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+ servings
Close up picture of orange chicken with a slice of orange.
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4.96 from 24 votes

Panda Express Orange Chicken Sauce

This Copycat Orange Chicken recipe is crispy, flavorful, and a little bit tangy. It tastes just like the Panda Express dish. This recipe serves 6 and costs $9.10 to make. That’s just $1.52 per serving!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Keyword: chicken, copycat recipe
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 576kcal
Cost: $9.10

Equipment

  • slotted spoon
  • wok
  • measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • medium mixing bowls
  • large bowl
  • instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

FOR ORANGE SAUCE:

  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons ginger root peeled and minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • cup orange juice
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup water
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil

FOR CHICKEN:

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1inch pieces
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

MAKE SAUCE:

  • Preheat 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil in a large saucepan or medium pot over medium-high heat.
  • Once the oil is simmering, add garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Cook while stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
    Add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the hot oil and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Whisk in brown sugar, granulated sugar, and orange juice. Cook while stirring often until the sugars are almost all dissolved, about 2-4 minutes.
  • Whisk in vinegar and soy sauce.
  • In a small bowl whisk together water and cornstarch until it makes a paste. Then, whisk the paste into the sauce.
  • Cook and stir the sauce until it thickens to the consistency of syrup (it will thicken more as it cools).
  • Whisk in the sesame oil.
    Cook the sauce until thickened to the consistency of syrup.

PREP FOR FRYING:

  • In a shallow bowl or pie plate whisk together egg, salt, pepper, and 1 Tablespoon of oil.
  • In a second shallow bowl or pie plate whisk together cornstarch and flour.
  • Pour the oil into a large pan or wok. Heat the oil over high heat until it registers 375 degrees with an instant-read thermometer.
  • Line a baking sheet with 3-4 layers of paper towels.

FRY CHICKEN:

  • Place a ⅓ of the chicken pieces into the egg mixture, and then dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.
  • Add the chicken to the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Move chicken to paper towel-line baking sheet to drain.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining chicken, frying in 2 more batches.

FINISH THE ORANGE CHICKEN:

  • Transfer the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat.
    Add the chicken to the sauce and stir until combined.
  • Serve with chow mein or white rice.
    Serve the orange chicken over a bed of white rice or with chow mein.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 1277mg | Potassium: 482mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 161IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg