How to Make Delicious Orange Chicken Sauce

Orange chicken is a mouth-watering dish commonly consumed at Chinese restaurants. Its sweet and spicy flavors with juicy chicken pieces make it an all-time favorite for foodies. But have you ever wondered how to make orange chicken sauce at home? Making the sauce from scratch may seem daunting, but it is actually quite easy and can be done with simple ingredients found in your pantry. So, let’s learn how to make an easy and delicious orange chicken sauce at home.

To begin with, the orange chicken sauce is made primarily with orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and other seasonings. These ingredients can be adjusted according to your preference of taste. The beauty of making your own sauce is that you get to control the amount of sweetness and spiciness that complements the chicken. This is a simple and tasty recipe that you can quickly whip up in your kitchen that will have your taste buds dancing in joy. Let’s get started!

Section: Let’s make Orange Chicken Sauce

Ingredients Required for Orange Chicken Sauce

To make orange chicken sauce, you will need some basic ingredients that are readily available in your kitchen or can be bought from grocery stores. These include:

1. Fresh orange juice – 1 cup
2. Cornstarch – 2 tablespoons
3. Soy sauce – 2 tablespoons
4. Brown sugar – 2 tablespoons
5. Honey – 2 tablespoons
6. Rice wine vinegar – 1 tablespoon
7. Minced garlic – 1 teaspoon
8. Grated ginger – 2 teaspoons
9. Red chili flakes – 1/4 teaspoon
10. Water – 1/4 cup

Preparation of Orange Chicken Sauce

Now that you have gathered all the ingredients, let’s start with step-by-step preparation instructions for making orange chicken sauce:

Step 1: Combine cornstarch and water

In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water. Stir it well until the cornstarch dissolves completely. Keep it aside.

Step 2: Prepare the sauce

Take a medium-sized saucepan and add 1 cup of fresh orange juice, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of grated ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon of red chili flakes. Stir it well and heat it over medium heat.

Step 3: Thicken the sauce

Once the sauce starts boiling, add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and stir it continuously for 2 to 3 minutes. The sauce should thicken and become glossy. Turn off the heat and let it cool down for a few minutes.

Step 4: Strain the sauce

Once the sauce has cooled down, strain it through a sieve to remove any lumps.

Step 5: Adjust the consistency

If the sauce is too thick, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to adjust the consistency. If the sauce is too runny, you can heat it again and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed in 1 tablespoon of water and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until it thickens.

Step 6: Store the sauce

Your orange chicken sauce is ready. You can store it in a glass jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Tips for Making Perfect Orange Chicken Sauce

1. Use fresh orange juice to get the best flavor.
2. Adjust the sweetness and spiciness according to your taste.
3. Do not overcook the sauce as it may become too thick and lose its flavor.
4. If you want a smoother sauce, you can blend it in a blender or use an immersion blender.
5. You can also add some orange zest to enhance the flavor.
6. Use low-sodium soy sauce to control the saltiness.
7. If you do not have rice wine vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar as a substitute.

Conclusion

Making orange chicken sauce at home is easy and requires only a few basic ingredients. You can use this delicious sauce as a marinade or glaze for chicken, shrimp, or tofu. It’s sure to add an amazing flavor to your dishes and impress your family and friends. So, try this recipe and enjoy the goodness of homemade orange chicken sauce.

Ingredients for Making Orange Chicken Sauce

To make the perfect orange chicken sauce, you will need the following ingredients:

Fresh Oranges:

You cannot make an orange sauce without fresh oranges. You will need to use either navel oranges or Valencia oranges. The riper the oranges, the better the taste of your sauce will be.

Orange Zest:

Orange zest is the outermost part of an orange’s skin. It should be removed before you start squeezing the fresh oranges. You will need to use a zester or a grater to remove the zest thinly to avoid any bitter white part.

Chicken Broth:

Chicken broth is needed to add some chicken flavor to your orange sauce. The broth should be clear, light, and low in sodium.

Sugar:

Sugar is necessary to add some sweetness to your sauce. Granulated sugar is preferable, but you can also use honey as an alternative.

Cornstarch:

Cornstarch is added to thicken your sauce. You will need to dissolve cornstarch into water to create a slurry then add it to your sauce.

Soy Sauce:

Soy sauce is an excellent ingredient to add some savory taste to your sauce. Opt for a low-sodium soy sauce, so your sauce would not turn salty.

Rice Vinegar:

Rice vinegar will add acidity to your sauce, and it will enhance the brightness of orange taste in your sauce. You can use other types of vinegar, but rice vinegar is a better choice.

Sesame Oil:

Sesame oil will give your sauce an extra depth of nutty flavor, and it will add some richness to your sauce.

Cayenne Pepper:

Cayenne pepper is optional. It will give your sauce an extra kick of heat. If you prefer your sauce to be less spicy, reduce the amount of cayenne pepper you add to it.

Garlic and Ginger:

Garlic and ginger are added to your sauce to give it some aromatics. Mince the garlic and ginger finely, and sauté them in a skillet before adding them to your sauce for a more robust flavor.

Ingredients needed for the Orange Chicken Sauce Recipe

So, you have decided to make Orange Chicken Sauce, the essence of any Chinese meal. In this section, we will discuss the ingredients you will need to make this dish that is tantalizing to the taste buds. Here is the list of ingredients:

How to make Orange Chicken Sauce?

In this section, we will guide you on how to make Orange Chicken Sauce. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll have your own homemade Orange Chicken Sauce that will be better than anything you can buy at the store.

Step 1: Orange juice and orange zest

The first step to making Orange Chicken Sauce is to make the orange juice. Use a citrus juicer to extract 2 cups of fresh orange juice. You can also use store-bought orange juice, but fresh is always better. Next, zest one tablespoon of orange peel from the orange and set it aside.

Step 2: Brown sugar and honey

In a saucepan, add ¼ cup of brown sugar and one tablespoon of honey. Mix them well until the sugar dissolves.

Step 3: Soy sauce and vinegar

Add two tablespoons of soy sauce and two tablespoons of vinegar to the saucepan. Stir well and let it cook over medium heat.

Step 4: Garlic and ginger

Peel and mince three cloves of garlic and one teaspoon of ginger. Add them to the saucepan and stir them well.

Step 5: Cornstarch and cold water

In a separate bowl, mix one tablespoon of cornstarch and one tablespoon of cold water. Stir it well until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan, and continue stirring until the sauce thickens.

Step 6: Orange zest and orange juice

Finally, add the orange zest and orange juice to the saucepan. Stir it well and cook until the sauce thickens.

You have made the Orange Chicken Sauce. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

In conclusion, making Orange Chicken Sauce is relatively easy, and the ingredients aren’t hard to find. The above-listed ingredients are what you’ll need to make a flawless Orange Chicken Sauce. Follow the instructions, and you’ll have a great sauce that goes well with chicken crispy tenderloin.

Time to Get Saucy: Thanks for Reading!

There you have it, folks! Making orange chicken sauce is a lot easier than you think. With the right ingredients and a little bit of patience, you can create a delicious sauce that will make your taste buds dance with joy. Whether you’re planning to cook a romantic dinner for your partner or simply looking for a new recipe to try out, we hope you found this article helpful. Now, go ahead and give it a go! And don’t forget to let us know how it turned out. Thanks for reading and we’ll be sure to bring you more mouth-watering recipes in the future!