Panda Express Orange Chicken
Bite-size pieces of crispy fried chicken covered in a sweet and tangy orange sauce.
- 1½ lbs boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup corn starch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 cup orange juice
- ½ cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- Sliced green Onions
- Roasted sesame seeds
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. In a medium-size mixing bowl, marinate chicken with bouillon powder, salt, ground ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, ground white pepper, Shaoxing cooking wine, and soy sauce for at least 15 minutes.
- In another medium bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt, and ground white pepper until combined. Drop a handful of chicken pieces into the flour mixture until each piece is evenly coated. Tap off excess flour and transfer to a plate.
- Heat 3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F degrees or until a piece of flour mixture starts to sizzle but not immediately burn. If the latter, your oil is too hot so turn down the heat. Working in batches, cook chicken pieces at a time and make sure they don’t stick together by tossing them around. Cook for 5 minutes until golden brown. Place chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate or a wire rack to drain off excess oil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and corn starch until corn starch is fully dissolved. Add mixture to a large pan, cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Toss in fried chicken until all pieces are evenly coated.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of roasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately for best results. If you are planning to have leftovers, keep fried chicken and sauce separate.
The ultimate Chinese orange method that is way better than take-out. In a medium-size mixing bowl, marinate chicken with bouillon powder, salt, ground ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, ground white pepper, Shaoxing cookery wine, and soy sauce for at least 15 minutes.
In another medium bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt, and ground white pepper until combined. Drop a handful of chicken pieces into the flour mixture until each piece is evenly coated.
Tap off excess flour and transfer to a plate. Heat 3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F degrees or until a piece of flour mixture starts to sizzle but not immediately burn.
If the latter, your oil is too hot so turn down the heat. Working in batches, cook chicken pieces at a time and make sure they don’t stick together by tossing them around.
Place chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate or a wire rack to drain off excess oil. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and corn starch until corn starch is fully dissolved.
Add mixture to a large pan, cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Toss in fried chicken until all pieces are evenly coated. Garnish with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of roasted sesame seeds.
If you are planning to have leftovers, keep fried chicken and sauce separate.
