Updated on November 11th, 2022
If you’ve never eaten this Asian delicacy, you’re not alone. Over 285,000 pieces of orange chicken are sold each day at Panda Express. And the lead actor of The Big Bang Theory is a big fan of the dish. You might be wondering what it tastes like. Orange chicken has a succulent, sticky, fried, sweet, and crispy flavor enhanced by tangy, sweet, and tasty orange juice. It’s a sweet Chinese dish that’s hard to resist. Read on to find out. Is it like the orange chicken you’ve always seen on TV? If you’re interested in trying it for yourself, check out the following recipes.
The most crucial aspect of orange chicken is its flavor. While it may be hard to imagine, this Chinese delicacy is delicious and healthy. The orange juice enhances its flavor and makes it incredibly addictive. Just think of the pleasure you’ll get when you bite into a juicy piece of pork. You’ll wonder how you managed to get through the whole chicken so quickly. It’s actually a lot like chewing on a piece of pork.
What is Orange Chicken?
Orange chicken is a popular dish in Chinese restaurants in North America. It’s the North American version of Hunan Province’s famous Chinese cuisine. It’s made by combining fried small-chewable pieces of dredged boneless skinless chicken breast with orange juice, vinegar, garlic, and other seasonings of choice.
Orange chicken is an interesting and tasty dish. It’s a Chinese dish that originated in Hunan Province, China. It is made of dredged and fried boneless chicken breast and covered with a sweet orange sauce. While this dish may sound healthy, it is far from healthy, and it is high in saturated fat, which can be harmful to your health. Therefore, eating orange chicken is a good idea if you’re a vegetarian.
Orange chicken is one of the few dishes that have been developed specifically for the Western palate. While it’s not very good for you, it is delicious and a popular dish at Panda Express. But it’s important to remember that orange chicken is a special kind of Chinese food. While it’s not the healthiest option, it is still delicious. Fortunately, the sauce is easy to prepare and freeze, and you can even freeze it for up to three months.
What Does Orange Chicken Taste Like?
Orange chicken has a succulent, sticky, fried, sweet, and crispy flavor enhanced by tangy, sweet, and tasty orange juice. It’s a sweet Chinese dish that’s hard to resist. A piece of orange chicken is similar to pork meat when chewed. The food is simple to prepare at home, and the small, chewable portions make eating and cooking a breeze.
A sweet and tangy sauce made from orange marmalade or orange juice concentrate, soy sauce, rice vinegar, or lemon juice coats the battered and fried chicken pieces. Even though it is a Chinese dish, it is rarely served in Chinese restaurants. The dish’s crisp and sweet flavor, combined with the distinctively complex flavors of its ingredients, is outstanding!
The flavor profile varies by region, but most versions have a tangy sweetness from the citrus fruit combined with an aromatic spiciness from ginger or garlic. The sauce can also vary in thickness, from thin to thick. Whatever your taste, the orange chicken will have something to suit you.
Honey Chicken vs. Orange Chicken: What’s the Difference?
- Honey Chicken and Orange Chicken are both Asian dishes, but they differ in a few ways. The first is served with a honey-based sauce, while the second is served with an orange-based sauce.
- Chicken, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar or sherry vinegar, brown sugar, or white sugar are used in both dishes.
- Aside from the difference in sauce base, Honey Chicken usually uses dark soy sauce rather than light soy sauce, and it’s flavored with cilantro and green onions.
- Honey Chicken is a good choice if you’re looking for a sweet and savory dinner dish. Orange chicken is usually a healthier option because it doesn’t use dark soy sauce, with more calories and sodium than light soy sauce.
- Cornstarch is added to the orange-based sauce to thicken it while maintaining its delicious flavor and tenderness.
Why is the Orange Chicken at Panda Express so delicious?
The chicken is the key to Panda Express Orange Chicken’s success. They use dark-meat chicken that has been marinated in an orange-flavored sauce with soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.
Overcooking white chicken breast can result in a dry, lifeless piece of chicken. When it comes to cooking time, dark meat is also more forgiving.
It often has more fat than white meat, which accounts for its juicy texture. Panda Express cooks their chicken until it’s crispy on the outside and then bakes it to form a light crust that seals in all flavors before tossing it with orange sauce at just the right temperature.
What are the Similarities Between Orange Chicken and Sesame Chicken?
Both dishes have similarities that we will discuss here, even though they are different in other ways.
Both of these dishes are stir-fried
As previously stated, both dishes are prepared by frying. Unlike Sesame chicken, which is breaded first and then deep-fried, Orange chicken is battered in starch and then fried until crisp.
Both have a crispy top layer of bread
Each dish has a crispy breading on top, whether sesame chicken or orange chicken. The breading enhances the dish’s flavor, enhanced even further when served with fried rice or noodles. Despite the similarities in the breading on top, the sesame chicken has more flavor than the Orange chicken.
What is the Difference Between Orange Chicken, White Breast Chicken, and Other Chinese Dishes?
The flavor of orange chicken is not the same as the one in white breast chicken, and it’s not as bland as it seems and is very different from its counterpart. The flavor of orange chicken is intense, and you won’t miss the white breast chicken nuggets. In fact, the flavor of orange meat is so unique and intense that it’s hard to compare it with white chicken nuggets. If you’re wondering what it tastes like, read on to determine which restaurants are serving it.
One of the most notable differences between orange chicken and other Chinese dishes is that orange chicken contains ginger. Its flavor is highly flavored, and the orange juice adds an extra flavor to the dish. Its tangy flavor is derived from orange peel, while the skin is sweet and crunchy. If you’ve ever had orange chicken, you know how addictive it is. It is a Chinese delicacy that tastes just like chewing pork meat.
How Can You Eat Orange Chicken and Lose Weight?
If you have a craving for Orange Chicken, the best way to incorporate it into your diet is to change your other meals. Rather than abandoning the rest of your day because you ate Orange Chicken for lunch, you can still reduce your calorie intake by keeping track of the rest of your meals. We’ll show you how to make the other meals based on the Orange Chicken you had for one of the meals in this section.
Eat Less Fattening Foods During the Day
Because orange chicken is high in fat, it’s best to avoid fatty foods throughout the day if you want to include it in your diet.
To meet your daily macronutrient goal. Avocado, egg, pork, and butter are high in fat. Keep track of how much fat you consume each day because it can quickly accumulate.
With 9 calories per gram, fat is also the most caloric macronutrient.
Substitute Rice for Vegetables
Because rice adds a lot of calories to your Orange Chicken meal, I highly recommend substituting vegetables for rice.
Vegetables are a great low-calorie option that is also high in fiber and protein.
Furthermore, because vegetables are so large, they deceive you into thinking you’re eating a lot more than you are.
Eat More Protein-Rich Foods
Protein is the essential macronutrient that helps you build and maintain muscle, so it’s critical to eat more of it when trying to lose weight.
We want to gain muscle because having more muscle results in better overall body composition.
You will appear slimmer and achieve the toned physique you desire by replacing your body fat with lean muscle.
You can still enjoy eating Orange Chicken while still achieving your weight loss goals now that you know the ingredients and nutrients in it and how to incorporate it into your diet.
Conclusion
Orange chicken is not as unhealthy as you might think. Its sweet flavor comes from the citrus juice added to the chicken’s skin. In fact, the orange juice enhances the flavor of the chicken, which is not very good for your health. But you can make it at home. Remember that deep-fried meat is not suitable for you, so you should be careful about what you eat. Aside from that, orange chicken can be a great way to add some zest to your meals.
You can find orange chicken at Panda Express or Chinese restaurants, but you won’t find it at your local Chinese restaurant. It’s a unique dish that was designed for the Western palate. However, don’t be fooled: it’s not authentically Chinese. In fact, the dish is the creation of an American chain called Panda Express. The main difference between this dish and orange chicken is that the orange sauce has a brown sugar base.
