Orange Chicken with Sriracha

With the exception of In 'n Out Burger (I'm a California girl after all!), I'm not a big fast food fan. Every now and then, however, I'll run to Panda Express and get their orange chicken. Bite-size chunks of fried chicken in an orange sauce, what's not to love about that? When I found this recipe I knew I had to try it, the addition of the spicy Sriracha sauce appealed to my taste buds. I was not disappointed. The orange sauce was amazing, so flavorful, with just a slight spicy aftertaste. It was so good I think I could pour it over pound cake and devour it!

My husband complains that I don't serve the same meal twice, or there are long spaces between rotations.  What can I say?  I get bored cooking the same things! If he likes a new recipe he will tell me it's a "keeper". He proclaimed this recipe a keeper but then complained that he probably wouldn't get served it again for three years.  I promised him I would make it again before then!

Orange Chicken with Sriracha

For the marinade:
1 cup regular chicken broth
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest of one orange
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2-3 tablespoons Sriracha, depending on desired heat level
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolve with 2 tablespoons water

For the chicken:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
1 cup cornstarch, in a pie pan
2 large eggs beaten, in a pie pan
1 cup oil for frying

Optional: sesame seeds and green onions for garnish

Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, and whisk to incorporate well.  In a separate bowl, combine chicken with 1/2 cup of the marinade, making sure that all pieces are thoroughly covered with the marinade.  Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring remaining marinade to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken as it gets to a boil.  Once sauce is thickened, turn heat off.  Keep sauce warm while you fry the chicken.

Drain chicken and discard used marinade.

Dip chicken pieces, a few at a time, into the pan of beaten eggs. Let excess eggs drip off, and dredge chicken pieces in the pan of cornstarch.  Press to coat well. Repeat until all pieces are coated.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high to high heat, until oil is very hot.  Add chicken pieces, taking care not to overcrowd, and fry until cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Place fried chicken on paper towels, and work in batches until all chicken is fried.

Toss chicken with warm sauce and serve immediately.  Serve over rice and garnish as desired.

Recipe adapted from www.chewoutloud.com.