This orange chicken has one seriously surprising secret ingredient. In fact, when my 12-year-old brother, Carson, shared this recipe with me, I thought he might have been a prank. It gets its sweet-yet-tangy flavor from whaaaaat?
Dun-de-dun-dun: Ketchup. Yes, ketchup. Stay with us. We promise it’s not as gross as it sounds. (And yes, you can totally use a few ketchup packets from the dining hall or nearest fast food joint. Ditto for the soy sauce. We’re all about the thrift.)
Make no mistake: This recipe is good. Like, never-order-takeout-again-and-make-it-every-Tuesday good. And just the right mix of easy-to-do and satisfying-to-make that you feel all productive after making it, too. Let’s break it down like a circa-2002 VHS of Darrin’s Dance Grooves:
First, dice up the chicken into 1-inch chunks. This ensures that it cooks extra-fast and prevents you from having to make those awkward, mega-bites. (Because you know as soon as you do, someone will ask you a question and leave you fighting to chew-talk your way through an answer. Not cute.)
Once that’s done, sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the chicken and PREPARE TO DREDGE! Dredging sounds intense — and intensely complicated — but all I really mean is: Fill one bowl with cornstarch and another with beaten eggs. Dip each piece of chicken in the cornstarch, then in the eggs and then cook ’em on a frying pan. (That frying pan should have a little oil on it, so the chicken gets a good sear.) It’s that easy.
By golly, we’re doing it! We’re dredging! DREDGING.
If we can do this, you can bet your Beanie Baby collection that you can, too.
Let these guys sizzle on the pan for just a minute or two. You don’t want to cook them all the way through — this part is just to get a good crispy exterior. The oven will do the rest.
Whisk up all the sauce ingredients, then pour them on the cooked chicken. Now it’s time to get their bake on in the oven.
You can serve it on a bed of steamed veggies and brown rice, like we did, or with some of our Ridiculously Easy Fried Rice. One batch easily makes six servings, and you can make a batch on Sunday and have lunches for the week. Just reheat in the microwave for about a minute, and watch everyone else get jealous of your gourmet meal while they nibble on cold cuts. Muhahahahaha.
Now it’s your turn. You got this!
- For the chicken:
- 3 pounds boneless chicken breast
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup canola oil
- For the sauce:
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- First, the chicken: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. As it heats, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Season the cubed chicken with a little salt and pepper (just a light sprinkle is fine). Pour the canola oil onto a frying pan, set it on a burner and turn the dial to medium heat.
- Dip each piece of chicken in cornstarch, then in the eggs, adding each to the frying pan. Cook the battered chicken until it's lightly browned but not fully cooked.
- Place the chicken on an oven-safe dish (a 9"x13" or 8"x8" baking pan works well).
- Now for the sauce: Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Pour it over the chicken and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour. Set a timer every 20 minutes so you can flip the chicken—that way it bakes evenly.
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