Julia's Crispy Orange Chicken

Time :30

Yield :4 servings

Recipe Background

One time on our flight back home, we sat next to a lovely lady named Julia. Our conversation started with the usual, "are you going home or visiting?"... but we really hit it off after that. From talk about family, jobs, the turbulence, our chat ended up being mostly about food. Come to find out, she loves to cook and is very proud of what she calls Julia's Crispy Orange Chicken. She gave us her recipe to share and it's just incredible. Simple, tangy, and perfect over white rice, Julia's Crispy Orange Chicken is now one of our favorite dishes thanks to our time in the air together. It's true, the best things happen when you're traveling!

Ingredients

4 cups frozen popcorn chicken
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 medium carrots thinly sliced
1 clove garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
cayenne pepper to taste
white rice to taste, cooked and warm, for serving

Directions

Place the popcorn chicken on a baking sheet and bake them according to the package directions.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil.
Add the carrots to the heated oil and cook, while stirring, until they are tender, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the garlic to the carrots and cook, about 1 minute.
Add the orange zest, the orange juice, the hoisin sauce, the sugar, the salt, the pepper, and the cayenne pepper to the carrot mixture and stir to combine. Bring the sauce mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce, stirring constantly, until it has thickened, about 4-6 minutes.
Add the cooked popcorn chicken to the sauce and toss to coat.
Serve the orange chicken over the rice.