Chinese Orange Peel Chicken
Chinese Orange Peel Chicken is a popular Chinese-American dish featuring crispy, deep-fried chicken pieces coated in a sweet, tangy, and aromatic sauce made with orange zest, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. It's known for its vibrant flavor and the use of dried tangerine or orange peel, which adds a unique citrusy depth. While rooted in Chinese culinary traditions, this specific sweet-and-sour preparation is largely a Western adaptation.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is high in carbohydrates from the sugar in the glaze and the batter, and moderate in fat from the frying oil. It provides protein from the chicken and small amounts of vitamin C and antioxidants from the orange peel, with a typical serving containing roughly 400-500 calories.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 450 kcal |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Carbs | 45 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 25 g |
| Sodium | 680 mg |
| Vitamin C | 15 mg |
| Iron | 2.5 mg |
| Potassium | 320 mg |
| Calcium | 40 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.4 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 8 mg |
| Phosphorus | 200 mg |
| Magnesium | 30 mg |
Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
The use of dried citrus peel is a traditional Chinese technique for adding complex, fragrant flavor without excess liquid, and it's also valued in traditional Chinese medicine for aiding digestion. Nutritionally, the peel contains beneficial flavonoids, though in this dish, the health benefits are offset by the frying and sugar content.
