Yield: 8 servings
Orange Chicken
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes
Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken Recipe. Crispy chicken in a sweet and tangy glaze, perfect for weeknight dinners!
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut bite size
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
For the Glaze:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup cold water
Instructions
- Mix egg, salt, white pepper and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a bowl. In another bowl mix cornstarch and flour. Coat bite size pieces of chicken first in egg mixture then in flour mixture.
- Heat 2 cups of vegetable oil in stainless skillet (you will need enough to fill skillet about ½ inch deep-or use a fry daddy). Fry chicken in oil until completely cooked, several minutes each side. Remove chicken into serving bowl. Drain all but 2 Tbsp oil.
- To remaining 2 Tbsp vegetable fryer oil, heat ginger, garlic, red pepper, green onion, sesame oil and 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Heat for 2-3 minutes, until onions soften.
- In small bowl, mix ¼ cup soy, ¼ cup water, sugars, orange juice and vinegar. Add to onion mixture in skillet. Bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch and cold water in small bowl. Add to boiling mixture and return to boil until thickened.
- Pour hot glaze over chicken, mix and serve with white rice! Garnish with green onions slices if desired. ENJOY.
Notes
- The best type of oil to use for orange chicken is vegetable oil. I use vegetable oil in my egg mixture and for frying the chicken.
- You can use a skillet or saucepan to fry the chicken. You don’t need a deep fryer for this step.
- You can use boneless chicken thighs or boneless chicken breasts for this orange chicken recipe. I prefer thighs because they tend to be a little juicer, but breasts would work too.
- You can make this dish without stir frying it in a skillet by using your air fryer. To do this, dredge your chicken in the egg and flour mixture, and put it in the bottom of your air fryer. Cook for 25 minutes or until the chicken reaches 180 degrees. Make your glaze and pour it over your chicken once it’s done cooking.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 433Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 1206mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 36g
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.