The orange chicken from Panda Express is what all orange chicken should aspire to be. It’s tender, crispy, tangy, salty, and all around perfect on a bowl of rice. If you spent a lot of time at malls as a teen, you might recall being offered samples of orange chicken on toothpicks in the Mall food court. That was excellent marketing, because one taste always made you want more! Orange chicken is Panda’s signature dish, and everyone loves it. This copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken is just like what you get from the genius fast food chain, but it’s better because you’re making it at home, from scratch, and with simple ingredients. Make it a whole Panda Chef experience and have orange chicken with some General Tso’s Chicken, Kung Pao Shrimp, and a batch of Cream Cheese Rangoons too! See all of my restaurant copycat recipes and learn to make more of your favorites!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Key Ingredients:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Chicken Breasts: Panda Express and many Chinese takeout recipes use dark meat chicken to make this dish, but I like using chicken breasts. They are easier to cut into pieces without needing to trim much, and they’re generally healthier. You can use boneless, skinless thighs if you prefer.Cornstarch and Flour: The crispy breading for our chicken is a combination of these. PS. Cornstarch is called cornflour in the UK and Australia.Egg: Egg helps the flour and cornstarch stick to the meat and create a nice crust when frying.Vegetable Oil: You’ll need oil for frying, as well as a bit to include in the chicken breading.
For the sauce:
Orange Juice and Zest: The orange zest is optional, but it really gives an extra bit of orange flavor that I like. Orange juice from a carton will give great flavor, it doesn’t need to be freshly squeezed. Vinegar: Both distilled white vinegar and rice wine vinegar are added to the sauce to give it the perfect tangy flavor.Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Granulated Sugar: These three are the big flavors in the sauce. Soy adds salt and umami flavors, while sesame oil is warm and nutty. The sugar balances the vinegar perfectly.Red Pepper Flakes, Ginger, Garlic: the final flavor layers come from these seasonings. Use fresh ginger and garlic for best results. Red pepper flakes can be left out to reduce the spice level of the dish if you like.Cornstarch and Water: The thicken the sweet and tangy orange chicken sauce, this combo works magic.
How to Make Orange Chicken
Top Tips
Cut Uniform Pieces. Try to cut the chicken into bite sized pieces that are all the same size. This way they will cook at the same time. Use Thighs if you like. Use chicken thighs if you want to make this recipe a real copycat, because that’s what Panda Express uses. Shallow Fry, or Deep Fry. You can fry the chicken using a deep fryer if you have one, or use a dutch oven like I’m using here to keep things a bit less messy. You can also shallow fry the chicken, using a smaller amount of oil. Be sure to rotate the chicken pieces to brown each side.Don’t Overcook. Keeping the chicken crispy and tender and juicy in the middle means that you need to cook it all the way, but not too much. Switch the Sauce. The sauce from my General Tso’s chicken can be used to make this crispy chicken a little bit different.
What to Serve with Orange Chicken
Your copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken will go beautifully with your favorite Asian style sides! Go Basic: Serve with Jasmine or Basmati rice and steamed vegetables like green beans or broccoli. Try easy homemade Egg Drop Soup as an appetizer. Go Nuts: Create a takeout-style feast! Make Instant Pot Fried Rice, Instant Pot Shrimp and Broccoli, and Honey Garlic Salmon, and let everyone build their own plate. Asian Chicken Salad or Daikon Radish Slaw will add a healthy element to the mix. You are going to flip when you taste this Orange Chicken recipe! It’s better than Panda Express and so simple to make from scratch. Don’t forget to pin this recipe! © Little Sunny Kitchen
