Hot and Spicy Mandarin Orange Chicken

5 from 11 votes

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.

Prep Time17

Cook Time3

Total Time20

Course: Mains

Cuisine: Chinese

Diet: Low Fat, Low Lactose

Servings: servings

Calories: 257kcal

Author: HWC Magazine

Equipment

Wok or large frying pan
citrus zester or grater

Ingredients

1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns dried and crushed or more if you desire

Marinade

1 pound chicken breast or tenderloins boneless and skinless sliced thinly
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar or sugar alternative or sweetener of choice
1 inch ginger knob freshly grated or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
3 cloves garlic
peeled and minced
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or a dry sherry - optional
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari for gluten free
1 teaspoon sesame oil
white pepper to taste or about ⅛ teaspoon

Sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar or sugar alternative adjust amount depending on how sweet or sour your oranges are.
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry - optional
1 teaspoon vinegar apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
or tamari for gluten-free
1 teaspoon spicy black bean sauce
or spicy garlic sauce if desired
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons mandarin orange zest
or orange zest
9 tablespoons mandarin orange juice
or orange juice

Stir Fry

1 tablespoon oil
1 to 2 whole green onions chopped

Garnishes

Slices of mandarin oranges optional
cooked rice as desired - optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Grind Sichuan peppercorns in a spice blender, mortar and pestle or with a heavy object over a tea towel. Set aside.

Chicken Marinade

Slice chicken thinly against the grain. You can freeze your chicken for 30 minutes up to an hour to make this process easier.
In a small bowl, combine the chicken slices with the cornstarch, a little sugar to help with caramelization of the chicken, ginger, garlic, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, spicy black bean sauce, sesame oil and white pepper. Mix thoroughly and let marinate at least 15 minutes or up to overnight. This helps tenderize the chicken.

Mandarin Orange Sauce

Combine and mix cornstarch, sugar or sugar alternative, Shaoxing wine and vinegar. Mix well to remove any lumps. Next, add soy sauce, spicy black bean sauce, sesame oil, mandarin orange zest, juice of mandarin oranges into the cornstarch mixture and set aside.

Chicken Stir Fry

Add oil and crushed dried Sichuan peppercorns and quickly stir fry until aromatic about 1 minute. Then, add the whites of the green onions.
Add the marinated chicken and quickly stir fry for about 2-3 minutes until chicken is no longer pick and the juices run clear.
Move the chicken to the sides of the wok or pan to make a well. Add the mandarin orange sauce to the pan and allow the sauce to start to bubble. Then, quickly stir fry until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Add the tops of the green onion and mix.
Garnish the Mandarin orange chicken with mandarin oranges and serve with a side of rice and stir fried vegetables. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Sichuan peppers are optional. However, they add that addictive tongue numbing deliciousness.

Helpful Recipe Hints

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.

Nutrition