Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken
Crispy battered chicken tossed in a sticky-sweet orange sauce with ginger and garlic heat. Better than the food court, and you don't have to fight for a parking spot.
Tasted & written by Rachel
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Serves
6
The Key
The cornstarch slurry is the make-or-break. Mix it right before you add it — cornstarch settles in seconds. Pour it into the simmering sauce while stirring constantly, and pull the chicken in the moment it turns glossy. Wait too long and it sets into wallpaper paste. The window is about 90 seconds.
David came home from a run last Tuesday and said, unprompted, 'I'd walk through a mall food court right now just for orange chicken.' So I made it. Took about 45 minutes. He ate half the batch standing at the counter before I could plate it.
The thing most copycat recipes get wrong is the batter. They skip the egg wash or use too much flour, and you end up with sad, heavy nuggets instead of that shatteringly crispy shell Panda Express nails. This version uses a thin egg-and-cornstarch dip before the flour coat — light, craggy, holds the sauce without going soggy.
The sauce is dead simple: orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, a hit of ginger and chili flakes. It thickens in about two minutes and clings to every crevice. The trick is the cornstarch slurry at the end — it goes from watery to glossy in about 90 seconds, and you need to get the chicken in during that window or the whole thing seizes up.
Is it health food? No. Is it the best thing I've made on a weeknight this month? Absolutely. Mia helped measure the cornstarch — got about half of it on the counter — and Noah ate exactly two pieces before going back to his banana. David's running club demolished the rest on Saturday.
The whole thing comes together in about 45 minutes, most of which is frying in batches. Make the sauce while the last batch cooks and you'll hit the table fast. Fair warning: it does not reheat well. This is a serve-it-now, eat-it-standing-up kind of dinner.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized piecescut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 whole Eggs
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- 0.25 tsp White Pepper
- 0.5 cup Cornstarch
- 0.25 cup All-Purpose Flour
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
Orange Sauce
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 3/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
- 0.5 cup Brown Sugarpacked
- zest of 1 orangezested
- 2 tbsp Ginger (fresh)minced
- 2 tsp Garlicminced
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 0.5 cup Scallions (Green Onions)chopped
- 2 tbsp Chinese Rice Wine (Mijiu)
- 0.5 cup Water
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (for sauce slurry)
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
For Serving
- cooked white rice, for serving
- 1 tbsp Sesame SeedsOptional
The Method
Instructions
- 01
Whisk the egg, salt, white pepper, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil together in a medium bowl.
Done when:Mixture is uniform pale yellow with no streaks of egg white visible.
- 02
In a separate bowl, stir together 1/2 cup cornstarch and the flour.
Done when:No visible pockets of pure flour or cornstarch — one consistent powder.
- 03
Toss the chicken pieces into the egg mixture and coat evenly. Working in handfuls, lift the chicken out, let excess drip off, then dredge through the cornstarch-flour mixture. Shake off excess and set on a wire rack.
Done when:Every piece has a thin, dry-looking coat with no wet spots. Craggy bits are good — they fry up crispy.
- 04
Heat oil in a wok or deep heavy pot to 375°F.
Done when:A pinch of flour sizzles immediately and floats to the surface when dropped in. Thermometer reads 375°F.
- 05
Fry the chicken in small batches — don't crowd the oil. Cook 3-4 minutes per batch, turning once halfway through.
Done when:Deep golden brown all over, crust is audibly crispy when tapped with the slotted spoon. Internal temp 165°F.
- 06
Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack set over paper towels. Let each batch drain while you fry the next.
Done when:Oil has stopped actively dripping. Chicken pieces sound hollow and crisp when they clink together.
- 07
Whisk together the soy sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, and orange zest in a small bowl. Set aside.
Done when:Brown sugar fully dissolved, no gritty bits at the bottom. Sauce is a smooth amber color.
- 08
Clean the wok and heat over high for 15 seconds. Add 1 tablespoon oil, then the ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and green onions. Stir-fry for just a few seconds.
Done when:Garlic and ginger are fragrant — you can smell them across the kitchen — but not browned. The green onions have barely wilted.
- 09
Pour in the rice wine and the orange juice mixture. Bring to a rapid simmer.
Done when:Sauce is bubbling actively and the raw alcohol smell from the rice wine has cooked off.
- 10
Stir together the 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl, then pour into the wok. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens and turns glossy.
Done when:Sauce coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clear trail when you drag your finger through it. Glossy, not milky.
- 11
Add all the fried chicken to the sauce. Toss and fold until every piece is coated. Drizzle with sesame oil and toss once more.
Done when:No dry patches on any chicken piece. The sauce clings in a thin, shiny glaze — not pooling at the bottom.
- 12
Serve immediately over steamed white rice. Garnish with extra sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Done when:Chicken is still audibly crispy under the glaze when you bite through. This is a serve-it-now situation.
Where it goes wrong
Common mistakes
- ✕Crowding the frying oil — drops the temperature and steams the chicken instead of crisping it
- ✕Cooking the aromatics too long — garlic goes from fragrant to burnt in about 10 seconds at high heat
- ✕Using bottled orange juice — the preservatives and added sugar throw off the sauce balance entirely
- ✕Letting the sauced chicken sit — the coating absorbs moisture fast. Serve within 2 minutes of tossing
Context
Compared to the usual
The real Panda Express version uses a pre-made sauce concentrate and a pressure fryer that home kitchens can't replicate. Most copycat recipes split into two camps: the egg-wash-then-dredge method (lighter, crispier, closer to the original) and the full batter method (thicker coat, more like Korean fried chicken). This recipe lands firmly in the first camp. If you want a thicker shell, add 2 tablespoons of sparkling water to the egg wash — the carbonation puffs the coating during frying.
Glossary
Techniques used
- Cornstarch slurry
- Equal parts cornstarch and cold water, whisked smooth. Thickens sauces instantly when added to hot liquid. Must be re-stirred right before pouring because cornstarch settles to the bottom within seconds.
- Velveting
- A Chinese technique of coating protein in egg and starch before cooking. Creates a protective barrier that keeps meat tender and juicy even at high frying temperatures.
- Rice wine
- Shaoxing wine is the standard here. Dry sherry is a reasonable substitute. Mirin is sweeter and will shift the sauce balance — use less brown sugar if subbing.
- Wok hei
- The smoky, charred flavor that comes from cooking at extremely high heat in a well-seasoned wok. Hard to replicate on a home burner, but a screaming-hot cast iron comes close.
Riffs
Variations
Spicy orange chicken
Double the red pepper flakes to 2 teaspoons and add 1 tablespoon of chili garlic sauce (sambal) to the sauce mixture. David's running club prefers this version.
Orange cauliflower (vegetarian)
Swap chicken for cauliflower florets. Same batter, same sauce. Fry the cauliflower 4-5 minutes until golden. Holds up surprisingly well.
Honey orange chicken
Replace half the brown sugar with honey for a more floral sweetness. Slightly stickier glaze, a little less caramel depth.
Q & A
Frequently asked
Can I air-fry this instead of deep frying?
You can, but manage expectations. Spray the coated chicken heavily with oil, air-fry at 400°F for 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway. The coating won't be as craggy or crispy, but it works for a lighter version.
What can I use instead of rice wine?
Dry sherry is the closest substitute. In a pinch, dry white wine with a half teaspoon of rice vinegar works. Skip the mirin — it's too sweet and throws off the sauce.
Can I make this with chicken breast?
Yes, but cut the fry time to 2-3 minutes and expect a drier result. Thighs are more forgiving and taste better here.
How do I keep the chicken crispy after saucing?
Serve immediately. The sauce starts softening the crust within minutes. If you're feeding a crowd, keep the chicken and sauce separate and toss individual portions right before serving.
Storage
Leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The coating softens but the flavor stays good.
Reheating
Spread on a sheet pan in a single layer, 400°F oven for 8-10 minutes until the coating crisps back up. Do not microwave unless you enjoy the texture of a damp towel.
Freezing
Freeze the fried chicken (unsauced) on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag. Good for 2 months. Reheat from frozen at 400°F for 15 minutes, then toss with freshly made sauce.
Make ahead
Cut and coat the chicken up to 4 hours ahead — keep it on a wire rack in the fridge, uncovered. The sauce can be mixed (but not cooked) a day ahead. Fry and sauce right before serving; there's no good way to hold this.
Serve with
Steamed jasmine rice is the obvious move, but fried rice works if you want to go all-in. A side of steamed broccoli or stir-fried green beans cuts the sweetness. Mia insists on chopsticks even though she uses them like tiny shovels.