cooking until the other side becomes golden brown.
   Take out and place the fried chicken onto a wire rack that is placed on top of a baking sheet or a dish covered with paper towels to catch any leftover oil. Empty the pan’s excess oil

.Method of Air Frying:

1. Apply a thin layer of vegetable or any other neutral oil to the air fryer basket.
2. Give each piece of breaded chicken adequate room as you arrange it in the air fryer basket in a single layer. The size of your air fryer may determine whether you need to air fry in small batches. Lightly mist the covered chicken with oil.
3. For 12 to 14 minutes, air fried at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until golden crispy brown. Your air fryer will determine how long it takes.

Note: For a crispy texture, I air-fried my for 14 minutes at 400 degrees using a Philips air fryer. If you’re using a different machine, inspect your chicken after 12 minutes and air fry it for a few more minutes until it reaches your desired level of crispiness.

Sauce:

1. Transfer sauce to a skillet over medium-high heat. For two to three minutes, or until the sauce bubbles and thickens, stir continuously.
2. Add enough fried chicken to cover the pieces in sauce.
3. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, and citrus zest, if desired. Present and savour!

Notes
Chicken thighs should be moist to touch when removed from packaging. Otherwise, cornstarch will not stick. If not moist for some reason, run the thighs under cold water and let water drip off completely. Then cut into bite size pieces. The cornstarch should stick well.