Sticky Orange Chicken with Scallions
Cornstarch-dredged chicken thighs fried until the crust holds, then tossed in an orange glaze that turns sticky in under two minutes.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Written
Method
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Toss the chicken pieces with the beaten eggs until evenly coated.
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Dredge the egg-coated chicken in the cornstarch, reserving 1 tablespoon, and shake off the excess.
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Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then fry the chicken in batches, turning once, until deep golden and crisp on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch, and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.
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Whisk together the orange zest and juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and the reserved tablespoon of cornstarch until smooth.
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Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet, add the orange mixture, and simmer until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.
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Return the fried chicken to the skillet and toss until every piece is glazed and glossy.
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Scatter with scallions and sesame seeds and serve immediately over rice.
Notes
The cornstarch dredge is what keeps this out of batter territory — no egg-and-flour dip, no deep-fryer, just a dry coat that crisps fast in a shallow inch of oil and holds its crunch even after a turn in the glaze. Fry in batches; crowd the skillet and the oil temperature drops enough that the coating turns pale and greasy instead of crisp.
Swap in chicken breast if that’s what’s on hand, cut a little smaller since it dries out faster than thigh. The glaze recipe doubles easily if you want to toss in steamed broccoli or snap peas along with the chicken at the end.