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    Home » Asian foods » Chinese Orange Chicken

    Chinese Orange Chicken

    Published: Dec 5, 2020 Modified: Dec 10, 2022 by Tracy O.This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Popular American Chinese orange chicken like zucchini mushroom chicken, kung pao chicken, fried rice and chow mein are Panda Express’s signature dishes. It is very similar to sweet & sour pork. You will love this sweet and savory Chinese orange chicken recipe! This homemade orange chicken is better than takeout and great to go with hot & sour soup. Wanna know how to make tasty and crispy Chinese orange chicken for your meal? 

    Love Chinese food? Check out beef broccoli, mushroom chicken, beef chow fun, tomato egg, baby bok choy stir fry, eggplant & pork, mapo tofu, mango pomelo and black sesame soup recipes. 

    Panda Express Chinese orange chicken

    What is orange chicken? 

    Orange chicken is a popular American Chinese dish in North America. It’s Panda Express's, American Chinese fast food chain's signature dish. However, you can hardly find this Chinese orange chicken dish at local restaurants in China because this is an American style Chinese food. And, I didn’t even know about this dish until I lived in the USA.

    On the other hand, sweet and sour pork is a similar dish you can easily find in the southern part of China. And, the idea is very similar to orange chicken. Now, this Chinese Panda Express orange chicken is my family favorite dish and must order items if they go to Panda Express.

    What are the ingredients for orange chicken? 

    In this Chinese orange chicken recipe, it has 4 main ingredients: chicken thighs, seasonings, batter and the sauce. 

    orange chicken ingredients display

    Seasonings Ingredients:

    To marinate the chicken, I just use salt, garlic powder, white pepper and sesame oil. 

    4 simple marinate chicken ingredients

    Batter Ingredients:

    The batter I use is egg, rice flour, all purpose flour and water. I like to add some rice flour because it makes the deep fried chicken crunchy and crispy. 

    batter ingredients for orange chicken

    Orange Chicken Sauce: 

    For the sauce, I use vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, chili pepper flakes (crushed red pepper), brown sugar, white sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, orange juice, cornstarch and water.

    orange chicken sauce ingredients

    Cooking tips for how to make Chinese orange chicken:

    • Marinate chicken at least 15 minutes before cooking.
    • I personally prefer to use chicken thighs instead of breasts because it has a better texture.
    • Adding rice flour can make the deep fried chicken crispy and crunchy. 
    • Double deep fry. (First deep fry around 350 F until slightly golden, take out the chicken. Turn the fire to medium small temperature around 375 F and deep fry again until it’s golden brown.) 
    • Cook the sauce and add the deep fried chicken. Then, toss it and make sure the sauce mixes and covers the chicken. 

    FAQs: 

    Can I use chicken breast instead? 


    Yes, you can. But, the texture is not the same. It is best to use chicken thighs. 

    Is it ok to use only all purpose flour? 

    It is ok. However, adding rice flour to the batter makes the fried chicken crispy and crunchy. It tastes even better! 

    How to know if the oil is hot enough for deep fry?


    You can use a thermometer (~350 F). Or, use a wooden chopstick to dip into the oil when you see some bubbles around the chopstick. It is a sign to show the oil is hot enough for deep fry.

    What is double deep fry?


    Double deep fry means deep fry again. First deep fry around 350 F until it’s slightly golden. Take the chicken out, turn the fire medium small. The temperature is around 375 F, deep fry again and until it’s golden brown. 

    What kind of orange juice do you use?

    I used the store bought orange juice. You can use fresh squeezed orange juice if you like. 

    What does the orange chicken sauce taste like?


    It’s sweet, sour, savory and a little bit spicy. It tastes like Panda Express orange chicken or even better! 

    Can I not add chili peppers? 


    Yes, you don’t have to add chili peppers if you cannot handle spicy food. (The amount of chili pepper in the recipe is not too spicy. My kids can handle it too.) Or, you can adjust the amount of chili peppers to your spiciness.

    Instructions for how to make Chinese orange chicken: 

    chicken cut into chunks

    Chicken Preparation: 

    1. Wash 4 pieces of boneless chicken thighs. Then, trim the fat and cut the chicken thighs into chunks. 

    marinate chicken in a bowl

    2. Put the cut chicken thighs into a bowl. Add ⅛ teaspoon of salt, ⅛ teaspoon of white pepper, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil into the bowl. Mix it well and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes. 

    batter ingredients in the bowl

    Batter mixture: 

    3. After, put ½ cup of rice flour, ½ cup of all purpose flour, 1 egg and ¾ cup of water into a mixing bowl. 

    mix batter with a whisk in a bowl

    4. Use a whisk to mix the batter very well. 

    marinated chicken add into the batter

    5. Next, add the marinated chicken into the batter. 

    batter cover the chicken in the bowl

    6. Mix well and cover the marinated chicken with batter. 

    chopstick dip into oil in a wok

    Deep fry:

    7. Pour 4 cups of vegetable oil into the wok and turn the fire to small. Heat up the oil until it's hot enough. Also, you can use a thermometer, the temperature is around 350 F. Or, use a wooden chopstick to dip into the oil when you see some bubbles around the chopstick. It is a sign to show the oil is hot enough for deep fry. 

    deep fry chicken with batter in the wok

    8. Slowly add the chicken covered with batter into the oil.

    slightly golden deep fry chicken on a plate with paper towel

    9. Let it deep fry until it's slightly golden. Take out the chicken and turn the fire to medium small. 

    double deep fry the chicken in the wok with oil

    10. Double deep fry the chicken. The temperature of the oil is around 375F and put the fried chicken into the oil again. 

    golden brown double deep fried chicken on a plate with paper towel

    11. Until the chicken is golden brown. Drain the chicken and put them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. 

    grind ginger on a grinder

    Sauce: 

    12. Grate 2 slices of ginger. 

    garlic on a grinder

    13. After that, grate 2 cloves of garlic. 

    mixture of orange chicken sauce

    14. In a container, add ¼ cup of white sugar, ¼ cup of brown sugar, ¼ cup of orange juice, ¼ cup of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Mix the sauce very well. 

    stir fry grind ginger garlic and chili pepper flakes in a wok

    15. Next, pour 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil into the wok. Turn on the fire to medium small. Add the grated ginger and garlic. And, ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper (chili pepper flakes). Stir fry them a little bit. 

    orange chicken sauce in a wok

    16. The following, pour the sauce mixture from step 14. Stir them a little bit. 

    cornstarch mixture in the container

    17. Then, add 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water into a small container. Mix them well. 

    thicken orange chicken sauce in a wok

    18. Pour the cornstarch mixture from step 17 into the sauce. Keep stirring the sauce. 

    deep fried chicken and orange chicken sauce in a wok

    19. When the sauce thickens, add the deep fried chicken into the sauce. Toss it and make sure the chicken is covered with the sauce. 

    sliced orange on the chopping board

    20. Lastly, slice half of an orange and put them on the orange chicken as decoration. 

    Chinese orange chicken with orange slices top view

    Enjoy this delicious Panda Express Chinese takeout orange chicken recipe! Also, check out these char siu, sesame oil chicken rice, red Thai curry, pho noodle soup, Taiwanese beef noodle soup, siu mai dim sum and tonkatsu recipes. 

    You May Also Like These Recipes: 

    • CHICKEN CHOP WITH BLACK PEPPER SAUCE
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    • HOW TO BAKE A WHOLE CHICKEN

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    Chinese takeout orange chicken with orange slices

    Orange Chicken

    Popular American Chinese orange chicken like zucchini mushroom chicken, kung pao chicken are Panda Express’s signature dishes. You will love this sweet and savory Chinese orange chicken recipe! This is better than takeout. Wanna know how to make tasty Chinese orange chicken at home? 
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Asian, Chinese
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 365kcal
    Author: Tracy O.

    Video

    Ingredients

    • 4 pieces Chicken thighs (Boneless and skinless)
    • 1 Orange (Use half for decoration)

    Marinate Chicken:

    • ⅛ teaspoon Salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon White pepper
    • ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon Sesame oil

    Batter:

    • ½ cup Rice flour
    • ½ cup All purpose flour
    • 1 Egg
    • ¾ cup Water

    Sauce:

    • 1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
    • ¼ teaspoon Crushed red pepper (Chili pepper flakes)
    • 2 slices Ginger
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • ¼ cup White sugar
    • ¼ cup Brown sugar
    • ¼ cup Orange juice (I use store brand)
    • ¼ cup Vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons Soy sauce

    Thicken Sauce:

    • 1.5 tablespoons Cornstarch
    • 2 tablespoons Water

    Other:

    • 4 cups Vegetable oil (For deep fry the chicken)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Wash 4 pieces of boneless chicken thighs. Then, trim the fat and cut the chicken thighs into chunks. 
    • Put the cut chicken thighs into a bowl. Add ⅛ teaspoon of salt, ⅛ teaspoon of white pepper, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil into the bowl. Mix it well and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
    • After, put ½ cup of rice flour, ½ cup of all purpose flour, 1 egg and ¾ cup of water into a mixing bowl. 
    • Use a whisk to mix the batter very well. 
    • Next, add the marinated chicken into the batter. 
    • Mix well and cover the marinated chicken with batter. 
    • Pour 4 cups of vegetable oil into the wok and turn the fire to small. Heat up the oil until it's hot enough. Also, you can use a thermometer, the temperature is around 350 F. Or, use a wooden chopstick to dip into the oil when you see some bubbles around the chopstick. It is a sign to show the oil is hot enough for deep fry. 
    • Slowly add the chicken covered with batter into the oil.
    • Let it deep fry until it's slightly golden. Take out the chicken and turn the fire to medium small. 
    • Double deep fry the chicken. The temperature of the oil is around 375F and put the fried chicken into the oil again. 
    • Until the chicken is golden brown. Drain the chicken and put them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. 
    • Grate 2 slices of ginger. 
    • After that, grate 2 cloves of garlic. 
    • In a container, add ¼ cup of white sugar, ¼ cup of brown sugar, ¼ cup of orange juice, ¼ cup of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Mix the sauce very well. 
    • Next, pour 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil into the wok. Turn on the fire to medium small. Add the grated ginger and garlic. And, ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper (chili pepper flakes). Stir fry them a little bit. 
    • The following, pour the sauce mixture from step 14. Stir them a little bit. 
    • Then, add 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water into a small container. Mix them well. 
    • Pour the cornstarch mixture from step 17 into the sauce. Keep stirring the sauce. 
    • When the sauce thickens, add the deep fried chicken into the sauce. Toss it and make sure the chicken is covered with the sauce. 
    • Lastly, slice half of an orange and put them on the orange chicken as decoration. 

    Notes

    Cooking tips for how to make Chinese takeout Panda Express orange chicken:

    • Marinate chicken at least 15 minutes before cooking.
    • I personally prefer to use chicken thighs instead of breasts because it has a better texture.
    • Adding rice flour can make the deep fried chicken crispy and crunchy. 
    • Double deep fry. (First deep fry around 350 F until slightly golden, take out the chicken. Turn the fire to medium small temperature around 375 F and deep fry again until it’s golden brown.) 
    • Cook the sauce and add the deep fried chicken. Then, toss it and make sure the sauce mixes and covers the chicken. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 401mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 134IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @OhMyFoodRecipes or tag #OhMyFoodRecipes!

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    Tracy O.
    About Me

    Welcome to Oh My Food Recipes, where you can find inspiration for meals or dinner ideas specialty Asian cuisines. Oh My Food Recipes is tried and tested recipes with step by step photo tutorials.... Read more!

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