Homemade Orange Chicken Sauce
A glossy, zesty glaze prepared with fresh orange juice, zest, brown sugar, soy sauce, and a touch of chili.
Ingredients
- • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil ((or grapeseed oil))
- • 4 cloves garlic (, minced)
- • 2 tablespoons ginger (, minced)
- • 1/2 cup loosely packed dried tangerine peel ((or grated orange zest))
- • 1 cup orange juice
- • 3/4 cup rice vinegar ((or distilled white vinegar))
- • 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- • 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine ((or Japanese sake, or dry sherry, or chicken stock))
- • 1/2 cup sugar
- • 2 1/2 tablespoons cornflour
- • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Preparation Steps
Add dried tangerine skin in a small bowl and add hot water to cover. Let soak for about 20 minutes, or until the tangerine skin softens. Drain and finely slice. Transfer 1/4 cup sliced tangerine skin into a bowl, and save the rest in a airtight container in the fridge for next time. If you do not use dried tangerine peel, grate about four fresh orange skins to make 1/2 cup orange zest.
Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and the rehydrated tangerine skin to a big bowl. Stir until the cornflour is fully combined.
Heat oil in a saucepan until warm. Add garlic and minced ginger. Cook and stir until you smell a strong fragrance.
Stir to mix the sauce again to completely dissolve the cornflour. Pour into the pan. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens, just enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Transfer the sauce into a bowl immediately, so it won’t continue to cook in residual heat.
Transfer the sauce in a airtight jar or container once cooled down. Store in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 2 to 3 month.