Orange Chicken Wings
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Sweet, sour, glossy, sticky wings! I’m sharing this as an idea for a fun Chinese New Year party idea (within your household) even though I am fully aware that “orange chicken” is a Chinese-American invention—not at all a traditional dish to serve at a new year celebration. However, there is so much rich history to the Chinese-American restaurant industry, so much to be said about the way Chinese immigrants adapted to make a living here, that I think the cuisine that developed is worth celebrating. Something especially unique about orange chicken that I learned from Chinese Cooking Demystified is that its orange sauce has also since somehow been adapted back to suit Chinese palates in China, and is now served on ribs in some areas in the south. That’s how special orange chicken is.
I also thought this would be a pretty good Chinese New Year dish because oranges are such a prominent part of the celebrations. I remember my parents exchanging oranges as gifts with their friends during Chinese New Year, as oranges—especially mandarin or satsuma oranges—are supposed to represent gold, wealth, and good fortune.
For Chinese-Americans like myself, this recipe should be super easy as the sauce really only requires 3 ingredients. Plum sauce and hoisin sauce are total staples in our pantries. But if you are someone who is not familiar with these ingredients, or maybe you know them from Chinese takeout but you have never purchased them yourself before—my hope is that you will be inspired to go to your local Chinatown if you have one and pick these ingredients up. You’ll find that they are incredibly delicious and versatile condiments, even straight out of the jar.
This isn’t a precise recipe below because I really don’t think it needs to be. Give that hoisin sauce and plum sauce a try first, and that will allow you to gauge how much you want each ingredient to contribute to your version. If you want more tang, use more plum sauce. If you want more deep umami, use more hoisin. They both have enough sweetness to make your wings super snackable and addictive, and really any combination of those three ingredients—freshly squeezed orange juice, plum sauce, and hoisin sauce—will be delicious on these delicately crusted, fried wings.
Awkwardly Vague instructions for Orange Chicken Wings
Ingredients for the Wings
~ 18 party wings, a mix of drums and flats
salt
cornstarch
neutral oil, for frying
Ingredients for the Sauce
2 oranges
plum sauce
hoisin sauce
red pepper flakes (optional)
optional Garnishes
dried red chilies
sesame seeds, toasted
scallions, sliced
Procedure
Season wings on both sides with salt. Coat them thoroughly in a thin layer of cornstarch, making sure to get cornstarch into all crevices. Shake off excess and place in a single layer. Set aside.
Zest 1 of the oranges. Then juice 1.5 of the oranges, reserving half of the unzested orange. Cut that half orange into semicircles and set them aside for the garnish.
Deep fry the chicken wings (in batches, if necessary) and allow them to drain on a rack or paper towels while you prepare the sauce.
In a pan large enough to hold all the wings, add the orange juice and zest and bring to a simmer. Add a couple large dollops of plum sauce, a big squirt of hoisin sauce, and a couple pinches of red pepper flakes (if using). Stir everything together until homogenous. When the sauce starts to thicken and look syrupy, add the fried wings and toss to coat. Add red chilies and toss to combine.
Plate the wings and garnish with the orange slices. Top with sesame seeds and scallions.