ISO- Chinese Orange and/or Lemon Chicken recipe

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Debbie

Senior Cook
Joined
Jan 25, 2006
Messages
374
Have you ever been to a chinese buffet or grocery store deli and they have these breaded chicken that has a thick orange and or thick lemon sauce or glaze on them? Not the hot spicy one. I have tried to find a recipe for ages, and can't seem to find a tried and true good one. anybody have some to share? :chef:
 
Hi Debbie, I've made this about 3 times. This comes out similar to the ones I have at Chinese restos. Good luck!

Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

2 T Custarf powder
2 pcs Chicken leg & thigh, skin-onm deboned, pounded very thin
2 ½ T Lemon juice concentrate
½ T Butter
½ t Salt
½ t White pepper
½ pc Lemon, thinly sliced
¼ t Crushed ginger

1 T Cassava powder (or Double A powder or Tapioca Starch)
diluted in 2 T water
1 T Sugar
¼ C Water
Drop Yellow food coloring
Cornstarch for dredging

Procedure:

  • Marinate chicken with custard powder and ginger. Moisten with 1 ½ T water. Marinate overnight.
  • Before frying, season chicken with S&P. Dredge in cornstarch. Deep fry.
  • For the Sauce: In a pan, simmer lemon concentrate, sugar, water, salt, food color, and slurry from AA powder. Add sliced lemons.
  • When chicken is crisp, drain excess oil. Add butter to sauce and immediately throw into boiling sauce. Toss to glaze the chicken only so you don’t lose crisp texture. Serve.
 
This is a recipe I use for almond chicken, but I subbed orange preserves last time I made it and it turned out nicely. I am thinking about trying to substitute orange juice for the chicken broth next time in the sauce for a little more orange flavor. I also added some cornstarch to the frying batter.

4 CHICKEN BREASTS, CUT IN STRIPS (easier to cut if frozen)

SAUCE:
1 CUP CHK BROTH
18 OZ JAR PEACH JAM
2 1/2 T CORNSTARCH
2 1/2 T VINEGAR

BATTER:
2 EGGS
1 CUP FLOUR
1 CUP WATER
1/2 TSP SALT
ADD 1-2 T CORNSTARCH TO "CRISP" UP BATTER

SLICED ALMONDS

PREPARE BATTER INGREDIENTS. LET CHICKEN "MARINATE" FOR 10-15 MINUTES. DEEP FRY CHICKEN IN BATTER TILL GOLDEN, DRAIN. COMBINE SAUCE INGREDIENTS, COOK TILL THICKENED. PLACE CHICKEN IN BAKING DISH, POUR SAUCE OVER. SPRINKLE WITH ALMONDS. BAKE 350 30-40 MINUTES
 
I am so glad you brought this up, Debbie. Once when we were on vacation, we had Orange Chicken from a Chinese take-out place, and it was so good!
I just now found this recipe on the web that sounds like what we had.

Orange Glazed Chicken with Rice

* 1/2 cup flour
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (or use 1 broiler fryer chicken, cut up)
* 1 large orange, seedless
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 cups orange juice
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* hot cooked rice
* 1 green onion, with green part, sliced

Combine flour and salt in a food storage bag or paper bag; add chicken pieces, a few at a time, and toss to coat well. Reserve remaining flour mixture.

Grate 1 teaspoon of peel from orange; reserve. Peel the orange and separate into sections. Cut each section into 4 pieces; set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken pieces and brown quickly on both sides, about 5 minutes. Combine reserved flour mixture, orange peel, orange juice, and sugar; stir well. Stir orange juice mixture into the skillet; cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Prepare rice while chicken is cooking. Spoon hot rice onto a serving dish; top with chicken pieces. Stir orange pieces and green onion into the skillet; heat through. Spoon a little of the sauce over the chicken and serve the rest on the side. Serves 4 to 5.
 
Constance said:
I am so glad you brought this up, Debbie. Once when we were on vacation, we had Orange Chicken from a Chinese take-out place, and it was so good!
I just now found this recipe on the web that sounds like what we had.

Orange Glazed Chicken with Rice

* 1/2 cup flour
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (or use 1 broiler fryer chicken, cut up)
* 1 large orange, seedless
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 cups orange juice
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* hot cooked rice
* 1 green onion, with green part, sliced

Combine flour and salt in a food storage bag or paper bag; add chicken pieces, a few at a time, and toss to coat well. Reserve remaining flour mixture.

Grate 1 teaspoon of peel from orange; reserve. Peel the orange and separate into sections. Cut each section into 4 pieces; set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken pieces and brown quickly on both sides, about 5 minutes. Combine reserved flour mixture, orange peel, orange juice, and sugar; stir well. Stir orange juice mixture into the skillet; cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Prepare rice while chicken is cooking. Spoon hot rice onto a serving dish; top with chicken pieces. Stir orange pieces and green onion into the skillet; heat through. Spoon a little of the sauce over the chicken and serve the rest on the side. Serves 4 to 5.

Yummy this sounds good! have you made it yet???
:)
 
Not yet, Debbie. I'd actually forgotten about the dish until you brought it up the other day. I looked through several recipes on the web, and this one sounded a lot like what I remember, except I don't remember it having the orange segments it it. It's been a long while ago, though.
Why don't we both try it out, and see what kinds of little perks it needs?
 
Hi Debbie.

This looks so close to the Orange Sesame Chicken I've had at takeout restaurants, because it has the honey and sesame seeds. I haven't tried it yet, but when I do, I will omit the hot stuff, as I don't care for spicy food. I wouldn't pay attention to the organic stuff. Sure regular ingredients would be fine, IMO.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/wh_orangechic.html
 
Constance said:
Not yet, Debbie. I'd actually forgotten about the dish until you brought it up the other day. I looked through several recipes on the web, and this one sounded a lot like what I remember, except I don't remember it having the orange segments it it. It's been a long while ago, though.
Why don't we both try it out, and see what kinds of little perks it needs?

ok sounds good :)
 
mish said:
Hi Debbie.

This looks so close to the Orange Sesame Chicken I've had at takeout restaurants, because it has the honey and sesame seeds. I haven't tried it yet, but when I do, I will omit the hot stuff, as I don't care for spicy food. I wouldn't pay attention to the organic stuff. Sure regular ingredients would be fine, IMO.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/wh_orangechic.html


ohhh this looks good too.. hmmmmmmm
I don't bother with Organic stuff either, actually I saw a show the other day .. hmmm was it 20/20? anyways.. they said by the time the produce gets to the market any reside from pesticides is gone anyways... BUT what is bad, I guess, is what the pesticides leave in the soil.
 
CHEF CAINE'S ORANGE CHICKEN


2 pounds chicken, boned and skined
1 egg
1 tsp salt
White pepper
Peanut oil
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1-inch ginger, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
2 scallions, sliced
1 Tbs rice wine
1/4 cup water
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 tsp sesame oil


Orange Sauce:

2 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
2 Tbs chicken stock
1 Tbs soy sauce


Combine Orange Sauce ingredients in small bowl and set aside.


Combine egg, salt, pepper, and 1 Tbs peanut oil in large bowl and mix well. Stir in flour and cornstarch until smooth. Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces, add chicken pieces to bowl, and stir to coat.


Heat peanut oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees F. Add chicken pieces, a few pieces at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp. Do not overcook! Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.


Clean wok, heat 15 seconds over high heat, and add 1 Tbs oil. Place ginger and garlic in wok and stir-fry until fragrant. Add crushed red pepper, green onions, and rice wine, and stir fry for a few more seconds. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil. Add chicken, stirring until well mixed. Combine 1/4 cup water and 1 Tbs cornstarch until smooth. Add to wok and stir until sauce is thick. Stir in 1/2 tsp sesame oil.
 
Last edited:
Caine said:
CHEF CAINE'S ORANGE CHICKEN



2 pounds chicken, boned and skined
1 egg
1 tsp salt
White pepper
Peanut oil
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1-inch ginger, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
2 scallions, sliced
1 Tbs rice wine
1/4 cup water
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 tsp sesame oil


Orange Sauce:

2 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
2 Tbs chicken stock
1 Tbs soy sauce


Combine Orange Sauce ingredients in small bowl and set aside.


Combine egg, salt, pepper, and 1 Tbs peanut oil in large bowl and mix well. Stir in flour and cornstarch until smooth. Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces, add chicken pieces to bowl, and stir to coat.


Heat peanut oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees F. Add chicken pieces, a few pieces at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp. Do not overcook! Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.


Clean wok, heat 15 seconds over high heat, and add 1 Tbs oil. Place ginger and garlic in wok and stir-fry until fragrant. Add crushed red pepper, green onions, and rice wine, and stir fry for a few more seconds. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil. Add chicken, stirring until well mixed. Combine 1/4 cup water and 1 Tbs cornstarch until smooth. Add to wok and stir until sauce is thick. Stir in 1/2 tsp sesame oil.
Yummy but,
hmm wonder what I can subsitute for the peanut oil, rice wine, and sesame oil.... I don't have these as a staple in the house.
 
Debbie said:
Yummy but,
hmm wonder what I can subsitute for the peanut oil, rice wine, and sesame oil.... I don't have these as a staple in the house.

These ingredients have unique flavours Debbie and really shouldn't be substituted (IMHO).

If you do a lot of Asian cooking they are essential.

Fried rice done in anything other than peanut oil definitely doesn't taste right. Even in vegetable oil.

Sesame oil has a very strong flavour and adds a real zing to dishes.

Add them as staples, they are great.
 
Constance said:
Not yet, Debbie. I'd actually forgotten about the dish until you brought it up the other day. I looked through several recipes on the web, and this one sounded a lot like what I remember, except I don't remember it having the orange segments it it. It's been a long while ago, though.
Why don't we both try it out, and see what kinds of little perks it needs?

ok.. I tried it.. and it just didn't work out for me At all... I ended up rinsing the chicken to get that sauce off.. then making chicken tacos with it..
*sigh*
 
Constance said:
Sorry to hear that, Debbie. :( Was it gooey? Too sweet? Bland?

well.. tasted pasty and bland.. just plain " ick" LOL what did you come up with?

I don't think I will ever find a recipe like those deli's at the stores have for orange chicken.. I know they don't deep fry the chicken... but it has a thick batter on it
 

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