Hot Orange Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)
Craving something spicy and sweet? This Hot Orange Chicken (Panda Express Copycat) delivers a deliciously fiery feast made easy! Featuring crispy chicken coated in a tangy orange sauce, this dish is perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner or an exciting gathering with friends. With minimal ingredients and straightforward steps, you can enjoy restaurant-quality orange chicken right at home. Customize the heat level to suit your taste and serve it over rice or noodles for a meal everyone will love.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Main
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup orange juice
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 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 frying)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated (optional)
- ½ cup dried whole red chili peppers
- 6 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 tbsp rice apple vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken Coating: In a bowl, mix cornstarch, flour, salt, and white pepper. In another bowl, whisk eggs with oil. Dip chicken pieces in egg wash, then coat in cornstarch mixture.
- Fry the Chicken: Heat oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Fry chicken pieces until golden brown and crispy for about 5–7 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
- Make the Orange Sauce: In a saucepan, combine orange juice, zest, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Stir until slightly thickened.
- Combine Chicken with Sauce: Sauté garlic and chili peppers in oil; add orange sauce and fried chicken pieces, tossing to coat.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle sliced green onions on top before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 6 oz (170g)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 760mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 33g
- Cholesterol: 120mg