How to make your favorite Chinese take-out dish at home + an orange chicken recipe (GF)

Next time you reach for that Chinese take out menu – that could include monosodium glutamate (MSG) or worse – cook this orange chicken recipe instead.  Because eating well doesn’t mean giving up the delights of classic convenience meals that are inconvenient for your health. 

The beauty of stir-fry dishes

Stir-fry recipes are surprisingly simple to whip up. If you have all your ingredients prepped before you begin frying, you’ll be eating dinner in twenty minutes flat.

Classic Chinese condiments for orange chicken + beyond

At any Chinese restaurant or even the grocery store, you will find a few Chinese ingredients that give these dishes their signature flavor. Chock-full-of-umami, many of these ingredients are condiments. The others are aromatics.

Fermented Chinese sauces for stir-fry dishes

The Chinese incorporate an array of fermented sauces and pastes into their dishes. Of course the most obvious are soy sauce and rice vinegar. But hoisin and black bean garlic sauce are seriously authentic, and give a crazy depth of umami flavor to stir-fry. No MSG necessary if you go the homemade route, like Maggie does over at Omnivore’s Cookbook.

In our house we often skip the black bean paste for a variety of reasons. But even with just the above, you’re giving your stir-fry loads of authentic flavor.

Quick word on Mirin

I love using Mirin for stir-fry even though it’s not Chinese. However, rice wine vinegar would be the most legit choice. Mirin is sweeter than typical rice wine vinegar, and I find I add less sugar (or none at all) when using it.

GGS: garlic, ginger and scallions

The trifecta of Chinese aromatic ingredients. If you’re looking for truly legit stir-fry of any kind, include minced garlic, ginger and not as important but equally authentic, green onions (scallions).

The stir-fry technique

The key to perfect stir fried anything is cooking with very high heat, a little sesame oil and quick hands.  And you want to keep the ingredients moving the entire time. The best way to do this is to get your vegetables chopped ahead of time. I often do this a day or two ahead.

Authentic stir-fry chicken batter

Cornstarch, egg whites and soy sauce. That’s it. I like to use gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos in the batter, and marinate the chicken in it overnight. This egg white-cornstarch batter is the secret to that crispy crust that absorbs stir fry sauce so nicely. 

The easiest way to mix the batter

For a stir-fry batter, I honestly never measure the ingredients. All you do is mix a couple egg whites (fresh or from a box) with cornstarch until it’s a thin pancake batter consistency. This is literally how an Asian cuisines chef instructor taught me in culinary school.

Don’t measure, it’s not worth your time. If you plan to do this step a day ahead, drizzling soy sauce into the batter marinates the chicken wonderfully.

Grain-free orange chicken

Of course the batter is not essential to a delicious, authentic orange chicken recipe. Most of the flavors in this one come from the sauce and aromatics.

For paleo or low-carb diets, arrowroot or tapioca starch can replace the cornstarch in the batter. Although, if you skip the batter entirely – and I sometimes do – this stir-fry is ready in less than 20 minutes. Not bad when it takes the delivery guy often more than 40 minutes!

Classic stir-fry sauce

Salty, sour, sweet and hot. Chinese food is so satisfying because it makes every last one of your taste buds happy.  Not to mention the fermented ingredients lend serious umami to any dish.

Orange chicken recipe (or any stir-fry recipe) ingredients

A basic Chinese stir-fry sauce requires the following in equal parts:

• soy sauce (or coconut aminos for grain-free)
• rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar for grain-free)
• sugar (white, brown or honey)
• spicy black bean paste/sauce (omit for low-carb)

If you don’t like, don’t want, don’t have or can’t find a good quality black bean garlic sauce, a few pinches of red pepper flake add nice heat.

The ratio for basic stir-fry sauce

For one pound of chicken with loads of vegetables, I measure a quarter cup each of the above four ingredients. To enjoy extra saucy stir-fry, go for a half cup of each sauce ingredient for each pound of chicken.

Orange stir-fry sauce

Really simple! Add the zest and juice of one large or two small oranges or tangerines.  I also squeeze the juice from the oranges I grate into the sauce mixture.

Stir-fry sauce variations

And as I’ve already hinted, the recipe below can easily become any flavor you like. Love the Kung Pao or General Tso?  Add as much garlic and/or chile peppers as your buds can handle.  For sesame stir-fry, use dark brown sugar and finish the dish with toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of dark sesame oil.

Whatever your fancy, it’s bound to be healthier than what comes in the carton.   And if you play your cards right, you’ll be enjoying a second helping before any delivery can make it to your door.

Yours in stir-fry,

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