Zesty Orange Chicken And Basmati Rice
Orange chicken is an extremely popular dish that's inspired by Chinese cuisine. Its secret? The tangy sauce that coats each piece of chicken is definitely what gives orange chicken its unbeatable taste! Between the soy sauce, fresh orange juice, sweet honey, and tangy ginger, this dish is absolutely bursting with flavor! On top of all that, to add a little extra kick, we're baking the basmati rice together with some orange peels to make the special citrusy flavor really pop! Flavorful, well-balanced, and absolutely delicious – this dish is a must-try!
Equipment
- Springform pan
- Saucepan
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups basmati rice
- 6 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 orange rinds
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp corn starch mixed with water
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp pepper
- 3 juice of oranges
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp scallions, chopped
- 2 chili peppers, sliced
- 1 tsp black & white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash the oranges, cut them in half, squeeze out the juice, and set the juice aside for later. Place the orange rinds face down in a 10-inch springform pan, spacing them out evenly.
- For the orange rice, bring the water and a small amount of salt to a boil in a saucepan, then add in the basmati rice. Let the rice cook over medium heat until small holes form on top of the rice, then put a lid on the saucepan and let the rice continue to cook for 5 minutes. Once the basmati rice has cooked, transfer it to the springform pan and spread it around evenly on top of the orange rinds. Transfer the springform pan to the oven and bake the orange rice at 350°F for 15 minutes. After it has baked, transfer the springform pan to the refrigerator and let it chill for 30 minutes.
- For the orange chicken, cut the chicken breasts into ½-inch cubes, then transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add in the minced ginger, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and some of the freshly-squeezed orange juice you set aside earlier, then stir everything together thoroughly. Cover the chicken, transfer it to the refrigerator, and let it chill for 2 hours. Once the chicken has chilled, heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan, then sear the chicken. Pour the rest of the orange juice, soy sauce, and honey into the frying pan, stir everything together, and let it cook briefly. After the chicken has cooked, combine the corn starch with a small amount of water, stirring the mixture together until the corn starch dissolves. Add the corn starch mixture to the frying pan and season everything with salt & pepper.
- Once the orange chicken has finished cooking, take the springform pan out of the refrigerator, remove the ring, and flip it over onto a serving plate. Carefully remove the orange rinds from the rice, then spoon the orange chicken into the wells where the orange halves used to be. Garnish the orange chicken and basmati rice with chili pepper, scallions, and sesame seeds.
