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This Orange Chicken recipe tastes just like the popular Panda Express dish, made easily at home with simple ingredients. With tender, crispy chicken coated in an orange tangy sauce, this is even better than takeout.
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This Orange Chicken recipe takes center stage when we have a Chinese food night. This may not be the exact Panda Express Orange Chicken recipe, but our version of this recipe comes pretty close. I rarely get Chinese takeout anymore because it’s so much cheaper to make it at home, and homemade Chinese food tastes so fresh.
In my opinion, the best part of this orange chicken is the homemade tangy orange sauce. The vibrant orange flavor complements the tender chicken chunks perfectly.
Ingredients for Orange Chicken
This is an easy orange chicken recipe. Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. Most are pantry staples and each adds unique flavor to the dish.
For the Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs. White meat from boneless chicken breasts can also be used.
- Eggs. This binds the coating to the chicken for crispy chicken pieces.
- Cornstarch, salt, pepper. The coating for the chicken added before frying.
- Oil for frying. Use an oil with a high smoke point and neutral flavor. I recommend vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, or sunflower oil.
Sauce Ingredients
- Liquid Ingredients: Fresh orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce.
- Seasonings: Brown sugar, fresh orange zest, fresh ginger, garlic, green onions.
- To Thicken: Cornstarch and water.
How to Cook Orange Chicken
1. Prepare the Chicken:
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, trimming any excess fat.
- Whisk eggs in a small bowl. Mix cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a resealable bag.
- Dip chicken pieces in the egg mixture, then add chicken to the cornstarch mixture. Shake the bag until each piece is coated.
2. Cook the Chicken:
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer or wok to 375°F.
- Fry the chicken in batches until golden brown and fully cooked (internal temperature of 165°F according to the USDA recommendations). Remove the chicken and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
3. Make the Orange Sauce:
- Whisk water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, garlic and green onions. Bring to a boil while continuing to stir.
- Slowly stir in cornstarch slurry (cornstarch + water) to thicken.
4. Combine:
- Gently stir the sauce into the chicken until the chicken is fully coated. Serve hot!
Alternate Cooking Methods
- Pan Frying: Heat a little oil in a large skillet and cook chicken on each side for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Toss with sauce.
- Baking: Bake coated chicken at 375°F for 8-10 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. The chicken won’t be as crispy, but will still have all the flavor.
- Air Frying: Spray coated chicken with cooking spray when adding it to the air fryer. Cook at 350°F for 10-12 minutes on each side. All air fryers are different so check the correct temperatures and times for chicken pieces. When turning, spray any dry flour on the chicken with cooking spray.
Make it Gluten-Free
Because we use a cornstarch coating on the chicken instead of flour, the chicken is already gluten-free. To make a gluten-free orange sauce, simply use gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce in the orange sauce. As always, check labels to make sure you’re working with gluten free ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Orange Chicken is sweeter, with a citrusy sauce, while General Tso’s is spicier with a more savory glaze. However, Orange Chicken is a variation of General Tso’s Chicken, which is an authentic Chinese dish.
Traditionally, orange chicken is made with dark meat from chicken thighs, which is juicier and more flavorful than white meat. White meat can also be used, if preferred.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Please do not reheat in the microwave! The chicken will no longer be crisp. Stir-fry leftovers in a wok or skillet with a little bit of canola oil or sesame oil over medium-high heat. You can also reheat orange chicken in an air fryer for great results!
What to Serve with Orange Chicken
Pair this dish with steamed vegetables, white rice, lo mein noodles, egg rolls, or potstickers for a full Chinese-inspired meal. Check out more of our Asian-inspired recipes:
Orange Chicken Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg
- vegetable oil, for frying
Orange Sauce
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ¼ cup water, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion, plus more for garnish
- red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
Chicken
- Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Combine cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, use a fork to beat the egg until the yolk and egg white are blended.
- Dip chicken pieces into beaten egg. Shake in cornstarch mixture to coat.
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or wok to 375 degrees F. Deep-fry chicken in batches until completely cooked. Remove it to drain on paper towels.
Orange Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with ¼ cup water and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan combine the remaining 1 cup water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Whisk ingredients together over medium heat for a few minutes.
- Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, garlic, and green onion. Bring to a boil Slowly stir the cornstarch mixture into the sauce until it thickens.
- Place fried chicken in a large bowl and pour sauce over the top.
- Fold the sauce into the chicken or toss gently to coat. If desired, add red pepper flakes and garnish with green onions.
This is so good, I had a hard time not eating it all before serving it to my husband. So much better than take away.
This tasted just like Panda Express! My family thought I got take out haha. Thanks for a great dub for the real thing.
Glad I can make this delicious orange chicken at home and no need for me to rush to the mall to get my Asian food fix! YUM!
This is so good! Better than takeout!
This is exactly what we were looking for! It’s so tasty and taste better than take out!
My family loves Chinese food and all things chicken! This copycat orange chicken recipe is a real winner!
Can you make the sauce and refrigerate for several days before using?
I don’t see why not!
How do you think this would be with half the sugar? We’ve cut out most sugar and wondering if 1/2 cup would still taste ok?
SHA-ZAAM, this is off the chart fantastic. We just finished having it for dinner. Thank you sooooo much!
Used an orange off my tree, didn’t have fresh ginger so used ground and didn’t have green onions so threw in some dehydrated. I fried the chicken in my big skillet all together, just kept turning until done, drained the oil and poured the sauce on and stirred. I don’t like it hot or spicey so didn’t add the pepper flakes. So yummy and better than Panda ???? Will make again!
Yum! That all sounds delicious. Fresh oranges from your own tree? Yes please! That sounds amazing!
I got everything to make this recipe but don’t have a deep fryer or wok. Suggestions?
A large skillet would work 🙂
I made this and I have to say I was VERY impressed. Never new I could make something like this in my own kitchen and it taste as if I ordered it in a 5* restaurant. Everyone thought I’d ordered out. Thank you. It will BE made often.
I am not sure how I happened to come upon this website/blog? But I am excited to try the orange chicken. I have looked at some of these question/answers and glad to see that you are a part of them. That is something I always hope to see! I will look at your whole blog tomorrow (when then the sun is new for me 🙂 ) and enjoy it all then, I am sure. Thank you very much! From an old lady and her husband. Linda B
Hi Linda, Thank you for visiting our site! We hope you enjoy it!