Tasty Tuesday . . . Copycat recipe - Applebee's Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl

I have gotten quite a craving for Asian type foods lately. I tried to recreate the Applebee's Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl at home. My husband actually liked mine better, but mine was not as spicey as Applebee's. Also, do not be afraid because it looks like a lot of ingredients; it really is not difficult. Here is the recipe that I used, but below are the changes that I made:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• oil (for frying)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic *I just used garlic salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind *I omitted this because I did not have any.
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce *I definitely did not have this, but I used: 1 t peanut butter, 1/4 c. soy sauce, 1/4 c. molasses
• 1 dash cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• salt and pepper

Directions

Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper and oil. Mix well and set aside.

Stir cornstarch and flour together in another large bowl and mix well. Add chicken mixture to the flour mixture, stirring to coat each piece well.

Pour enough oil to be at least 1/2-inch deep in a wok or heavy skillet and set over high heat. When it reaches 375 degrees F (hot!) carefully add chicken pieces in small batches and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp. Do not overcook or chicken will be tough. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue frying chicken in small batches until all are nicely browned and crisp.

Set aside while you make the glaze:.

1 teaspoon minced garlic.

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind.

1 cup orange juice.

1/2 cup hoisin sauce.

Dash cayenne pepper.

1/4 cup granulated sugar.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Cool the oil in the skillet slightly, then remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil and set over medium heat. Sauté garlic in oil for 1 minute (if the oil is too hot the garlic will turn bitter). Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens to your liking, stirring frequently.

Pour glaze over chicken. Serve chicken over a bed of cooked white rice. Garnish with slivered almonds and crispy noodles. Applebee's tosses the chicken and orange glaze with an array of stir-fry vegetables like broccoli, snow peas and red peppers.

My glaze never completely thickened but it did turn out pretty yummy.

You can see more kitchen tips at Tammy's Recipes.

-Gretchen