National Orange Chicken Day

National Orange Chicken Day: A Celebration of All Things Citrusy and Chicken-y

We all know that chicken is America’s favorite food. It’s versatile, it’s affordable, and it can be cooked in a million different ways. And on National Orange Chicken Day, we celebrate one of those million ways: by smothering chicken in a tang-y, sticky-sweet orange sauce. But where did this dish come from? And how many different varieties of orange chicken are there? Read on to find out everything you need to know about this delicious holiday!

A Brief History of Orange Chicken

No one is quite sure when or where orange chicken was invented, but the dish has been popular in China for centuries. In the early 2000s, American fast food chain Panda Express began serving orange chicken at its restaurants, and the dish quickly became one of the chain’s most popular items. Today, orange chicken is enjoyed by people all over the world, and Panda Express even has a National Orange Chicken Day celebration each year.

How to Make Orange Chicken

Though there are many different recipes for orange chicken out there, they all have one thing in common: a delicious, tangy sauce made with oranges (or sometimes oranges and tangerines), brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. The sauce is used to coat bite-sized pieces of chicken, which are then fried until crispy. The final dish is served over steamed rice and topped with green onions and sesame seeds.

Types of Orange Chicken

Though the classic recipe for orange chicken is delicious as is, there are many different variations of the dish out there. Some recipes call for adding things like red pepper flakes or Sriracha to the sauce for a little bit of heat, while others use pineapple juice or honey in place of some of the brown sugar to give the sauce a slightly different flavor profile. And though fried chicken is the most popular way to prepare orange chicken, some people prefer to bake their chicken instead. No matter how you make it or what you put in it, orange chicken is always delicious!

Are you looking for a delicious way to celebrate National Orange Chicken Day? Why not try your hand at making this Tangy treat at home? Though there are many different recipes out there for orange chicken, they all have one thing in common: a delicious sauce made with oranges (or sometimes oranges and tangerines), brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Once you’ve got your Sauce perfected, you can use it to coat bite-sized pieces of chicken before frying them until they’re crispy. Serve your finished dish over steamed rice and top with green onions and sesame seeds for an added touch of flavor and texture. No matter how you make it or what you put in it, orange chicken is always delicious!