Need help altering this recipe....Panda Express Orange Chick

NeuroticVirgo
NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
edited October 2 in Recipes
I made some orange chicken tonight. It was a healthy recipe...but it was lacking...like a lot.... :grumble:

A friend had posted this recipe on my facebook a while back, and really liked it....only the calories don't work out as good in this recipe (guessing its cause is fried). Its supposed to mimic Panda Express orange chicken, and they really liked how theirs turned out.

I'm looking for suggestions how to make this "healthier" (or...er...less calories! lol). :noway:

Thanks for any help!

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds boneless chicken pieces, skinned
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
white pepper
oil (for frying)
1/2 cup cornstarch PLUS
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon minced ginger root
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 dash crushed hot red chilies
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
***Orange Chicken Sauce***
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon water
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar

PREPARATION:

Cut chicken pieces into 2-inch squares and place in large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well. Stir cornstarch and flour together. Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat.

Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees F.

Add chicken pieces, small batch at time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp. (Do not overcook or chicken will be tough.) Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add and stir-fry crushed chilies and green onions. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed. Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth. Add to chicken and heat until sauce is thickened. Stir in 1 tablespoon oil and sesame oil. Serve at once.

Replies

  • PurpleCoookie
    PurpleCoookie Posts: 334
    Bump I want to know too. I love this dish!
  • veidtmeister
    veidtmeister Posts: 16 Member
    cant be done.....











    (j/k...but....then again...not really.... I guess Id take the chicken, and the spices, toss it all together in a baking pan, and throw it in the oven, then take the flour, cornstarch, sugar and grease, and flush em down the toilet.... :P)
  • DannyMussels
    DannyMussels Posts: 1,842 Member
    Your best bet, get rid of the cornstartch, flour and sugar. Just leave the chicken plain.

    Instead of frying, either bake the chicken ahead of time, or fry it in a pan (in the other liquid).

    Simplest method, sautee all the veg/spices in a pan, when they're cooked haflway, add the liquids.

    Chickenwise, either fry them with the veg (you dotn need oil, the liduid coming outta veg will help) or cook them in another pan.

    At the end, mix in wet ingredients and let reduce for awhile.

    Won't be a thick sauce, so much as a glaze.


    Also, I didn't see 'orange' in the recipe? You can get away with 1C orange juice cooked down to concentrate flavor, even the vinegar and soy is optional, all that really adds is mad sodium.

    The flavors'll be there, the texture will be off though.
  • YoungerNextYear59937
    YoungerNextYear59937 Posts: 90 Member
    Substitute the whole egg with an egg white, maybe two. Forget the flour and cornstarch. Try panko bread crumbs. You can't fry the chicken in oil and expect it not to be low in calories. I would probably use a spray canola oil and spray the bottom of a baking pan with it. Put the coated chicken in the pan and spray it lightly with the spray canola oil. Bake the chicken instead of frying it. The ingredients in the sauce look pretty good. It's the sauce that gives it the flavor. The texture of the chicken will be similar without all the grease. If you want an easy quick fix, try Weight Watchers Smart Ones orange chicken. It might just be enough to get rid of that Panda Express orange chicken craving. Good luck!
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    Yeah, where's the orange? lol

    For the sauce, I'd go with orange extract, stevia, apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard. Also use only egg white vs. a whole egg with yolk.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    The kind I made tonight had Orange, Soy Sauce and Ginger in it for the flavor...just wasn't the same. I guess I like the "Fake" stuff. hahaha

    I think I'll try baking the chicken, hopefully that will help (If I can do it right).
  • nrtenagrl
    nrtenagrl Posts: 138 Member
    cant be done.....

    (j/k...but....then again...not really.... I guess Id take the chicken, and the spices, toss it all together in a baking pan, and throw it in the oven, then take the flour, cornstarch, sugar and grease, and flush em down the toilet.... :P)

    That's what I was going to say ..get rid of all that stuff!
  • Nikkie_too
    Nikkie_too Posts: 495 Member
    I work for Kahiki Foods - we make frozen asian dishes. Our test kitchen is constantly trying to find ways to reduce the sodium and sugar in our sauces and still make them taste good.

    For something like orange chicken, the sugar has to stay. (Sorry). Brown sugar might give a deeper flavor.

    I think if you dust the chicken breast pieces with flour (lightly) and sear them in a hot non-stick pan with about 1 tsp of oil, you'll get decent results.

    Maybe sub the white vinegar for rice vinegar? Rice vinegar's a bit sweeter - you'll get less of a sweet-sour sauce flavor.

    Try grated orange zest in the sauce and using orange juice instead of water in that recipe. Cook down the sauce 'til it thickens - like a glaze, then add the chicken bits back.

    Actually, if you're going to juice an orange, you could marinate the chicken chunks in the juice for 15 minutes or so before dusting and cooking.

    Now you've got me curious - I might have to try this sometime soon. :)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories