Baked Orange Chicken

I made this the other night for the first time and it was SO yummy!!!  My pickiest eater LOVED it!!  It's absolutely delicious, with a tangy, fresh flavor!  It was great leftover too!!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

BAKED ORANGE CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups cornstarch

4 large eggs

1 cup canola oil

Orange Sauce:

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Zest of 1 orange

1)    Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2)    Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle the salt and pepper over the chicken pieces.

3)    Add chicken pieces to a gallon sized Ziploc bag (or you can use a bowl) and add the cornstarch.  Close the bag and shake to mix it together and coat the chicken pieces.

4)    Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork.

5)    Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

6)    Take a handful of cornstarch coated chicken pieces and place in the egg.  Coat both sides of each piece and place in the hot oil.  Let cook for 2-3 minutes per side.

7)    After frying, place chicken on a plate lined with a paper towel, then transfer to 9 x 13 dish.

8)    Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all chicken pieces have been browned in the oil.

9)    Combine all the ingredients for the orange sauce into a small bowl and stir with a whisk until mixed.  Pour over the chicken and stir to coat all of the chicken pieces.

10)  Bake uncovered for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes to make sure it stays coated in the sauce.

11)   Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

NOTES:

~Since many soy sauces aren't gluten free (they contain wheat), I used Liquid Aminos.

~When you fry the chicken pieces in the oil, you aren't cooking them through, you are just getting the outside brown and crispy.

~To test the oil for readiness, take a pinch of cornstarch and toss it in the oil.  If it sizzles, it's ready.

~One recipe of the sauce makes enough to coat the chicken, but it's not super saucy and there is barely enough to put on the rice.  I didn't mind it this way, but if you want extra sauce for the rice, I would double the sauce recipe.

~The recipe says to cook for an hour.  I check the chicken by cutting a piece open after 30 minutes, and it was cooked through, so I took mine out at that point.

~I used a large naval orange for the zest.  Whatever you use, just make sure you wash it before zesting!