Orange Hen vs Normal Tso Hen: Variations, Spiciness, Recipes

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We Americans love our fried chicken and pretty much anything sweet. It is therefore not surprising that Chinese dishes landing in the United States have evolved into sticky, sticky, syrupy, deep-fried Chinese-American chicken to take away. But we can do two of our favorite chicken fixes at home better by learning a few things. The difference between orange chicken and General Tso’s chicken first becomes apparent after whipping and frying: Everything is in the sauce.

Both dishes are American standbys that cannot be seen in China. Both are battered, fried chicken pieces with a glaze-like sauce over white rice, often with sautéed broccoli or other vegetables. The first liquid that hits the chicken in both recipes is the marinade, which is made from soy sauce, Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, and sometimes eggs or egg whites and cornstarch. Sometimes it’s just egg whites and cornstarch. The chicken is then dipped in a dry coating of cornstarch with salt and pepper or a combination of cornstarch, baking powder, and flour.

After deep-frying and draining on a paper towel, the finished sauces start out similarly: soy sauce, Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and sometimes chicken broth. Then add flavorful ginger, garlic, and spring onions, and sometimes dried red pepper flakes or dried whole red chillies, especially General Tso’s. Thickening this sauce with a little cornstarch makes it better.

Compared to General Tso’s, orange chicken usually has a lighter sweet and sour, savory glaze. It’s not that spicy because dried red chillies aren’t used that often or that often in this dish. All recipes call for orange in some form – juice, peel, dried peel, or a combination of these. Authentic Chinese-style orange chicken is not beaten and fried, nor is it marinated with fresh oranges or orange juice, but with dried orange peel. But let’s stick with the juice or the peel for the homemade version.

Oh, and Tso was a statesman in the Qing Dynasty who had nothing to do with this chicken. One guy just named it after him.

Also: Sesame Chicken is pretty similar too, with the addition of … wait a minute … sesame seeds. Chicken Sweet-sour? These recipes vary widely, but it’s in the same ballpark. Some do not ask for breading and deep-frying, but rather frying in the pan. In addition to the standard soy sauce, the sauce could also use a lot of sugar, apple cider vinegar and ketchup, like our recipe for sweet and sour sauce, which you can also use on pork, tofu and as a dip for spring rolls and wontons. Other sweet and sour chicken recipes call for pineapple, paprika, and a stick with rice vinegar for a flavorful bite.

Panda Express Orange Chicken copycat

If you’re craving the quick dinner you usually order take-away from the big Chinese chain, this Kitchme recipe is going to taste so similar that all you know is that it’s not take-away because the quality is an improvement. Get the Panda Express Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe.

Baked chicken breast with orange-honey-mustard

This recipe is probably the most orange colored of our orange chicken recipes. It contains the juice of six oranges and the peel of two, complemented by the acidity of Dijon mustard and whole grain mustard. Get our recipe for Baked Chicken Breasts with Orange-Honey-Mustard.

Orange and thyme chicken legs with carrot puree

This dish is not exactly Chinese-inspired, but it does contain some of the main ingredients. Half a cup of orange juice and honey sweeten these thighs, but then the thyme, shallot, and garlic interrupt any attempt to be sticky. The cumin in the carrot puree will also help. Get our recipe for Orange Thyme Chicken Legs with Carrot Puree.

General Tso’s Chicken

Kimberly from The Daring Gourmet marinates her chicken pieces in soy sauce, egg and rice wine or dry sherry before being treated with cornstarch. Ginger, garlic and red chillies make the sauce hot. Get General Tso’s Chicken Recipe.

Asian style slow cooker chicken legs

Orange peel goes into this sauce, but it’s definitely not the only dominant flavor. Cinnamon, aniseed, ginger and tamari or soy sauce also have a voice here. Get our Asian Style Chicken Legs Slow Cooker Recipe.

Chicken Sweet-sour

Deep fried for about two minutes, these pieces of chicken breast aren’t breaded with a lot, just salt, pepper, cornstarch and egg. Then the real flavor comes into play with the sauce you put on while baking. Get our sweet and sour chicken recipe.