Master Asian Cuisine with This Amazing Instant Pot Orange Chicken Recipe!
The variety of orange chicken most commonly found at North American Chinese restaurants consists of chopped, battered and fried chicken pieces coated in a sweet orange-flavored chili sauce, which thickens or caramelizes to a glaze. Chef Andy Kao claims to have developed the original Chinese-American orange chicken recipe at a Panda Express in Hawaii in 1987. Orange chicken is called Chinese food in North America, but is rarely found in restaurants in China. Andrew Cherng, owner and founder of Panda Express, said that it is just a variation of General Tso’s chicken, another dish that is almost unknown in China and are Americanized mutations of sweet and sour dishes found in China. This dish will work in any Instant Pot. We used our Ninja® Foodi™ Smart XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer w/SmartLid™ & Smart Thermometer.
Ingredients:
For The Sauce
1/2 T sesame oil
1 onion roughly chopped
2 T fresh garlic, grated
2 T fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup water
1 T Soy Sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 t chili flakes
2 T orange zest
For The Chicken
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 t salt
1 t pepper
2 T sesame oil
Garnish
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 t sesame seeds
1. Cut the thighs into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.
2. Add sesame oil to the Ninja® Foodi™ Smart XL Pressure Cooker pot.
3. With the lid open, use the dial to select SEAR/SAUTÉ. Use the up and down arrows to the left of the display to select Hi5. Press START/STOP to begin cooking. After 1 minute, add chicken thighs. Allow thighs to cook for 4 minutes and press START/STOP to turn off the SEAR/SAUTÉ function.
4. While the chicken is cooking, in a mixing bowl combine the sauce ingredients.
5. Add the sauce to the pot. Close the lid and move the slider to the PRESSURE position. Make sure the pressure release valve is in the SEAL position.
6. Use the dial to select NATURAL RELEASE. Use the up and down arrows to the left of the display to select HI (pressure) and the up and down arrows to the right of the dial to adjust the time to 7 minutes.
7. Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes then rotate the pressure release valve to VENT.
8. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Ninja FD401 LP3 Foodi 12-in-1 Deluxe XL 8 qt. Pressure Cooker & Air Fryer
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