Hot and Spicy Mandarin Orange Chicken

Need a quick and easy 20-minute dinner? Try our Hot and Spicy Mandarin Orange Chicken. It’s a healthy Chinese stir fry bursting with fresh oranges and a tongue numbing Sichuan pepper sauce. 

Skip the deep-fried coronary artery-clogging chicken loaded up with a sugary sauce. Instead, try our lightened-up version. The quick and easy marinade makes this hot spicy chicken “velvety” tender.  Then, the chicken is quickly stir fried with a light orange sauce just like our Orange Sweet Potato Stir Fry and Braised Orange Anise Lotus Root.  

This hot and spicy Chinese chicken recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and has only 8 net carbs per serving. In addition, it’s the perfect matchmaker’s Chap Goh Mei romantic dinner. Read on to find out why and how oranges are used to seduce your soulmate. 

Ingredients

Chicken – we used boneless and skinless chicken breast but it is also delicious with dark meat. The most important step is cutting the chicken against the grain and super thin. If vegetarian or vegan, try swapping out the chicken with tempeh.

Cornstarch – important element to tenderize the chicken and to thicken the mandarin orange sauce. In a pinch, you can substitute with potato starch. 

Sesame Oil – gives this Chinese recipe a lovely flavor and helps velvet the chicken. If you do not have sesame oil, you can add a little mild flavored oil to the marinade. 

Shaoxing Cooking Wine – or cooking sherry adds an aromatic richness to stir fry dishes and removes the odd smell (骚味 or sāo wèi) of raw meat. 

Vinegar – we used apple cider vinegar but you could also use white or black vinegar. Just a little drizzle adds a punch of flavor to the orange sauce. (Sorry, it is not in the photo above)  

Burst of Flavor

Mandarin Oranges – Mandarin or tangerines are best for this recipe as they are sweet, slightly tart and easy to find. You can also use Cutie or Halo clementine's that are a hybrid of the mandarin and orange. In addition, ordinary navel oranges can work too. However, sometimes they are not as sweet and flavorful as a mandarin orange. 

Sichuan Peppercorns (Szechuan peppercorns) - is a tongue numbing spice from the Sichuan Province of China. They are not super spicy. Instead, they numb your tongue and are fragrant. Not only are Sichuan peppers delicious in our tangerine chicken but also in our Mapo Tofu and Spicy Sichuan Hot Pot. You can find Sichuan Peppercorns in Whole Foods, specialty stores, spice stores and Asian food markets.  

Spicy Black Bean Sauce – is a specialty sauce made from fermented black beans and chili peppers. It gives this recipe that delicious umami flavor and a little punch of heat. Leftover sauce can be used in our Baked Cod Parcels with Black Bean Sauce or Beef and Peppers in Black Bean Sauce. Most supermarkets will carry this condiment in the Asian food section. In a pinch, you can substitute with spicy garlic sauce.  

How to Slice Chicken for Stir Fry? 

The goal is the slice the chicken ultra-thin and against the grain. If you have difficulty, the best option is to pop the chicken in the freezer for just 30 minutes to an hour. This amount of time in the freezer will firm up the chicken so it is much easier to slice. Do not freeze longer than an hour or you will have a watery chicken stir fry.  

Grab yourself a proper knife. Hold the chicken in your non-dominant hand and make sure your fingers are tucked under. Using the sharp knife cut down and across in thin slices against the grain. Whole chicken breasts actually have 2 different sets of muscle fibers going in different directions. If you start on the small end and cut across but at a slight angle, it is perfect.  

How to Velvet Chicken? 

The Chinese secret method for making extra tender delicious chicken is called velveting chicken. Velveting chicken can be done several different ways. This process can be used for other meats too.  

1) Marinating and then blanching in oil or water. (Messy process and you could possibly overcook your chicken) 

2) With egg white and other marinating ingredients. (Ok process but if you have any egg sensitivities, it can be a problem) 

3) Baking soda and other marinating ingredients (least favorite way as you have to wash all the baking soda off) 

4) Our no fuss method of marinating in cornstarch, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. We also used this process for our Oyster Sauce Chicken. It's super easy, no mess and our favorite way to velvet chicken.)

How to make?

• Crush Sichuan Peppercorns. You can do this in a spice blender, with a mortar and pestle or with a heavy item inside a towel.  
• Slice your chicken thinly against the grain. 

• Marinate chicken with cornstarch, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, sugar, soy sauce and white pepper. 
• Zest the mandarin oranges. 

• Juice the mandarin oranges. 
• Make the orange sauce. In a small bowl combine cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, vinegar, spicy black bean sauce (or spicy garlic sauce), sesame oil, mandarin orange zest and juice and sugar. Stir well and set aside. 

• Add oil to your wok or pan and over medium high heat add in the Sichuan peppercorns and whites of green onions. Stir fry for just a minute until aromatic. (Vent your windows)  
• Then, add the marinated chicken and stir fry until no longer pink.  
• Make a well in the middle of your wok or pan. Add the orange sauce and let it start to bubble and start to thicken. Stir fry orange sauce and chicken together. Toss in the green parts of the green onion. Enjoy! 

Tips and Tricks

• If you are having difficulty cutting thin chicken slices, place your chicken in the freezer for 30 minutes to one hour. This will make it easier to slice.  
• Vent your home while stir frying the Sichuan peppercorns. They are very strong and can be a bit abrasive on your nose and make your eyes water. 
• Marinate your chicken for at least 15 minutes but even better overnight. 
• Mandarin oranges are more difficult to zest. This is because their skin in not attached to the flesh like on an orange.  Gently hold the mandarin orange. Don’t try to squeeze it. Brush the mandarin lightly back and forth to zest.  
• The amount of sugar needed for the sauce is dependent on how sweet or sour your mandarin oranges are. If your oranges are sweet, you can add less sugar. On the other hand, if your oranges are sour, you may need to add more sugar.  
• Don’t overcrowd your pan when stir frying. If your chicken is overcrowded due to a small pan size, then cook it in batches. It is important to get a nice sear on all sides as this adds flavor and seals in the juices. When you over crowd the pan, you are steaming NOT stir frying.  
• If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce. In addition, there are gluten free black bean garlic sauces at the market. 

What to Serve it with? 

Hot and Spicy Mandarin Orange Chicken is delicious with a side of white rice, low carb cauliflower rice, Vegan Curried Rice or even a Hong Kong Fried Rice.  Vegetables:  

• 5 Minute Stir Fried Garlic Pea Shoots 
• Garlic Chili Fried Lotus Root 
• Stir Fried Romaine Lettuce 

Don’t forget dessert! In the winter, we love a cozy Hot Black Sesame Cereal. However, in the summer, a refreshing Spicy Chai Coconut Jelly hits the spot. 

Finding the Perfect Soul Mate 

Sometimes you can meet that perfect soul mate at a party, a social function, blind date, on-line dating or maybe you should just hurl an orange at their head. Yes, you heard me correctly! Throwing oranges with love messages written on them is an old tradition celebrated at the end of the Chinese New Year.  

“Chap Goh Mei” = Chinese Valentine’s Day 

Chap Goh Mei, which is Hokkien for “15th night”, symbolizes the end of the Lunar New Year. It is sometimes also referred to as the lantern festival because the Buddhist monks would light lanterns to honor Buddha on this day.  

According to legend, Chap Goh Mei was the only day that young unmarried women were allowed to get all dressed up and head out to the streets, unescorted. Of course, all the young single men wanted to take a part in this action. The guys would also head to the streets to take get a better look at all of the single potential marriage prospects.  

Throw Oranges for Chap Goi Mei

 On this special day, the single ladies would throw oranges into the lakes with their names and a message. The belief was that the man who picked up their orange would be their future match. In Malaysia, this tradition has survived until the present times.

However, now they add their name and mobile number. (smiling) In celebration of this fun tradition, let's throw some love inscribed oranges and make a little matchmaker Hot and Spicy Mandarin Orange Chicken. 

Once you have found your perfect soul mate, you want them to be happy and healthy and that is why our heart happy version of orange flavored chicken is unique.  

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)