# Chinese Orange Chicken



## mhatter-1 (Jan 3, 2013)

Does anyone have any suggestions of how to make this dish to have more of an orange flavor?


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## praties (Dec 7, 2005)

Just a suggestion, but you'd probably have better luck with this in the Recipes section - http://www.cheftalk.com/f/11/recipes or even the general Food & Cooking section. The only folks that'll see it here are those looking for reviews of cooking equipment.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

What is your recipe like now? 

You need to add something with stronger orange flavor, that usually means zest. Dried Tangerines are also an option and a good traditional chinese ingredient in their own right.


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## berndy (Sep 18, 2010)

Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate UNDELUTED will give you the strongest flavor/img/vbsmilies/smilies/chef.gif


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

OJ Concentrate is good, but I find it harder to balance flavors with it. It comes with a lot of sugar you have to deal with in the dish.


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## dcarch (Jun 28, 2010)

Use yuzu oranges.

dcarch


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I sometimes add orange oil to OJ  concentrate


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

I see a couple of good options here.
Have never used the dried tangerine but since citrus zest is a common ingredient in baked goods I assume the whole fruit would add a great deal of flavor without having to compensate for the added sweetness a concentrated juice would bring to the table.

Flavored oils (LorAnn is my go to brand) have become very popular since coming on the market.
Hyper-concentrated so you only need a few drops.
Just pure flavor with no aftertaste no one need know it is even there if you choose not to mention it.

mimi


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

I was going to start a new thread but found this old one. I am thinking about how to duplicate something I just tasted at a Hunan restaurant in the sticks (Lapine, Oregon).

My daughter's favorite food is orange chicken. A few days ago she ordered it at a restaurant we went to for the first time, and it's her favorite version, and not like any other she or I have had.

My first impression was skewered and grilled pieces of chicken thigh in a sauce made of marmalade and soy sauce. I'm pretty sure the restaurant doesn't use marmalade, but who knows... it just tasted like it to me. There were little slightly crunchy slivers of orange zest (or other citrus zest) on it and I also tasted ginger. So I'm thinking the ingredients are skewered chicken, soy sauce, fried orange zest (???), fresh ginger and a lot of sugar. The sauce was very umami and dark brown, and almost syrupy. It was too sweet for me, but I would love to be able to make this for my daughter some time.

Any ideas on what the recipe might be? I'm thinking there might be a fairly standard recipe out there. I would ask the restaurant but they're 150 miles away and the server was not very nice.


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## mhatter-1 (Jan 3, 2013)

I don't know how you feel about having orange liqueur around but from what I understand, a little of this adds a lot of flavor. Try adding a little heat as well, as long as your daughter likes the heat?


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Marmalades are a great way to bring flavor to a dish (savory or sweet).

I use the orange variety in my Pork Rib glaze sometimes.

You do have to be careful re any other ingredients that have sugar in them (altho a bit of acid will usually balance it out should that happen).

mimi


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## cerise (Jul 5, 2013)

I would poke around the web and look for authentic/from scratch recipes.

In the meantime, it's not authentic, but the flavors and method might give you some ideas. Maybe add some ginger or five spice powder Honey, soy sauce, oj, and ginger might work. Taste as you go.

http://www.craftymorning.com/3-ingredient-orange-chicken-sauce-recipe/


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

When making the sauce fry the orange zest to start the sauce. If you want some heat in the sauce fry some pepper flakes along with the orange zest. The sauce shouldn't take long to make and can be made while the chicken is frying. Watch the zest doesn't burn when frying it doesn't take long. This is probably the bits you taste in the sauce.


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## Hank (Sep 8, 2015)

I use fresh squeezed orange juice in the sauce, and along the line Billy suggests I saute the orange zest, adding it to the garlic, ginger, and peppers after they have sauted for a couple moments, and then toss with the deep fried chicken pieces.


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

Cerise said:


> I would poke around the web and look for authentic/from scratch recipes.


This is my first place to ask when I've looked and haven't found it.


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

ChefBillyB said:


> When making the sauce fry the orange zest to start the sauce. If you want some heat in the sauce fry some pepper flakes along with the orange zest. The sauce shouldn't take long to make and can be made while the chicken is frying. Watch the zest doesn't burn when frying it doesn't take long. This is probably the bits you taste in the sauce.


Thanks!


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## martijacobs (Jun 3, 2016)

I add some whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, Sriracha, ginger and white pepper in a large bowl, to make the marinade. It goes delicious.


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## toydujour (Jun 10, 2016)

I cheat with my Orange Chicken. It's a pretty simple recipe. Equal parts Orange Marmalade and Thai Sweet Chili Sauce thrown in a blender. You can adjust each up or down to your heat preference.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

I've worked in two(2) Asian places. Both used the same mix, done in the pan. Marmalade, soy (easy splash), rice-wine vinegar (easy splash), chx stock (for viscosity) and OJ (just another splash). The chx was cooked in the wok for a minute in oil with a few drops of sesame oil, then everything was put in 1x1 and it was cooked down for another two(2) minutes. Asian restaurants use jet-engine stoves, so you probably aren't going to cook as fast. The chx was heavily dusted/dredged with a mix of baking powder and rice flour.


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## mhatter-1 (Jan 3, 2013)

Sounds good iceman, I will definitely try this!


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## mhatter-1 (Jan 3, 2013)

Good idea!


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

5 medium boneless skinless thighs, cut into pieces. Fry with 1 T of oil or less, uncovered.Stir occasionally and fry 'til browned, about 25-30 minutes, but go by appearance and not time. I took the time to take the skin off and cut the meat off the bone, but you don't have to.

Sauce: mix 6 T marmalade, 1/4 c. soy sauce and 1/2 cup sugar. Warm this in the microwave.

When the chicken is done, take the pieces out of the pan (and leave the oil in the pan, do not use), and mix chicken with the sauce mixture.

My recipe now.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

> The chx was heavily dusted/dredged with a mix of baking powder and rice flour.


I'm pretty sure that should have been corn starch. Sorry. _LOL @ ME_ ... I could still be wrong.

Oregon ... are you sure you want to fry that for 25-30 minutes?


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

that is a LONG time to fry  I'd guess more like 2-3 minute flash fry and then stir fry in the sauce


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

Maybe I didn't fry it that long. I went by appearance, and they were pretty big pieces. Millions, of course you could make it as you want, but I wanted to separate the meat from the fat in the pan, to make it a leaner dish.


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