Close-up of Orange Chicken and Peppers, as seen on The Pioneer Woman, Season 38
Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond

Orange Chicken and Peppers

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 55 min
  • Active: 45 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
Ree’s daughter Paige has a favorite Chinese American restaurant in Dallas that serves orange chicken, and it is her favorite dish on the menu. Ree decided she would develop a home-cooked version inspired by the dish, and this is the delicious result.

Ingredients

Orange Glaze:

Chicken and Peppers:

Directions

Special equipment:
a deep-fry thermometer
  1. For the orange glaze: Add the orange juice, garlic, ginger, sweet Thai chili sauce, soy sauce, honey and whites of the green onions to a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Allow to reduce until thick and glossy, 12 to 15 minutes.
  2. For the chicken and peppers: Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 375 degrees F.
  3. In a bowl, mix the chicken, egg whites, soy sauce and 2 teaspoons black pepper until the meat is well-coated. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and remaining teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.
  4. In 3 or 4 batches, drop the coated chicken into the flour mixture and toss to coat. Drop directly into the hot oil and fry until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. At the end, drop the peppers into the hot oil and cook until tender and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove to the plate with the chicken.
  5. To serve, toss the chicken, peppers and the sauce together in a large bowl. Served alongside the rice. Garnish with the reserved green onions.