2 teaspoons garlic powder
⅓ cup chicken broth
2 cups fresh-squeezed orange juice
Zest of 2 oranges
⅓ cup white vinegar
½ cup sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon white pepper
1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 pounds chicken breast, boneless skinless cut into 1" cubes (or kept whole if marinating overnight)
4 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 to 4 cups oil, canola or vegetable (depending on size of pot)
In a large bowl, mix together ingredients from garlic powder to white pepper. Pour half of this mixture in another bowl with the chicken and marinate for 20 minutes.
Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with equal amounts of water into a slurry. Set aside.
Put the remaining marinade in a pot or pan. Bring to a boil, and then turn heat on low. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir constantly until thickened, about 2 to 5 minutes. When the orange sauce has thickened, set aside.
Fill a medium-sized saucepan a little less than half full with oil. Turn on medium-high heat. While this coming to temperature, drain any excess marinate from chicken. Pour beaten eggs over chicken and toss, coating thoroughly.
Remove chicken from egg wash. In batches before frying, toss the chicken in the remaining 1½ cups cornstarch. Coat all the chicken pieces thoroughly. Lightly toss to remove any excess cornstarch.
In batches, carefully place chicken into the oil. Fry until golden brown and cooked through (5 to 10 minutes). Remove from oil, and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
In a bowl, toss chicken with your desired amount of orange sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, and serve with rice or noodles.
Tip: For juicier more flavorful chicken, marinate whole chicken breast overnight, and cut into cubes when ready to cook!
