Oven-Fried Orange Chicken

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My recipe for Oven-Fried Orange Chicken is simple to make and just as good as take-out from your favorite panda restaurant.

One of the best parts of summer is spending extra quality time with the little people around my house. When we have time together, it really cements our relationships and makes for a happy house and lots of unprovoked hugs.

One of the things I dislike about summer is that I am constantly harassed to “go out” for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Am I alone here? It can’t just be my kids who are instantly starving (after eating 15 minutes prior) as soon as we hit the car to run errands. Please say yours do the same? Anyway, one of the faves is Panda Express. My kids would live there if I’d let them. Orange chicken is all they ever order. So when I get the request to eat out, the first thing that comes to mind is “I can make that”. So I do. Sometimes the kids are stoked with the homemade version and other times…well, you get the picture. One of the main things they love about the Orange Chicken at Panda Express is the crispy fried coating.

Being that I went on a 12 day California adventureand that I came home feeling like I swallowed a watermelon, I have been trying to be good about my food choices and fried breading…not on the list. So in an effort to please the troops, I breaded the chicken pieces with panko and flour and baked them instead. Guess what…it was just as good and far less chub-inducing. Love it. If you like orange chicken and want a healthier version, give this one a shot.

Ingredients in Oven-Fried Orange Chicken

Chicken Breast or Chicken Thighs – either will work for this recipe. Just cut into small bite-sized pieces that are uniform so it will cook at the same rate.
Panko Bread Crumbs – I find these to be essential to the light crispy coating on this orange chicken and will get the closest result to the restaurant version.
Mirin – is a Japanese cooking rice wine that will give the sauce a bit of tang necessary for that piquant orange sauce.
Toasted Sesame Seeds – is only for garnish, so if you don’t have any…don’t sweat it.

Author: Heather Scholten

Ingredients

5 chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
2 eggs beaten
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups orange juice fresh squeezed
¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
3 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
3 tablespoons Mirin
1 ½ tablespoons Sriracha
3 garlic cloves minced
1 ½ teaspoons fresh ginger grated fine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Toasted Sesame Seeds
Green Onions snipped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
Using 2 pie plates, add the beaten eggs to one and toss the panko and flour in the other. Dredge each chicken piece in the egg and then in the panko mixture and add to the prepared baking tray. Repeat with remaining chicken. Bake for 10 minutes and turn the pieces, then continue to cook for another 10 minutes, or until chicken is done to your liking.
Meanwhile, add the orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, sriracha, garlic and ginger to a medium saucepan. Bring to a low boil, stir occasionally, turn heat down to low. When the chicken is just about done, add the cornstarch to the orange juice mixture and bring to a boil. Heat until thickened enough to coat a spoon. Remove from the heat.
In a large serving bowl add the cooked chicken and top with the orange sauce, toss lightly to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions and serve with steamed white rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 430kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 47gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 175mgSodium: 1080mgPotassium: 933mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 265IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 3mg

Keyword 30 Minutes Meals, chicken recipes

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Recipe By:

Heather Scholten

Co-Founder at Spiceology | More About Heather...

Heather is a recipe developer and content creator living in Vancouver, Washington. She started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006, almost 20 years ago, as a way to share recipes with friends and family. Heather is also the co-founder of Spiceology , a unique spice company, which she started in 2013. She shares family friendly recipes for easy everyday meals with a gourmet twist.