Chinese-American · main

Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken reads umami 5.7, richness 5.2 and salinity 5.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 12 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.5 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 5.7 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.7 · Richness 5.2 · Salinity 5.1 · Sweetness 4.9 · Citrus 4.6 · Allium 4.2 · Sourness 3.6 · Funk & Ferment 2.8 · Fruity 2.3 · Warm Spice 2.3 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Heat 1.8 · Floral 1.7 · Nutty 1.1 · Bitterness 1.1 · Earthy 0.7

What's in it (16)

• boneless chicken — 680 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• eggs — 200 g
• cornstarch — 177 g
• all-purpose flour — 30 g
• vegetable oil — 1306 g
• orange zest — 15 g
• rice wine vinegar — 44 g
• soybean soy sauce — 44 g
• granulated sugar — 67 g
• garlic — 9 g
• ginger — 15 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• cornstarch — 30 g
• scallions — 200 g

Time & effort: about 12 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 238.5 kcal, 14.5 g protein, 11.9 g fat, 18 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and toss with the salt and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Dip each piece of chicken in the beaten egg, then dredge in the cornstarch and flour mixture, pressing to coat evenly; set the coated pieces on a plate.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the orange zest and juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar until the sugar dissolves; set aside.
4. Pour the oil into a heavy pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F. Fry the chicken in 2-3 batches until pale golden and just cooked through (internal temp 165°F), 3-4 minutes per batch; transfer to a wire rack.
5. Once all the chicken has had its first fry, raise the oil to 375°F. Return the chicken, all batches together, and fry a second time until deeply golden and crackling crisp, 1-2 minutes; drain on the rack.
6. Wipe out a large skillet, add the reserved tablespoon of oil, and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
7. Pour in the orange sauce base and bring to a simmer over medium heat, about 2 minutes.
8. Stir the cornstarch slurry to recombine, add it to the sauce, and simmer, stirring, until glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1-2 minutes.
9. Add the crispy chicken to the skillet and toss over low heat until every piece is glazed, about 1 minute.
10. Plate and scatter with the sliced scallions.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry with Chickpeas — Thai
• Creamy Tuscan White Bean Soup — Italian
• Chicken Vesuvio — Italian-American
• Pasta Primavera with Spring Vegetables — Italian-American
• Beef And Broccoli Bowl — Chinese

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.