Copycat Our take on the Panda Express Orange Chicken
Copycat Panda Express orange chicken
Crisp chicken thigh bites tossed in a sticky, sweet-sour orange sauce with ginger, garlic and a hint of chilli. Our faster take on Panda Express Orange Chicken.
- Prep
- 7 min
- Cook
- 13 min
- Serves
- 2
- Per serve
- 1250 kcal
Ingredients
Method
Beat the egg and salt in a bowl and toss the chicken through it. Add the 60 g cornflour and toss until every piece is coated in a thick, dry-ish batter. In a jug, whisk the orange zest and juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and 2 tsp cornflour.
Heat the oil in a wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat until a piece of chicken sizzles hard straight away. Fry half the chicken, turning, until golden, crisp and cooked through. Lift onto paper towel.
Fry the second batch the same way.
Carefully pour all but 1 tbsp of the oil into a heatproof bowl. Fry the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes over medium heat until fragrant.
Stir the sauce and pour it in. Let it bubble, stirring, until thick and glossy. Meanwhile, heat the rice in the microwave according to the packet.
Take the pan off the heat, add the chicken and toss until coated. Serve straight away over the rice, scattered with spring onion.
Tips
- Fresh orange zest is what makes it taste like the original, not just the juice. If you squeeze your own juice (about 2 oranges), zest one before you juice it.
- Toss the chicken through the sauce only at the last second so the coating stays crisp.
- For a gluten-free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce and check your cornflour is made from corn (maize), not wheat.
Flash Recipe is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of the restaurants or brands mentioned. Their names are used only to describe the dishes that inspired our home versions, which are our own recipes.
