Description
This homemade Panda Express Orange Chicken recipe features crispy fried chicken bites coated in a tangy, sweet, and savory orange sauce. Perfect for a quick and delicious dinner, this recipe captures the iconic flavors of the popular restaurant dish with simple ingredients and accessible cooking methods.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 3–4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- Vegetable oil (for frying, about 2 cups)
Orange Sauce
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Cut the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, ensuring they are uniform in size for even cooking.
- Set up breading station: Place the all-purpose flour in one shallow bowl and beat the eggs in another. This will allow you to easily coat the chicken pieces.
- Bread the chicken: Dip each chicken piece first into the beaten eggs, allowing excess to drip off, then coat thoroughly in the flour. Set aside on a plate.
- Heat the oil: Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet to about 1/2 inch depth and heat it over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, ideal for frying.
- Fry the chicken: Fry the breaded chicken pieces in batches to avoid overcrowding, cooking each piece for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Make the orange sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine fresh orange juice, orange zest, low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and minced fresh ginger. Stir and heat until the mixture comes to a gentle boil and sugar is dissolved.
- Toss the chicken: Add the fried chicken pieces to the saucepan and toss well to coat each piece evenly with the orange sauce. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, double dip the chicken by repeating the egg and flour coating step before frying.
- Use fresh orange juice and zest for the most vibrant orange flavor.
- Adjust sugar to balance sweetness if preferred.
- Serve immediately with steamed rice and steamed vegetables for a complete meal.
- Low-sodium soy sauce keeps the dish from becoming overly salty.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
