Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken Recipe

Panda Express Copycat Orange Chicken on a white plate with rice and broccoli

Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken is crispy chicken tossed in a sweet sauce made of garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and orange juice. With basic ingredients, anyone can recreate this fast-food favorite right at home!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Chicken Dinner, dinner, lunch, Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken

Servings: servings

Calories: 422kcal

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

Light oil for frying
2 lbs. chicken tenderloins cut into bite size pieces
½ cup cornstarch
1 ½ cup flour
1 egg
¾ cup water
2 TBSP oil

Orange Sauce

¼ tsp red pepper flakes
2 TBSP garlic minced
½ tsp ground ginger
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup orange juice
½ cup white distilled vinegar
4 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
3 TBSP cold water
3 TBSP cornstarch

Instructions

Cut the chicken into small bite sized pieces and heat the oil in large skillet, over medium high heat. The amount of oil is determined by the size of your skillet.
In a large mixing bowl, combine and whisk the cornstarch, flour, egg, ¾ cup water, and 2 TBSP of oil. Add the chicken to the batter and stir well to coat.
Place the batter coated chicken in the frying pan, in batches, and fry for 5-6 minutes until the pieces are golden brown. Remove the chicken and place on a paper towel lined plate, repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
In a separate medium sized skillet add the red pepper flakes, minced garlic, ginger, sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Whisk the mixture over medium-high heat until it comes to a gentle boil, continue to cook and whisk for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl combine the 3 TBSP of cornstarch and 3 TBSP of cold water, then whisk the mixture into the bubbling sauce. Continue to cook until the sauce has thickened, then remove from the heat.
Toss the fried chicken pieces with the sauce to coat well. Serve over rice with a side of steamed broccoli, garnish with scallions or sesame seeds if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Nutrition