Panda Express Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe
This Panda Express orange chicken recipe gives you the same crispy, sticky-glazed chicken you love from the restaurant, made at home in about 40 minutes. If you’ve ever stood in the drive-through line just for this dish, you already know why it’s worth making on a Tuesday night.
The batter fries up genuinely crunchy, and the orange sauce has that bright, tangy, slightly sweet hit that makes it so hard to stop eating.
Why I Love This Recipe
The sauce is what keeps me coming back. It’s got real orange flavor from fresh juice and zest, balanced with soy sauce and a little heat from red pepper flakes, so it tastes sharp and alive rather than just sweet.
The double-dredge technique keeps the coating crisp even after you toss it in the sauce. That texture holdup is the part most copycat versions get wrong.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs – Thighs stay juicier than breast during frying; cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup cornstarch – Creates a light, shatteringly crisp crust
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour – Blended with cornstarch for structure in the batter
- 1 tsp baking powder – Keeps the coating airy, not dense
- 1/2 tsp salt – Seasons the batter itself
- 1/4 tsp white pepper – Milder heat than black pepper, classic in Chinese-American batters
- 1 large egg – Binds the batter so it sticks to the chicken
- 3 tbsp cold water – Thins the batter to a loose, dippable consistency
- Neutral oil for frying – Vegetable or canola; you need about 2 inches in the pan
For the orange sauce:
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice – From roughly 2 medium oranges; fresh makes the sauce taste bright
- 1 tbsp orange zest – Adds concentrated citrus punch the juice alone can’t give
- 3 tbsp soy sauce – Use low-sodium if you want more control over saltiness
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar – Sharpens the sauce and cuts through the sweetness
- 3 tbsp sugar – White granulated; balances the acid
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce – Adds depth and a slight savory-sweet roundness
- 2 tsp sesame oil – Stirred in off heat so it stays fragrant
- 3 cloves garlic, minced – About 1 tsp minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated – A small but important flavor note
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes – Adjust up or down to your heat preference
- 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp cold water – Whisked into a slurry to thicken the sauce
- 2 tsp vegetable oil – For sautéing the garlic and ginger
Variations / Substitutions
- Chicken breast instead of thighs – Works fine, but pull the pieces a few seconds earlier since breast meat dries out faster at high heat.
- Gluten-free – Swap the all-purpose flour for rice flour and use tamari instead of soy sauce; the crust actually stays quite crisp.
- Air fryer instead of deep frying – Spray the battered pieces well with oil and cook at 400°F (200°C) for 12 minutes, flipping halfway; you lose a little crunch but it’s still a solid weeknight option.
- More heat – Double the red pepper flakes or add 1 tsp chili garlic sauce to the orange sauce.
- Honey instead of sugar – Use 2 tbsp honey; the sauce will be slightly thicker and floral.
- No fresh oranges – Bottled orange juice works in a tight spot, but the zest is hard to replace; the sauce will taste noticeably flatter without it.
If you enjoy this kind of saucy stir-fry situation, Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken Copycat Recipe is worth trying next.
How To Make Orange Chicken
Step 1: Batter the Chicken
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Add the 1 large egg and 3 tbsp cold water, and stir until you have a thick, smooth batter with no dry pockets. Add the chicken pieces and toss until every piece is fully coated.
The batter should cling like a thin paste, not drip off. If it slides right off, add another teaspoon of cornstarch. Cold water matters here because it keeps the batter from becoming gluey before it hits the hot oil.
Step 2: Fry the Chicken
Pour neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat over medium-high until it reaches 350°F (175°C). Fry the battered chicken in 3 or 4 small batches, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch, until the coating is pale golden and the pieces float freely.
Don’t crowd the pot. Overcrowding drops the oil temperature fast, which gives you soggy, greasy chicken instead of a crisp crust. Between batches, let the oil come back up to 350°F (175°C) before you add the next round.
Transfer the fried pieces to a wire rack. You’ll fry them a second time in the next step, so golden is all you need right now.
Step 3: Double-Fry for Crunch
Raise the oil to 375°F (190°C). Return all the chicken to the oil at once and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the coating is deep golden and audibly crisp when you tap it with a spoon. This second fry is what gives you the crust that holds up under the sauce.
Lift the pieces out with a spider or slotted spoon and drain on a fresh section of the wire rack while you build the sauce.
Step 4: Simmer the Orange Sauce
In a small bowl, stir together the 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp cold water to make a slurry and set it aside. Heat the 2 tsp vegetable oil in a wide skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 tsp grated ginger and stir constantly for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Pour in the 1/2 cup orange juice, 1 tbsp orange zest, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp hoisin sauce, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Stir everything together and bring it to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Give the cornstarch slurry a quick re-stir (it settles fast), then pour it in while stirring. The sauce will thicken and turn glossy in about 1 minute. Pull the pan off the heat and stir in the 2 tsp sesame oil.
Step 5: Glaze and Serve
Add the fried chicken to the pan with the sauce and toss over medium heat for about 1 minute until every piece is coated and the sauce clings in a sticky, orange-colored glaze. Tip the chicken onto a serving plate, scatter sliced green onions and a pinch of sesame seeds over the top, and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Use a thermometer. Oil temperature is the single biggest variable in frying. Even 25 degrees off makes a real difference in how the crust turns out, so a cheap clip-on thermometer is genuinely worth it.
- Zest before you juice. It’s nearly impossible to zest an already-squeezed orange. Get the zest off first, then cut and juice.
- Pat the chicken dry before battering. Surface moisture on the chicken causes the batter to steam instead of fry, which softens the coating. A quick press with paper towels takes 20 seconds and matters.
- Sauce too thick? Add a tablespoon of orange juice and stir over low heat. Sauce too thin? Let it simmer another 30 to 60 seconds before adding the chicken.
Cook times by batch size and oil depth:
| Chicken batch size | Oil depth | First fry | Second fry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (5 to 6 pieces) | 2 inches | 4 mins | 2 mins |
| Medium (8 to 10 pieces) | 2.5 inches | 3 to 4 mins | 1 to 2 mins |
| Large (12+ pieces) | 3 inches | 3 mins | 1 min |
How To Store
- Refrigerate – Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store extra sauce separately if you have it, so the chicken doesn’t go completely soft.
- Reheating – A dry skillet or air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for 4 to 5 minutes brings back a good amount of the crust. The microwave works but the coating goes soft.
What To Serve With Orange Chicken
Steamed jasmine rice is the straightforward call, and it works because the sticky sauce soaks into the rice in a way that makes every bite cohesive rather than dry. Fried rice works for the same reason, with the added texture of the egg and vegetables in the rice itself. A simple cucumber salad dressed with rice vinegar and sesame oil cuts through the richness of the fried chicken and keeps the meal from feeling too heavy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the sauce ahead of time?
Yes. The orange sauce keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed jar. Reheat it gently in a skillet and add the freshly fried chicken when you’re ready to serve.
Why does my batter slide off the chicken?
The chicken is probably too wet. Pat each piece firmly with paper towels before dipping. Also check that your batter isn’t too thin; it should coat the back of a spoon.
Can I freeze the fried chicken before saucing?
Yes. Freeze the double-fried pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag once solid. Reheat straight from frozen in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 10 minutes, then toss in freshly made sauce.
Is there a way to make this less sweet?
Cut the sugar to 2 tbsp and increase the rice vinegar to 3 tbsp. The sauce will lean more sour-savory, which some people actually prefer.
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk together the 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Mix in the 1 large egg and 3 tbsp cold water to form a thick batter, then add the chicken pieces and toss to coat.
- Heat neutral oil to 350°F (175°C) in a heavy pot to a depth of 2 inches. Fry the chicken in batches of 5 to 10 pieces for 3 to 4 minutes per batch until pale golden, letting the oil return to temperature between batches. Drain on a wire rack.
- Raise the oil to 375°F (190°C) and fry all the chicken together for 1 to 2 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Drain on the wire rack.
- Mix the 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp cold water into a slurry and set aside. Heat the 2 tsp vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 tsp grated ginger, and stir for 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 cup orange juice, 1 tbsp orange zest, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp hoisin sauce, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, stir in the slurry, and simmer for 1 minute until glossy. Remove from heat and stir in the 2 tsp sesame oil.
- Add the fried chicken to the sauce and toss over medium heat for 1 minute until glazed. Plate, top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
