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A portion of Orange Chicken (Panda Express Style) with a glossy sauce and garnished with green onions

Quick way to grow Orange Chicken (Panda Express Style) skills

Enjoy a quick and delicious homemade orange chicken that rivals your favorite takeout! This recipe guides you through creating crispy chicken pieces coated in a sweet and tangy orange sauce, perfect for a satisfying meal any day of the week.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 0.5 cup cornstarch
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 0.25 cup water
  • cups vegetable oil for frying
Orange Sauce
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 0.25 cup rice vinegar
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp ginger grated
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Large pot or Dutch oven
  • Whisk
  • Wire rack
  • Medium saucepan

Method
 

Prepare Chicken
  1. Whisk together cornstarch, flour, egg, and 1/4 cup water in a bowl to create a batter. Add the chicken pieces to the batter, ensuring each piece is fully coated.
  2. Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 350°F (175°C). Carefully add the battered chicken in batches, frying for 3-4 minutes per batch until golden brown and crispy, then transfer to a wire rack to drain.
Make Orange Sauce
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Gradually whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce, stirring until it thickens to your desired consistency, about 1-2 minutes.
Combine and Serve
  1. Add the crispy fried chicken to the thickened orange sauce, tossing gently to coat all the pieces evenly. Serve the orange chicken immediately over steamed rice, garnished with sesame seeds and chopped green onions if desired.

Notes

For extra crispiness, you can double-fry the chicken. Fry the chicken once, remove from oil, then increase oil temperature slightly and fry again for 1-2 minutes until extra crispy. Adjust red pepper flakes to your preferred spice level. Serve with steamed rice and blanched broccoli for a complete meal.