Orange chicken is a popular and delicious Chinese dish. It has a mix of a sweet and savoury sauce that is mixed onto boneless chicken cubes. The sauce has a mixture of garlic, soy sauce, ginger, red chili flakes, sugar, and orange zest and the result is a delicious meal. You can serve orange chicken with rice that is either steamed or fried. There are various ways to reheat your orange chicken and these methods are described below.
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The Stovetop Method
One of the most popular and effective ways of reheating orange chicken is on the stovetop. In fact, the stovetop is the most recommended method for reheating orange chicken, because it will produce the results that are similar to when your orange chicken was made the first time. If you want to retain the freshness of your orange chicken, the stovetop method is definitely one of the best methods you can use to reheat the dish. Simply follow these steps to reheat your orange chicken on the stovetop.
- Heat up your pan slightly over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add a bit of oil (about 2 TSP to the warm pan. And give the oil about 2 minutes to warm then add your orange chicken.
- Let your meal heat up until it is warmed to your preference, stirring frequently.
- You can add additional soy sauce to your orange chicken if you’d like.
- Consider adding small amounts of water as you heat up your orange chicken to prevent it from drying out.
The Microwave Method
Another effective way to reheat your orange chicken is in the microwave. As much as some people argue that the microwave is not the best method to warm up food it reheats most Chinese food surprisingly well, especially if you’re in a hurry. However, the microwave is also more likely to affect the texture of your meal but if you follow the right steps you can get the desired results when warming up your orange chicken. Follow these steps to reheat your orange chicken in the microwave.
- Place the orange chicken in a microwave-safe container,
- Dampen a paper towel and lay it over the top of your dish,
- Using the damp paper towel will help you prevent your food from getting soggy,
- Microwave your orange chicken for about 3-4 minutes, and make sure that you do so one minute at a time, and stir the food each minute and check to see if it is warm enough yet.
- Your orange chicken will be ready when it has reached your desired temperature,
The Oven Method
The oven is another popular method for reheating orange chicken. However, the oven takes time to heat up most meals although it is effective. If your orange chicken is frozen the oven method is one of the best methods to reheat your orange chicken. Also, If you want a really hot orange chicken, consider warming up your meal in the oven. The oven method is always a good choice but it might take a little longer than other methods of reheating your orange chicken. To warm up your meal in the oven follow these steps,
- Warm up your oven to about 350 F or 150 C.
- Put your orange chicken in an oven-safe dish and cover it with aluminium foil,
- Then put your meal in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes,
- Once your orange dish is ready, let your dish cool down a little so you that you do not get burnt when you remove the foil,
- Serve when ready,
Keep in mind that the oven warms up your food slowly, preventing it from drying out or becoming soggy.
The Toaster Oven Method
The toaster oven method is another effective way of reheating your orange chicken. This method is almost the same with the oven method only that you will be making use of a toaster oven. The procedure to reheat your orange chicken as well as the results are the same. Simply follow these steps.
- Warm up your toaster oven to about 350 F or 150 C.
- Put your orange chicken in an oven-safe dish and cover it with aluminium foil,
- Then put your meal in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes,
- Once your orange dish is ready, let your dish cool down a little so you that you do not get burnt when you remove the foil,
- Serve when ready,
Pros And Cons Of Reheating Orange Chicken
The Advantages Of Reheating Orange Chicken
- You can save your leftovers rather than tossing them out,
- You can reheat your orange chicken out of the fridge or the freezer,
- There is more than one way of reheating your orange chicken.
- Your orange chicken will taste just as delicious the second time around.
- Because of the various spices and the sauce, your orange chicken flavour can become bolder and better when reheated because it had resting time.
- Reheating your orange chicken is very simple and does not take excessive time.
The Disadvantages of Reheating Orange Chicken
- Your orange chicken may experience some softness of the breading or chicken from storage.
- You need to consider thawing time if you freeze your orange chicken and that can be time consuming.
The Best Way To Store Your Orange Chicken
Storing your orange chicken is simple, you can store it in the fridge or the freezer. If you take time to store your orange chicken right, you will be much happier with the outcome when it comes time to reheat it.
- You can store your orange chicken in the refrigerator using an airtight container or bag.
- Make sure that the orange chicken has cooled off fully before storing it to prevent excess moisture from building up in your storage ware.
- You can store your orange chicken for about 5 days in the fridge.
- If you freeze your orange chicken, we recommend that you use an airtight freezer bag or use a freezer-friendly dish that is airtight. Make sure that you allow your orange chicken to cool completely prior to storage.
- You can store your orange chicken in the freezer for up to 6 months if properly sealed.
- You can also store leftovers or you can do make-ahead freezer meals with orange chicken.
- The sauce coating the orange chicken, freezes quite well. Also the sauce works similarly to a preservative.
