Best Orange Chicken Recipe (Panda Express Copycat) - incredibly tasty orange chicken inspired by Panda Express. It is crowd's favorite orange chicken recipe.
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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.
How to Make Orange Chicken at Home:
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:
Cook orange chicken sauce until it thickens about 3-5 minutes, stirring continuously.
Garnish with black pepper or sesame seeds. Serve with Golden Rice and Roasted Broccoli. Enjoy!
More Easy Chicken Recipes:
- Chicken Wings Recipe
- Juicy Chicken Thighs Spanish Rice Recipe
- 30-minute Bang Bang Chicken Recipe in Air Fryer
- Easy Fried Rice Recipe with Eggs and Green Onion
- Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple and Peppers
- Super Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Wings
- Oven Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Best Orange Chicken Recipe (Panda Express Copycat)
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.
Nutrition
Q. Do YOU like this Best Orange Chicken Recipe?
Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!
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Quote of the Day
Happy Cooking!
Turned out great. The breading is like fried chicken. The sauce was a little thick but still scrumptious.
Thank you Braeleigh!