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Panda Express Orange Chicken Recipe (Copycat)

Name: Panda Express Orange Chicken Recipe (Copycat)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch pieces); salt and pepper; 3/4 cup cornstarch; 2 large eggs (beaten); 1 cup vegetable oil (or other frying oil); 1 cup chicken broth; 1 tablespoon orange zest; 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 2 to 3 oranges); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha (more or less to taste); 1/4 teaspoon dried ground ginger (or 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger); 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons cold water; 1 green onion (sliced thin); sesame seeds

4.72 / 5 ( 7 Reviews )

4 Comments Jump to Recipe

A Panda Express orange chicken copycat recipe that is better than the original.

May 13, 2019 The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure

Copycat panda express orange chicken

Better than Panda Express Orange Chicken Copycat!

Since I was looking for a Panda Express Orange Chicken copycat recipe, I had to bring home some Panda Express to taste test side by side! The verdict? This orange chicken recipe is better than Panda Express. For reals.

The chicken is crispy and the sauce is similar, but this homemade Panda Express orange chicken sauce recipe is just all around more delicious, with more of an authentic orange flavor. And, the homemade orange chicken costs less than Panda too!

Chopped up chicken breast for orange chicken recipe

The Downside?

Of course, homemade orange chicken does take a little more time than just buying it from the restaurant, but maybe not that much more! And let me tell you, it is worth it to make your own every once in a while. 🙂

Chicken pieces coated in cornstarch for orange chicken recipe

Chicken Coating Tip

I like to put all of the chopped chicken in a gallon size resealable bag with the cornstarch, then shake it all together to coat the chicken. Easy peasy.

Homemade panda express orange chicken sauce

Homemade Panda Express Orange Chicken Sauce

The sauce is simple, but oh so good. If you don’t want to use Sriracha, you can try using a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. (I used Huy Fong Sriracha Chili Sauce this time around.) Add to taste, but I definitely recommend adding at least a little bit. A small amount won’t make it too spicy but will add a lot to the flavor.

Fried orange chicken recipe

Frying the Orange Chicken

It takes a few batches to fry all of the chicken, but I get the rest of it dredged in the egg while I am waiting. If you keep things moving along with the recipe and make the sauce while the chicken is cooking, you can have dinner ready in 30 minutes!

FYI – You probably won’t want to add the sauce to the chicken until right when you serve it because the chicken will lose some of the crispiness if it sits in the sauce for long.

Panda express orange chicken recipe homemade

Let us know what you think!

If you like Panda Express Orange Chicken, you won’t be disappointed with this homemade version. And if you don’t like Panda Express, you will probably like this recipe anyway since it is better. 😉

I know this is a daring claim, but I believe this homemade Orange Chicken tastes just as good, if not better, than any Chinese take-out you will find (including the fancy ones, like P.F. Chang’s). To make this a full-blown meal, serve it simply with plain rice or this sweet lime rice recipe.

You might also like these Orange Chicken recipes we’ve shared:

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Panda express orange chicken recipe

This recipe is adapted from Damn Delicious and this Sweet & Sour Chicken recipe.