I’m going to preface this recipe with a public service announcement. If you live next to Trader Joe’s, pick up their bag of Mandarin Orange Chicken in the freezer aisle. This isn’t a sponsored post. It’s just really, really tasty for the convenience. It tastes exactly like Panda Express orange chicken but without the take-out price and you can feed the whole family in a jiffy.
But if you don’t have Trader Joe’s nearby or are too homeless-looking to leave the house like me, then you’re in luck. Orange chicken is surprisingly easy to make at home.
What is Orange Chicken?
Orange chicken is a Chinese-American takeout dish made popular by the popular strip mall restaurant, Panda Express. It’s deep-fried pieces of chicken, tossed in a sweet and tangy orange citrus sauce.
How to Make Orange Chicken?
To make orange chicken, cut up chicken into bite-size pieces and marinate with a few pantry ingredients. Dredge the marinated chicken pieces in a seasoned flour mixture then deep-fried until golden brown. The crispy chicken is then coated in a flavorful sweet, and tangy orange citrus sauce.
Cut up chicken thighs into 1-inch chunks
Marinate chicken with bouillon powder, salt, ground ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, ground white pepper, Shaoxing cooking wine and soy sauce
Dredge chicken pieces in a seasoned flour mixture
Deep fry chicken in oil until golden brown
What’s in the Orange Chicken Sauce?
The orange citrus sauce is a mixture of orange juice, rice vinegar, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, and ginger. A bit of corn starch is used as a thickening agent so that sauce can cling onto the chicken pieces.
The Best Chicken to Use for Orange Chicken
I like boneless skinless chicken thighs because they have a bit of fat on them, making the chicken juicy and tender. You can use chicken breast for a less fatty version. You can also use whole chicken wings if you like a bone-in version.
Deep-fried chicken pieces ready for the orange sauce
Toss fried chicken pieces into the sauce to coat
How to Store and Freeze Orange Chicken
This orange chicken recipe is quite tasty so I would recommend doubling or tripling the recipe for leftovers.
When storing leftovers, keep the chicken and sauce separate. That way you can reheat the chicken to get that crispy crust back. You can reheat the chicken by popping them into the oven or air fryer, or refrying them quickly in oil. Reheat the sauce in a saucepan or microwave, then toss the chicken and sauce together until evenly coated.
If you have chicken already mixed with the sauce, no worries. It won’t be as crispy as if you had kept it separate but it will be equally delicious.
Whether or not you keep the chicken and sauce separate, this orange chicken stores great in the fridge for up to five days or keep in the freezer for up to three months. I simply use freezer Ziploc bags, making sure to squeeze out all the air to prevent freezer burns.
Got some extra sauce? Try a vegetarian dish and toss the orange sauce with fried or baked tofu. It’s super delicious too!
Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
Description
Bite-size pieces of crispy fried chicken covered in a sweet and tangy orange sauce. The ultimate Chinese orange recipe that is way better than take-out.
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Flour Mixture
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Orange Sauce
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Garnishes (Optional)
- Sliced green Onions
- Roasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare chicken: Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. In a medium-size mixing bowl, marinate chicken with bouillon powder, salt, ground ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, ground white pepper, Shaoxing cooking wine, and soy sauce for at least 15 minutes.
- Prepare flour mixture: In another medium bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt, and ground white pepper until combined. Drop a handful of chicken pieces into the flour mixture until each piece is evenly coated. Tap off excess flour and transfer to a plate.
- Deep fry: Heat 3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F degrees or until a piece of flour mixture starts to sizzle but not immediately burn. If the latter, your oil is too hot so turn down the heat. Working in batches, cook chicken pieces at a time and make sure they don’t stick together by tossing them around. Cook for 5 minutes until golden brown. Place chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate or a wire rack to drain off excess oil.
- Make the orange sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and corn starch until corn starch is fully dissolved. Add mixture to a large pan, cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Toss in fried chicken until all pieces are evenly coated.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of roasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately for best results. If you are planning to have leftovers, keep fried chicken and sauce separate.
- Prep Time: 17 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: side dish, appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, chinese, american, fusion
