Tangy Orange Glaze

Tangy Orange Glaze is a delightful blend of sweet, tangy, and irresistible flavors. Made with fresh orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic, this sauce is a versatile addition to any kitchen. You’ll want to drizzle or dip everything in it. Trust me when I say that Tangy Orange Glaze is a game-changer. Its sweet-tanginess pairs perfectly with chicken, beef, pork, fish, and vegetables. Heck, it even tastes good on its own.

What is Tangy Orange Glaze?

Tangy Orange Glaze is a thick and glossy sauce typically used in American Chinese cuisine to coat bite-sized pieces of crispy chicken, shrimp, pork, beef, or vegetables.

What does it taste like?

It’s sweet and tangy, with a shiny, orange hue. It resembles sweet and sour sauce but with a more pronounced orange flavor. If you’ve ever had Panda Express orange chicken, you know just how delicious this sauce is.

What is Tangy Orange Glaze made of?

The glaze is made from fresh orange juice and simple pantry ingredients: soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, ginger powder, and cornstarch.

How to make Tangy Orange Glaze

Forget buying bottled sauce at the store; making this glaze at home is incredibly easy. All you need to do is:

1. Add orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, and ginger powder to a small saucepan. Bring it to a simmer, whisking occasionally, over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves.
2. While the sugar dissolves, whisk 1 tbsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp water. Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce and bring everything up to a simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce heats, bubbles, thickens, and turns glossy.

That’s it! Remove the pan from the heat, and you’re ready to glaze your favorite protein.

Ingredients

• 1 large orange, zest and juice (about 1/2 cup juice)
• 1/4 cup sugar or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

How to make a Tangy Orange Glaze

1. Add the orange juice, zest, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and ginger powder to a small saucepan. Whisk over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves and the sauce starts to bubble.
2. Whisk the tbsp of cornstarch with 1 tbsp water, then whisk it into the sauce. Bring the sauce up to medium heat, whisking occasionally, until it starts to bubble, thicken, and turn glossy.
3. Remove from the heat and enjoy immediately on your desired dish.

Helpful Hints

For super easy orange chicken, grab a bag of frozen nuggets from the store, bake or air fry them, and toss them in this sauce. OR, simply cut up boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces, season with salt and pepper, toss in cornstarch, and pan-fry in hot oil until crispy and cooked through. Toss in the sauce, and boom: orange chicken.