This homemade orange chicken is better than Panda Express!
It was one of those days. My photo shoot went wrong. When I fried an egg, I burnt myself. In my kitchen garbage, there was an ant swarm. On a Saturday afternoon, I was stuck in the worst traffic for a 3-mile drive. The list continues.
It was the highlight of my morning that I had a few orange chicken left over. It’s my favorite Chinese dish, and it comes from Panda Express. Crispy, fried chicken pieces are smothered with a sweet, tangy orange sauce. This version is better than the one at Panda Express, and I’m sure you will agree!
Ingredients
- Cut into 1-inch pieces, 1 1/2 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 cup plus two tablespoons cornstarch, divided
- Two large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- Half a teaspoon of sesame seeds
- One thinly sliced green onion
FOR THE MARINADE
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Freshly squeezed Orange Juice, 1/2 cup
- Half a cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar distilled
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- Two cloves garlic, minced
- One tablespoon of orange zest
- Taste one teaspoon of Sriracha or more
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- To make the marinade, whisk together chicken broth with orange juice, sugar, and vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Add garlic, orange zest, Sriracha sauce, white pepper, ginger, and soy sauce.
- Combine the chicken with 2/3 cup marinade in a gallon-size Ziploc bag or a large bowl. Marinate for 30 minutes at least, rotating the bag every so often. Drain the chicken and discard the marinade.
- Heat the remaining marinade over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring two tablespoons of cornstarch and two tablespoons of water to a rolling boil, then stir in the two tablespoons. Cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Keep warm.
- Then, dredge the remaining 1 cup of cornstarch over the chicken, coating it well.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add the chicken in batches and cook until golden brown. This should take about 1-2 mins. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels; discard any excess oil.
- If desired, serve the chicken with the marinade immediately. You can drizzle or toss it with the marinade. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.