Orange Chicken

I got to thinking one day, and that thinking led me to a want for orange chicken. The problem? I have never made orange chicken. I've eaten it many times, but never tried making it. It's one of those things Mom never made while I was growing up, so, I guess it kinda intimidated me. Why? I have no clue, but for some reason it did. Well, no longer am I intimidated by orange chicken!

The recipe called for cutting and coating and then cooking the chicken (you can probably even add thawing the chicken in there somewhere). Who has time for all that? Not I said me. With 5 kids running around, there are times that I barely have time to breath. The solution...... Popcorn chicken! I just throw a bag on a cookie sheet and bake it. Quick and easy.

My sweet hubby and I loved it. The kids? They ate it just fine, but were kinda upset because they wanted the sauce on the side. Sometimes sauce just isn't meant for the side. How can you have orange chicken without the orange sauce on the chicken? That makes it just chicken.

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons green onion
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 bag popcorn chicken

Pour popcorn chicken onto a baking sheet and bake according to the package directions. In a medium saucepan combine water, fresh orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange zest and whisk over medium heat for a few minutes. Then stir in brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and green onion and let it come to a boil. Combine cornstarch with water and let it dissolve and add it to the sauce until thickened. Add chicken to the sauce and serve over rice.

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe