Tangerine Chicken
User Reviews
4.5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
4 servings
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Calories
532 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Tangerine Chicken
Description
This dish involves coating chicken pieces in a mixture of beaten egg, cornstarch, and salt before frying them in hot peanut oil until golden and cooked through. The chicken is fried in batches to ensure even cooking and crispness. The frying oil is discarded, and fresh oil is used to stir-fry aromatics including dried hot chilies, fresh grated ginger, and thin strips of tangerine peel to infuse flavor.
Diced white onion and green bell pepper are added to the aromatics and sautéed until softened. The separately prepared sauce—made of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili paste, honey, brown sugar, tangerine juice, toasted sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar—is heated to a boil in the pan after returning the vegetables. A cornstarch slurry is added to quickly thicken the sauce before combining it with the fried chicken.
The finished dish is garnished with finely sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. The recipe highlights a balance of sweet, tangy, spicy, and savory flavors brought together by the tangerine juice and peel, chili paste, and honey. Black rice cooked separately can be served on the side for a complete meal.
This tangerine chicken recipe was first published in 2012 and updated in 2020 with refreshed instructions and photography.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup black rice cooked according to package directions
- 3/4 lb chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut in bite sized chunks, boneless skinless
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- pinch salt
- peanut oil
- 1 Tbsp ginger fresh grated, or more to taste
- 5 dried hot chilies or 1-2 fresh hot chilies, sliced
- peel tangerine finely sliced (use a vegetable peeler to remove just the peel, no bitter white pith, from 1 tangerine
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
sauce:
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 4 tsp chili paste
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup tangerine juice or orange juice
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil toasted
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp water
garnish
- 6 scallions finely sliced
- sesame seeds
- sesame oil toasted
Instructions
- First make the chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and add the cornstarch and salt. Add the chicken pieces right into the bowl and stir to coat.
- In a deep frying pan or wok, heat about 1/4 inch of peanut oil till quite hot, about 340F.
- Fry the chicken pieces, in batches, for about 3 minutes total, flipping halfway through till they are golden and cooked through. The chicken should sizzle as it hits the pan, if it doesn't, heat the oil more. Don't crowd the pan, and keep the pieces separate as they cook. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
- Discard the oil and wipe out the pan. Heat 2 Tbsp of peanut oil and stir-fry the chilies for about a minute or two. Add the grated ginger and the orange peel and cook for another minute.
- Add in the onion and green pepper and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup mix all the sauce ingredients EXCEPT the cornstarch. Add this to the pan and heat till it's boiling. Let it cook for about a minute.
- Add the cornstarch mix to the pan, whisking until the sauce thickens and turns glossy.
- Add in the chicken and veggies back to the pan, and stir gently to combine everything. Taste to adjust the seasoning.
- Serve hot over rice. Garnish with sliced scallions and drizzle each serving with the sesame oil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Notes
- The chicken is coated in egg, cornstarch, and salt before frying for a crisp exterior.
- Discard frying oil and use fresh oil when stir-frying aromatics to ensure flavor clarity.
- Tangerine peel adds bright citrus notes; remove only the peel avoiding the bitter pith.
- Fry chicken in batches without crowding to maintain oil temperature and crispy texture.
- This recipe was updated in 2020 from its original 2012 publication, preserving key flavor elements.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 532 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 532kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 85g | 28% |
| Protein | 29g | 58% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 96mg | 32% |
| Sodium | 1266mg | 53% |
| Potassium | 948mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 28g | 56% |
| Vitamin A | 908IU | 18% |
| Vitamin C | 126mg | 140% |
| Calcium | 71mg | 7% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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