Emilie Meyer
Orange chicken is a popular dish that can be made in a cooking pot. It is a versatile dish that can be made in an instant pot, slow cooker, or pressure cooker. The dish consists of tender chicken pieces coated in a sticky, sweet, and tangy orange sauce. The sauce is made with orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes. The chicken is typically dredged in a cornstarch and egg mixture before being fried until golden and crispy. The dish is then garnished with green onions and served over rice.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cookware | Cooking pot, skillet, instant pot, crock pot, pressure cooker |
| Ingredients | Chicken, orange juice, orange slices, orange zest, brown sugar, corn starch, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, red pepper/chilli flakes, tomato sauce, eggs, flour, oil, rice, green onions, sesame seeds |
| Preparation | Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, blot dry with paper towel, trim excess fat, dredge chicken in whisked eggs and cornstarch/flour mixture, make sauce by combining ingredients in a small sauce pot, stir cornstarch into water before adding to sauce |
| Cooking instructions | Turn pot to saute setting, add oil and swirl around, add chicken, salt and pepper and saute for 2 minutes, cover and secure lid, set valve to sealing, set manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes, let pot sit for 5 minutes then move valve to venting, remove lid, turn pot to saute setting, stir in brown sugar, stir cornstarch slurry into pot and let sauce thicken, serve with rice, green onions and sesame seeds |
| Tips | Avoid stirring chicken too much while it cooks, marinate chicken in sauce for a couple of hours for more colour and flavour, use a neutral cooking oil that can handle high temperatures, such as canola, peanut, vegetable or light olive oil, use a thermometer when frying foods and heat oil to 350 degrees |
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What You'll Learn
Prepare the chicken
To prepare the chicken, you will need boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Start by blotting the chicken dry with a paper towel. Then, trim off any excess fat with kitchen shears. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. If you are using chicken breasts, you may want to cut them into slightly larger chunks, as they will cook faster than thighs.
Next, you will need to dredge the chicken pieces in a coating. To do this, start by whisking some eggs in a shallow dish. In a separate dish, combine flour and cornstarch with a generous pinch of salt. Stir to mix. Dip each chicken piece first in the egg mixture, then in the flour mixture, ensuring that all sides are coated. Place the coated chicken pieces on a plate.
If you prefer a lighter, less fried version of the dish, you can skip the dredging step and simply season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Finally, heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add enough cooking oil to the pot to reach a depth of 2-3 inches. Canola, peanut, vegetable, olive, or light olive oil are good choices, as they can handle higher temperatures. Heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a thermometer to monitor the temperature.
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Make the sauce
To make the sauce, you will need orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red pepper/chilli flakes. You will also need cornstarch and water to thicken the sauce.
Start by zesting one large orange—you will need about 1 teaspoon of zest. Then, squeeze as much juice as you can out of the orange—you will need about half a cup of juice. Combine the orange juice and orange zest in a small pot with 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of brown sugar (you can reduce the amount of sugar if you prefer a less sweet sauce), half a tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger, 1 clove of minced garlic, and a quarter teaspoon of red pepper/chilli flakes. Stir the ingredients well to combine.
Next, you will need to thicken the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water to form a paste. You can add more cornstarch if you want a thicker sauce. Whisk the cornstarch paste into the orange sauce and continue to cook for a few minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Once the sauce has thickened, it is ready to be used.
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Cook the chicken
To cook the chicken, start by blotting it dry with a paper towel. Then, trim off any excess fat using kitchen shears. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for this.
Turn your cooking pot to the saute setting. When the pot is hot, add in a neutral cooking oil such as canola, peanut, vegetable, or light olive oil. Swirl the oil around and add in the chicken, seasoning it with salt and pepper. Saute the chicken for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. You can also saute the chicken in a skillet over the stove. Cook until the chicken is golden brown on both sides, which should take about 5-7 minutes in total.
Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a separate plate. You can also choose to dredge the cooked chicken pieces in whisked eggs and a cornstarch/flour mixture until nicely coated, and then fry them in hot oil until light golden brown.
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Combine the sauce and chicken
Once you've cooked the chicken pieces, transfer them to a separate plate. Pour the prepared orange sauce into the same cooking pot and turn the heat down to medium-low. Give the sauce a stir and let it come to a simmer. It will start to thicken and turn glossy. Continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Return the cooked chicken pieces to the pot with the sauce. Stir to coat the chicken in the sauce and heat for 1 more minute. If you want to add some colour to your chicken, you can marinate the chicken in the sauce for a couple of hours before cooking.
You can also add more sauce to your dish if you're using an 8-quart pot. If you want to make your dish saucier, increase the amount of sauce rather than the amount of chicken. You can also add other sauces to your dish, such as general Tso, teriyaki, sweet and sour, or Szechuan sauce.
If you're cooking rice at the same time, follow this pot-in-pot method. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place them in a round Pyrex dish that fits inside your pot. Add water to the bottom of the pot, then place the dish on a trivet.
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Serve with rice
To serve orange chicken with rice, you can cook the rice separately or try a pot-in-pot method to cook the rice at the same time as the chicken.
If you want to cook the rice separately, you can prepare it in advance and keep it warm until the chicken is ready. This option gives you more flexibility in terms of the type of rice you can use and the cooking method. For example, you can use a rice cooker, stovetop, or even microwave to prepare the rice according to the package instructions.
On the other hand, if you prefer a one-pot meal and own an Instant Pot, you can try the pot-in-pot method. This method involves placing a dish containing rice and water inside the Instant Pot along with the chicken. This way, both the chicken and rice cook simultaneously, saving time and effort.
When serving the orange chicken with rice, you can create a beautiful presentation by arranging the chicken pieces on a bed of rice. For a more rustic look, you can also serve the chicken and rice in separate bowls, allowing each guest to assemble their own plate according to their preferences.
Additionally, feel free to experiment with different types of rice to find your favorite. For example, you can try basmati rice, jasmine rice, brown rice, or even a flavored rice mix. Each type of rice will add its unique texture and flavor to the dish, allowing you to customize your orange chicken meal to your taste.
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