Hot Orange Chicken Panda Express
Tender chicken breasts are sliced into bite sized pieces, fried crispy and tossed in a sizzling wok full of fragrant spices, garlic, and a citrusy tangy sweet sauce. This copycat recipe is a spin on their classic Orange Chicken amped up with tons of chilies! The spice is intensely fiery delicious but not overwhelming as it's complimented by the sweet tanginess of the orange chicken.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
To Make Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken boneless skinless breasts or thighs, cut into 1-2" inch pieces
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons oil canola or vegetable
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- oil for frying
To Make Orange Sauce
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 orange, zest of
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon green onions, sliced plus extra for garnish
To Stir-Fry
- 2 tablespoons oil canola or vegetable
- 1/2 cup dried whole red chili peppers
- 6 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- optional: 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
Instructions
Make The Orange Sauce
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce, then cover and set it aside until it's ready to be used in the final step.
Prep and Bread Chicken
- Prep the dredge by adding cornstarch and flour together in a shallow pie dish (or similar). Whisk in the salt and pepper to it's evenly distributed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Whisk vigorously until the egg is no longer stringy and the mixture starts to emulsify.
- Start to get the oil heated to 375 degrees in a heavy bottom skillet, wok or deep saute pan. Attach a thermometer to best manage the heat.
- While oil is heating, work in batches placing diced chicken pieces into the egg wash. Coat well then toss into the dredging flour. Coat the chicken pieces well on all sides making sure no chicken shows through the breading.
Fry the Chicken
- Dust off the excess flour and fry them in batches for about 3 minutes. Be sure to adjust the heat as it will drop once the chicken is added. Place cooked chicken on a wire rack to drain oil.
Stir Fry in Wok
- In a wok, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high. Add in the chili peppers and red pepper flakes. Heat through about 15 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add in the garlic (and ginger if using) and sesame oil, cook another 15 seconds as you stir.
- Pour the sauce into the wok to thicken. You'll see it start to bubble on the edges and begin to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the crispy chicken pieces to the sauce and toss multiple times to coat well and warm the chicken back up, about 1 minute. Serve over rice and top with green onion slices.