Hot Orange Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)
Craving a deliciously sweet and spicy dish? This Hot Orange Chicken (Panda Express Copycat) recipe is your answer! Featuring crispy chicken coated in a vibrant, tangy orange sauce, this dish combines the perfect balance of flavors and textures. With tender bites of chicken enveloped in a crunchy crust and drenched in a fiery sauce, it’s an irresistible meal ideal for weeknight dinners or entertaining guests. Quick to prepare and made with minimal ingredients, this easy recipe will impress everyone at your table.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves approximately 4 people 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp oil, for egg wash
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- Oil, for frying
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 orange, zest of
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp rice apple vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch, for sauce
- 1 tbsp green onions, sliced (plus more for garnish)
- 2 tbsp oil, for stir-frying
- ½ cup dried whole red chili peppers
- 6 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp sesame oil, for stir-frying
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken by whisking together cornstarch, flour, salt, and white pepper. Dip chicken pieces into egg wash and coat with the cornstarch mixture.
- Fry the coated chicken in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- In a saucepan, mix orange juice, zest, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch over medium heat until thickened.
- Stir-fry garlic and ginger in oil, add dried chili peppers before combining with fried chicken and orange sauce.
- Toss to coat evenly and serve garnished with green onions over rice or noodles.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (250g)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 130mg