Orange Chicken with Fried Rice

Spicy and sweet Orange Chicken with Fried Rice. You may never order take-out again after trying this recipe!

Ingredients :

For the orange chicken

2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
¼ cups Cornstarch
Salt And Pepper
1 cup Fresh Orange Juice
1 cup Water
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
3 strips Orange Zest – 1″ Wide By 2″ Tall
½ cups Lightly Packed Brown Sugar
½ teaspoons Fresh Minced Ginger
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
4 whole Dried Red Chilies, Broken In Half
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch, For The Slurry
2 Tablespoons Water, For The Slurry

For the fried rice

2 Tablespoons Oil, Divided
2 whole Eggs, Beaten Well
½ cups Diced Onion
½ cups Diced Carrots
⅓ cups Diced Celery
1 cup Bean Sprouts
1 cup Sliced Mushrooms
3 cups Cooked Medium Grain White Rice, Cooled
2 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce

Directions :

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat about an inch of vegetable or canola oil to about 375F. Heat the oven to 250F.
In a large zip top bag, combine the cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add the chicken chunks and seal the bag. Toss to coat completely.
Add the coated chicken to the hot oil in two or three batches. Cook until lightly golden and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 F. Transfer the cooked chicken to a baking sheet. Hold the chicken in the oven.
In a sauce pan, combine the water, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, vinegar, orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and dry chilies. Stir to combine. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce reduce by 1/3.
In a small bowl, prepare the slurry by combining the cornstarch and water until smooth. Pour the mixture into the sauce and whisk until the sauce thickens. Take the sauce off the heat.
For the fried rice, in a large skillet over high heat, add 1 teaspoon of oil. When the oil shimmers, add the eggs. Allow to cook until the eggs have become firm on the bottom. Flip the eggs gently and cook for twenty seconds, or until cooked through but not brown. Remove from the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut the egg into strips.
Add the rest of the oil to the pan. Once it shimmers, add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly, then add the mushrooms and bean sprouts and cook for an additional minute. Add the rice to the pan and stir to combine with the vegetables. Add the egg strips and the soy sauce and stir well.
Place the orange sauce over medium low heat until hot, then add the chicken pieces. Stir to coat. Serve immediately.