Blood Orange Chicken with Lime Scallion Rice
Orange chicken has never been something I’ve gravitated towards, but for some odd reason during this quarantine time period, I had a craving for orange chicken and decided to make my own. I didn’t have any orange juice or regular oranges, but I did have some blood oranges, and oh boy did this add a unique flavor.
Some background: Orange chicken is an Americanized dish of Chinese origins. It’s a version of General Tso’s chicken, which is another North American Chinese dish. Both are spin offs of more traditional sweet and sour dishes found in China.
This version of orange chicken is totally inspired by Food Faith and Fitness. I made a few tweaks of my own with some of the ratios, and of course, the usage of blood orange, which I feel like is what made me so into this dish. I also feel like the rice base here adds a lot of the flavor.
Ingredients (serves 2)
Lime Scallion Rice
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
Juice of 1 lime
4 scallions, finely chopped at a diagonal
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Blood Orange Chicken Sauce
Zest of 1 blood orange
1 cup of blood orange juice (about 4 oranges)*
1 1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (tamari & coconut aminos also work)
1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Dash of salt & pepper
1 tbsp oil (avocado oil is best, olive oil/coconut oil also work)
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp tapioca starch
*You can also use regular orange juice here. Or experiment with other juices!
Chicken
2 tbsp oil (again, avocado is best but can use olive or coconut)
1 pound chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup tapioca starch
A generous dash of salt & pepper
1. Prepare your rice. I made mine in the pressure cooker, but if you don’t have one, prepare it your favorite way. If you are using the pressure cooker, add the rice, water, and salt. Pressure cook on high for 20 minutes and allow to natural release for 10 minutes. Keep on the keep warm setting until chicken is ready. When you’re ready to eat rice and chicken, mix in the lime and the scallions, leaving a handful of scallions to sprinkle on top of your meal.
2. In a small bowl, mix together orange zest, juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In a large pan, heat up the 1 tbsp oil (for the sauce) on medium heat. Add in the ginger and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
4. Add in the orange juice mixture, turning up the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil. While the mixture is heating, add 1 1/2 tsp tapioca starch to a medium bowl. Once the mixture is boiling, take 2 tsp of the hot sauce mixture and whisk it into the tapioca starch you placed in the bowl. Then, add the tapioca mixture into the sauce in the pan, mixing it in well.
5. Let the mixture boil for 2 minutes, then reduce to medium-low. Cook for 3-4 minutes until sauce has thickened. Transfer to the medium bowl, cover, and let it thicken while you make the chicken.
6. In a large pan, heat up oil for the chicken. I your pan is large enough, heat up 2 tbsp oil at once. If it’s smaller, heat 1 tbsp at a time and fry chicken in two batches. You don’t want the chicken to be crowded in the pan or it won’t cook right.
7. While the oil is heating, add 1/4 cup tapioca starch, salt, and pepper to a Ziploc baggie or a glass Tupperware container. Add in the chicken cubes, seal, and toss until chicken is evenly coated in the tapioca starch. Without crowding the chicken, add to the pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping once.
8. When chicken is ready, add to a paper-towel lined plate, gently pressing out any excess oil. Add the chicken to the bowl with the sauce, and toss until evenly coated. Serve over rice, and garnish with a sprinkle of scallions and sesame seeds.