Panda express orange chicken recipe
Skip the takeout and make your own Panda Express Orange Chicken. Our recipe is simple, tasty, and uses fresh orange juice and zest.
Servings: 5 servings
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1.25 lb chicken thighs boneless and skinlless
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2.5 tbsp tapioca starch or potato starch
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- ½ tbsp gluten-free mirin or Chinese shaoxing wine optional
Panda express orange sauce:
- ½ cup orange juice pulp-free
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos or 1.5 tbsp soy sauce + 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- Zest 1 small orange reserve a few slices of orange for garnish
- 0.7 oz garlic cloves grated, 4 large
- 0.5 oz ginger grated
- 2.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- 2 tsp tapioca starch or potato starch
Others:
- 2-3 tbsp avocado oil for pan-fry
- Avocado oil spray for air fry
- Spring onions chopped, garnish
Instructions
To prepare the chicken:
- Slice the chicken into 1.5-inch chunks. In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the seasonings from salt to mirin, if using. Gently stir and mix-well. The batter mixture will be a little wet. This is okay.
To prepare the panda orange sauce:
- In a separate bowl, add the ingredients from orange juice to starch. Combine and stir-well.
To air fry the chicken:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Spray the basket with oil then add the chicken piece-by-piece into the basket with some space between them. Air fry for 8 minutes. Open the basket and carefully flip the chicken pieces. Spray with more oil and air fryer for 4 additional minutes. Transfer the chicken out and set aside.
To pan fry the chicken on stovetop:
- Preheat a large saute pan over medium-heat until it feels hot. Add the oil and chicken pieces and spread them into a single layer. Pan fry the chicken without touching for 3 minutes or until the bottom turns golden brown then flip to cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through before transferring them out.
To combine:
- Preheat a large saute pan over medium-high heat until it feels warm. Pour-in the orange sauce and gently stir with a wooden spoon until it thickens, 1-2 minutes.
- Add-in the chicken and toss to coat well, 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with spring onions and orange slices. Serve hot or warm.
Video
Notes
- Extra Crispy Chicken: The trick to making chicken thighs extra crispy in an air fryer is to “triple fry” them. After air frying at 400°F (204°C) for 8 minutes on one side and 4 minutes on the other side, flip the chicken again and air fry for an additional 3 minutes. The chicken thighs will be extra golden brown and crispy.
- How to Make It Hot: To make your orange chicken hot and spicy, sauté Chinese dried red chili peppers and a few tablespoons of Chinese chili sauce in a hot, oiled pan. Add the orange sauce and crispy chicken, then toss to combine. Substitute dried chile de árbol if needed, and for extra heat, cut the chili peppers open with seeds exposed.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare the chicken and the Panda orange sauce and store them in the fridge separately for up to 3 days before cooking.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: The best way to reheat Panda orange chicken is in an air fryer at 380°F (193°C) for 5 minutes or in the oven at 425°F (218°C) for 6-8 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 1194mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 138IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg