Orange Chicken from Panda Express (CopyCat Recipe)

by Doug Hartill | Dec 14, 2020 | Main Courses, Recipes, Sauces

Orange Chicken and Panda Express go together like the Big Mac and McDonald’s and the Whopper and Burger King. When you pick up your Combo Plate, you always have to fill one of your entrees with the delicious sweet and tangy, Orange Chicken.

Panda Express seems to be a staple in most strip malls or shopping centers. Currently as of the writing of this post, they are only in 45 states with the only holdouts in the North East of the US. (Sorry Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.)

Finding this recipe was a difficult task and took a while to perfect, but this is my best guess and I think it comes pretty dang close.

Print Recipe

Orange Chicken from Panda Express

The timeless classic that is Orange Chicken from Panda Express. It is quick and easy to make and sure to please everyone.

Course

Appetizer, Main Dish, Sauce

Cuisine

Chinese

Prep Time

45 Min

Cook Time

25 Min

Passive Time

1 Hour

Servings

servings

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 lb Chicken Breasts
• 2 egg
• as needed salt
• 1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 tsp Soy Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Corn Starch
• 1 Cup AP Flour
• as needed Water to make sure the batter is correct

Orange Chicken Sauce

• 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup White Distilled Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 tsp Ginger
• 2 tbsp Orange Zest
• 1 tbsp Corn Starch
• 2 tbsp Water

Course Appetizer, Main Dish, Sauce Cuisine Chinese Prep Time 45 Min Cook Time 25 Min Passive Time 1 Hour Servings servings Ingredients Chicken 1 lb Chicken Breasts 2 egg as needed salt 1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper 2 tsp Soy Sauce 1/2 Cup Corn Starch 1 Cup AP Flour as needed Water to make sure the batter is correct Orange Chicken Sauce 1/4 Cup Orange Juice 1 Cup Brown Sugar 1/4 Cup White Distilled Vinegar 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce 1 tsp Paprika 1 tsp garlic 1 tsp Ginger 2 tbsp Orange Zest 1 tbsp Corn Starch 2 tbsp Water

Instructions

Cooking and Serving

1. Trim the Chicken into bite sized chunks. Throw the chicken bites into a couple ziplock bags and add the egg, salt, pepper, flour, corn starch, and soy sauce. Slowly add water to make this an even coated batter. Let this sit in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. Heat up some oil for frying (enough to cover the chicken). Fry the chicken until golden brown. Drain the chicken and wait 3 minutes before adding them into the sauce.

Sauce Prep

1. Add all sauce ingredients into a pot and heat until a slow simmer, constantly stirring. Cook until a dark golden brown.

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