Orange sesame chicken is such a standard take out classic. It’s a very simple dish with few ingredients. That being said it is a recipe that most home cooks and even a lot of chefs are intimidated by for no reason. The secret to making the recipe is quite simple and once you realize how easy it is you will wonder why it isn’t more popular at home.
So what is the secret to this?
Orange sesame chicken follows the same standard marinade that a lot of classic Chinese style dishes use. It is a time tested restaurant secret that has been used thousands of times over the years and is useful for any number of dishes and meats or vegetables. The marinade is what chefs often refer to as “wok marinade” or “a silk”. This refers to the simple marinade that is made using egg whites, bicarbonate, and a dash of cornstarch. Once you learn this you can use it on other meats and stir fries.
Here is what you will need for the silk marinade:
- Egg whites
- Baking soda
- Cornstarch
- Sea salt
- Soy Sauce (or tamari if gluten free)
This marinade tenderizes whatever you put into it. It works great on tougher cuts of protein such as beef london broil or pork shoulder that you wouldn’t usually eat in larger pieces without a braise or slicing thin. One you keep in the marinade for as little as 30 minutes (or even better over night) the result is a silky smooth texture. You can then blanch this quickly in boiling water before frying or coat it in a dredge such as cornstarch or flour for a crispy product. Ever wonder how commercial kitchens get that thick cripsy but tender crust on their chicken? This is it! Use this recipe for other things once you have mastered it and add it to your next stir fry!
What else do I need to make Orange Sesame Chicken?
Besides the secret marinade, we will show you how to make a quick sweet and sour type sauce from scratch! Its soooooo easy! Then you can use this as an appetizer to serve with toothpicks for snacking or add vegetables of your choice to create a full meal that can be served with rice! This recipe includes enough sauce to be used as a stir fry over veggies or rice!
To make the sauce:
- We used fresh squeezed mandarin oranges here, but you can also just use juice. You can also add orange segments to the end for a chunkier sauce but we left it smooth here.
- Vinegar. Helps to balance the sweetness.
- Sugar. Helps to supplement the natural sugars of the orange.
- Garlic. Helps to give a savory backbone and more than two dimensions.
- Tamari. We use this in this recipe in place of soy sauce to keep it gluten free, but you can use either interchangeably here.
You will also need canola or vegetable oil for frying. You can strain and reused this later. Note that we use an approximate amount in the recipe calculations to show a more accurate representation since most of the oil will be strained and left uneaten. Take this into consideration with the nutritional data.
Orange Sesame Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.25 pounds Chicken breast
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 1 each Garlic
- .25 cups Scallion chopped
- 4 tbsp Canola oil
Ingredients for Silk Marinade
- 1 each Egg white
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- .5 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Tamari
- .5 tsp Salt
Ingredients for the Orange Sauce
- 2 each Mandarin oranges
- 1.5 cups Water
- .5 cups Sugar
- 2 tbsp Tamari
- 4 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Water additional to make slurry
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients. Cut the chicken into cubes, about 1 inch in size. Cut the oranges in half. Chop the scallions. Finely chop the garlic.
- Make the marinade by whisking the egg white, baking soda, tamari, and salt until dissolved.
- Toss the chicken well. Allow to marinade at least 30 minutes. The longer the better.
- Make the sauce by combining the water, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer with the zested orange. Squeeze the oranges into the mixture then drop in to cook for more flavor.
- When the mixture has simmered for several minutes, make slurry with the cornstarch in a small bowl by mixing the 1tbsp water with the 2tbsp cornstarch. You can use a fork or your finger. While simmering slowly pour into the pan and whisk at the same time. When it has thickened turn off heat. Mash the oranges to remove any juices and discard. The sauce is ready.
- In a mixing bowl toss the chicken in the cornstarch.
- In the wok, heat about 1-2 cups canola oil over high heat. When you see it moving and it is very hot, try dipping one piece to see that it is indeed frying. If so, add pieces carefully little by little. It will fry quickly and be ready in about 2 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Fry in batches until all is ready and drain together. Strain the oil for a later use. Pour the oil from the wok, and wipe clean with a paper towel.
- Return to the heat. Add the garlic to fry with the remaining oil for a few seconds. When toasted, add the chicken back to the dry wok. Add a few tablespoons of the sauce and immediately turn off the heat. Add more sauce as needed. Toss the sesame seeds to stick and coat. Remove to a serving plate and garnish with scallions. Bon appetit!
