Recipe Background
Julia's Crispy Orange Chicken is a zesty, comforting dish perfect for bringing warmth to a new home.
Every Sunday evening during my first winter living in New York, I found myself missing the warm, bustling kitchen of my childhood. One chilly afternoon, after unpacking a final box, I decided to create a dish that combined convenience with flavor, inspired by the frozen popcorn chicken I always had on hand. New city, new traditions, I thought, as I reached for the orange juice my mom used to keep in her fridge. The idea of adding a splash of it to my dish brought a cheery note to an otherwise gray day.
As the aroma of garlic mingled with the sweet and tangy orange zest, I found myself transported back to those family gatherings. I chopped the carrots swiftly, a skill honed while bustling through busy Sunday dinners. To elevate the dish, I added a touch of cayenne, a flourish that had become my signature. Quickly it became essential to let the sauce simmer to reach that perfect consistency, allowing me to savor those few moments of calm. With each stir, thoughts of balancing work and city life danced in my mind, but all felt right with this sweet-spicy creation.
This orange chicken became my go-to recipe for a fast way to bring comfort into my new apartment. I often savored it over a bed of rice, the warmth spreading faster than any radiator could manage. Don’t skip letting the sauce thicken—it clings beautifully to every crispy piece of chicken, turning each bite into a little victory. So, there in my tiny kitchen, Orange Chicken Sunday was born, a tasty rhythm to the beat of life in a new city.
Ingredients
- 4 cups frozen popcorn chicken
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 medium carrots thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- cayenne pepper to taste
- white rice to taste, cooked and warm, for serving
Directions
- Place the popcorn chicken on a baking sheet and bake them according to the package directions.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil.
- Add the carrots to the heated oil and cook, while stirring, until they are tender, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the carrots and cook, about 1 minute.
- Add the orange zest, the orange juice, the hoisin sauce, the sugar, the salt, the pepper, and the cayenne pepper to the carrot mixture and stir to combine. Bring the sauce mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce, stirring constantly, until it has thickened, about 4-6 minutes.
- Add the cooked popcorn chicken to the sauce and toss to coat.
- Serve the orange chicken over the rice.
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