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    Home » Recipes » Asian

    Best Orange Chicken Recipe (Panda Express Copycat)

    May 14, 2020 by Love Keil · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    1.3K shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Best Orange Chicken Recipe (Panda Express Copycat) - incredibly tasty orange chicken inspired by Panda Express.  It is crowd's favorite orange chicken recipe.

    When YOU make this Panda Express Orange Chicken Recipe, take a picture & DM me your Food Creation on Instagram @MunchkinTimeBlog & I will feature it here under this recipe!

    Best Orange Chicken Recipe (Panda Express Copycat)

    Quick Notes

    • Chicken thighs taste best in this orange chicken recipe, but feel free to use chicken breast instead if you like cooking with chicken breast more.
    • Use less sugar to make it less sweet.
    • Use store bought or freshly squeezed orange juice.
    • Store orange chicken in airtight container inside the fridge for 1-2 days.
    Orange Chicken Ingredients For Batter

    How to Make Orange Chicken at Home:

    In a mixing bowl,, combine 1 ½ cup of flour, 1 cup of cornstarch, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of white pepper. Mix well.
    Orange Chicken Ingredients For Batter
    Next add 1 egg, 1 ½ cup of water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Whisk until everything is combined.
    Orange Chicken Ingredients For Batter
    Cooking in batches
    Add & mix 2 lb of chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces and let sit for 15 minutes.

    While chicken is resting, this is a perfect time to prepare all of orange chicken sauce ingredients. So everything will be ready to go when you will be making the sauce, cause it cooks quick.

    Now, heat enough olive oil to cover chicken in a wok or heavy bottom skillet over medium/high heat.

    How to Make Orange Chicken at home.

    Cooking in batches, carefully add chicken pieces, be careful not too over crowd, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until chicken is cooked thru, stirring few times.

    After, transfer chicken to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat until you cook all of the chicken.

    How to Make Orange Chicken at home.

    How to Make Orange Chicken Sauce:

    To make orange chicken sauce, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat.
     
    Next, add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger, saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
    How to Make Orange Sauce
    Then add ½ cup of orange juice, ½ cup of sugar and ½ cup brown sugar, stir. After pour in ½ cup of white distilled vinegar & 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, stir.
    How to Make Orange Chicken Sauce
    Using a small mixing bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons of cold water with 4 tablespoons of cornstarch. Pour this mixture into the skillet & stir.
    How to Make Chicken Sauce

    Cook orange chicken sauce until it thickens about 3-5 minutes, stirring continuously.

    How to Make Orange Chicken
    Add fried chicken into the skillet and mix with sauce.

    Garnish with black pepper or sesame seeds. Serve with Golden Rice and Roasted Broccoli. Enjoy!

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    📖 Recipe

    Best Orange Chicken Recipe (Panda Express Copycat)

    Best Orange Chicken Recipe (Panda Express Copycat)

    Love Keil
    Best Orange Chicken Recipe (Panda Express Copycat) - incredibly tasty orange chicken inspired by Panda Express.  It is crowd's favorite orange chicken recipe. 
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Main Coarse, Main Dish
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 599 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Orange Chicken Ingredients For Batter

    • 2 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless cut into bite size pieces
    • 1 ½ cup flour
    • 1 cup cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon white pepper
    • 1 egg
    • 1 ½ cup water
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for frying

    Orange Chicken Sauce

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons garlic finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • ½ cup orange juice freshly squeezed or store bought
    • ½ cup white distilled vinegar
    • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 4 tablespoons water cold
    • 4 tablespoons cornstarch

    Instructions
     

    • In a mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cup of flour, 1 cup of cornstarch, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of white pepper. Mix well.
    • Next add 1 egg, 1 ½ cup of water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Whisk until everything is combined. Add & mix 2 lb of chicken thigh pieces and let sit for 15 minutes.
    • While chicken is resting, this is a perfect time to prepare all of orange chicken sauce ingredients. So everything will be ready to go when you will be making the sauce, cause it cooks quick.
    • Now, heat enough olive oil to cover chicken in a wok or heavy bottom skillet over medium/high heat. Cooking in batches, carefully add chicken pieces, be careful not too over crowd, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until chicken is cooked thru, stirring few times.
    • After, transfer chicken to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat until you cook all of the chicken.

    How to Make Orange Chicken Sauce

    • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Next, add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger, saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
    • Then add ½ cup of orange juice, ½ cup of sugar and ½ cup brown sugar, stir. After pour in ½ cup of white distilled vinegar & 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, stir.
    • Using a small mixing bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons of cold water with 4 tablespoons of cornstarch. Pour this mixture into the skillet & stir, stirring continuously.
    • Cook orange chicken sauce until it thickens about 3-5 minutes. Add fried chicken into the skillet and mix with sauce.
    • Garnish with black pepper or sesame seeds. Serve with Golden Rice and Roasted Broccoli.

    Notes

    • Chicken thighs taste best in this orange chicken recipe, but feel free to use chicken breast instead if you like cooking with chicken breast more.
    • Use store bought or freshly squeezed orange juice.
    • Store orange chicken in airtight container inside the fridge for 1-2 days.
     
    When YOU make this Panda Express Orange Chicken Recipe, take a picture & DM me your Food Creation on Instagram @MunchkinTimeBlog & I will feature it here under this recipe!
    Hi! All content & images are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 599kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 23gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 608mgPotassium: 342mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 149IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Q. Do YOU like this Best Orange Chicken Recipe?

    Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!

    Best Orange Chicken Recipe (Panda Express Copycat)

    Thank YOU for YOUR Comment, Share & Recipe Review!

    Quote of the Day

    The secret of getting ahead is getting started. Mark Twain

    Happy Cooking!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 1 vote

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Braeleigh

      September 21, 2022 at 12:29 pm

      5 stars
      Turned out great. The breading is like fried chicken. The sauce was a little thick but still scrumptious.

      Reply
      • Munchkin Time

        September 22, 2022 at 10:16 am

        Thank you Braeleigh!

        Reply

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    Love Keil from munchkintime.com

    Love Keil is a food photographer, blogger and a recipe developer. She is passionate about creating delicious homemade meals for her family.

    More about me →

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