Inspired by Panda Express's Orange ChickenMarquee pick

Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken Recipe

Name: Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces; 0.5 cup Cornstarch; 0.25 cup All-purpose flour; 2 eggs Eggs, beaten; 1 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp White pepper; 4 cups Vegetable oil for frying; 0.5 cup Orange juice; 0.25 cup Soy sauce; 3 tbsp Rice vinegar; 0.5 cup Sugar; 3 cloves Garlic, minced; 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, grated; 0.5 tsp Red pepper flakes; 1 tbsp Cornstarch for the sauce; 2 tbsp Water for the slurry; 1 tsp Orange zest

From the kitchen of Carly

Inspired by Panda Express's Orange Chicken, the home fry-and-glaze that lands the crispy bite and the bright citrus sauce. Worth the oil.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

1.5 lbsBoneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
0.5 cupCornstarch
0.25 cupAll-purpose flour
2 eggsEggs, beaten
1 tspSalt
0.5 tspWhite pepper
4 cupsVegetable oil for frying
0.5 cupOrange juice
0.25 cupSoy sauce
3 tbspRice vinegar
0.5 cupSugar
3 clovesGarlic, minced
1 tbspFresh ginger, grated
0.5 tspRed pepper flakes
1 tbspCornstarch for the sauce
2 tbspWater for the slurry
1 tspOrange zest

Instructions

Toss chicken with salt and white pepper. Whisk eggs in one bowl; combine cornstarch and flour in another.
Dip chicken in egg, then dredge in the cornstarch-flour mix. Shake off excess.
Heat oil to 350F in a deep pot. Fry the chicken in batches for 4 to 5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Drain on a rack.
Whisk orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
Whisk cornstarch and water into a slurry. Stream into the simmering sauce while whisking. Cook 1 minute until glossy.
Toss the fried chicken in the sauce. Add orange zest. Serve immediately over rice.

Substitutions

Chicken thighs to Cauliflower florets. Vegetarian version; reduce fry time to 2 minutes.
Orange juice to Tangerine juice. Slightly sweeter; works well.
Sugar to Honey. Use 1/3 cup; sauce browns faster.

Pairs well with: White rice, Steamed broccoli, Crispy chow mein, Cucumber salad

Pro tips

Fry in batches. Crowding the oil drops the temperature and steams the crust.
Toss the chicken in sauce right before serving. The crust gets soggy in five minutes.
The slurry goes in slow. Dumping all of it in at once gives you a gummy clump.

Try the original

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Adapted from HangryHQ.

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