Panda Express Orange Chicken · Copycat Recipe
If you want to learn how to make Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken then look no further! This Orange Chicken recipe is the best with a tangy Orange Chicken Sauce and crispy chicken!
Servings 4
Calories 377kcal
Ingredients
Ingredients for the chicken:
- 1 pound chicken breasts or thighs (really tasty) cut into irregular 1 inch cubes
- 1-2 cups self- rising flour or cornstarch if making gluten free
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups Oil for deep frying or as many cups as you need for your fryer
Ingredients for orange chicken glaze/sauce:
- 1 large orange juiced 1 large orange is around 3/4 cups
- 1/4 tsp. orange zest
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp. Sugar
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar found near the soy sauce in most grocery stores- use a brand like Nakano
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes or 1/2 tsp. Sriracha sauce Use to taste. Add more if you like it spicy
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 2 tsp. corn starch
- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying vessel or fryer to 375 degrees. This temperature is optimal for a deep fry. Make sure there is enough oil to cover the chicken.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until they are mixed thoroughly. In another medium sized bowl put 1 cup of the flour or cornstarch (you can add more later if you need it). Dip the chicken first in the eggs then coat the pieces with the flour. Repeat this step until you have the desired amount to fry.
- Next, take around 1/4 of the coated chicken and add the chicken to the hot oil in the fryer or frying pan. Depending on your frying vessel the chicken will need to be fried in batches. The chicken pieces should not be touching in the fryer. You will know they are ready to take out when the coating is medium brown and the inside of the chicken reaches at least 165 degrees. Around 3 to 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile make the sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small pot (making sure that the cornstarch is dissolved before cooking. Heat on medium heat until the sauce thickens. This will take around 7 minutes.
- Last step: Place fried chicken in a large sized bowl and pour the sauce on top. Toss lightly until all chicken is coated. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
You can also make this recipe without frying the chicken:
Optional Method 1. Stir fry the chicken in a small amount of oil until the outside of the chicken is golden brown and insides are cooked through.
Optional Method 2. In a pinch you can use store bought chicken nuggets if you don't want to fry. These will need to be baked so keep that in mind time wise.
Optional Method 3. Use grilled nuggets or grilled chicken for a non-fried Orange Chicken version. It's really good this way too!
