Orange Chicken Panda Express Style
Bring the bold, tangy, and crave-worthy flavors of your favorite takeout to your kitchen with this Orange Chicken Panda Express Style recipe. Tender, bite-sized chicken thighs are perfectly seasoned, battered for that signature crispy coating, and fried to golden perfection. The star of the dish is the irresistible orange sauce made with fresh orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and a hint of red chili flakes for just the right amount of heat. The sauce is thickened to a glossy glaze that clings to every crispy piece of chicken, while a sprinkle of green onions and sesame seeds provides the perfect finishing touch. In just 45 minutes, you can whip up this crowd-pleasing dish that pairs beautifully with steamed rice or noodles for a restaurant-quality meal at home.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 0.5 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 large Eggs
- 0.75 cup Cornstarch
- 0.5 cup All-purpose flour
- 3 cups Vegetable oil
- 0.5 cup Orange juice (fresh or store-bought)
- 3 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons White vinegar
- 0.33 cup Sugar
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Ginger
- 2 teaspoons Orange zest
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch (for sauce)
- 2 tablespoons Water
- 0.5 teaspoon Red chili flakes
- 2 stalks Green onions
- 1 teaspoon Sesame seeds
Instructions
Dice the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces and season with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
In a bowl, beat the eggs. In another bowl, combine 0.75 cups cornstarch and 0.5 cups all-purpose flour.
Coat each chicken piece in the beaten egg, then dredge in the cornstarch-flour mixture. Set aside on a plate.
Heat 3 cups of vegetable oil in a deep skillet or wok to 350°F (175°C). Fry the coated chicken in batches until golden brown and crispy. This should take about 4-5 minutes per batch. Drain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate.
To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together 0.5 cups orange juice, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, and 0.33 cups sugar. Set aside.
Mince the garlic and grate the ginger. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water to form a slurry. Set this aside as well.
In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the frying oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, grated ginger, and red chili flakes. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour the prepared orange juice mixture into the skillet. Add the orange zest and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to the simmering sauce, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. This should take about 2 minutes.
Add the fried chicken to the skillet and toss to coat evenly in the sauce.
Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
1996 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 178.9 g | 229% | |
| Saturated Fat | 28.6 g | 143% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 101.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 271 mg | 90% | |
| Sodium | 1075 mg | 47% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 59.1 g | 21% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.0 g | 4% | |
| Total Sugars | 19.7 g | ||
| Protein | 50.7 g | 101% | |
| Vitamin D | 1.1 mcg | 5% | |
| Calcium | 54 mg | 4% | |
| Iron | 3.0 mg | 16% | |
| Potassium | 593 mg | 13% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
