Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
Add the prepared chicken and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown. Flip the chicken pieces using a pair of kitchen tongs and continue to cook on the other side for about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together chicken stock, orange juice, zest, brown sugar, soy sauce and rice vinegar.
1 cup chicken stock, ¼ cup fresh orange juice, 1 tablespoon orange zest, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Add ginger and garlic to the chicken and cook for a minute, string frequently.
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, 2 garlic cloves
Stir in the prepared sauce into the chicken and bring it to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes. The sauce should be thickened and reduced by almost half.
In a little bowl, mix cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and add it to the simmering chicken. This will thicken the sauce even more. Cook everything for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Garnish with sliced scallions and serve over fluffy white rice and enjoy!
¼ cup chopped scallions, Cooked white rice
Notes
Note 1: You can use any cut of chicken for this recipe. Boneless, skinless chicken thigh, breast, and tenders work wonderfully for this recipe.Note 2: Frozen ginger grates easily on a microplane grater. I keep a few whole ginger roots in a freezer. Grate it frozen right before cooking. You can substitute ginger paste for fresh ginger.Note 3: Grated garlic adds stronger flavor. I like to grate fresh garlic on a microplane grater. Feel free to press it through a garlic press. Or use minced garlic in a pinch.Storing Tips: - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. - Orange chicken can be frozen! Once cooled, transfer the chicken to a freezer-safe container, and keep it stored for up to 3 months. - Allow frozen orange chicken to thaw in the fridge overnight, and reheat leftovers in a non-stick skillet on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between.