My Chinese Orange Chicken is sticky, sweet and tangy. I’m going to show you how to get succulent crispy chicken pieces and plenty of that delicious orange sauce.
It’s easy to make at home – the kids are going to be waiting at the table, forks ready to devour the lot!

Close up overhead of crispy Chinese orange chicken in a bowl on top of rice
Chinese Orange Chicken

I can see why it’s one of the most popular dishes on the Panda Express menu!

Being in the UK, we don’t actually have Panda Express, and you rarely see Orange Chicken featured on the menus of our Chinese restaurants.  I remember it well from our US holidays though and I felt I had to recreate it at home.

After lots of testing, I’ve finally perfected the recipe!

So until Panda Express makes it over the water (and probably even after it it does!), I’m going to continue to cook up my own copycat Panda Express orange chicken!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Chicken thighs – which are a little more tender than breast meat, and stand up well to cooking over a high heat without drying out. They’ll initially be coated in cornflour (cornstarch) to help the batter adhere to the chicken.
  • The batter is made from a mixture of flour, egg, garlic salt, salt, pepper and water – which results in a lovely light batter.
  • The sauce is made up from the zest of half an orange, juice of two oranges, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar (to counteract the acidity in the orange juice and zest), and rice vinegar – to add a little zing.
  • We also need a flavourless oil with a high smoke point to fry the chicken in. I’m using vegetable oil.

Ingredients for making crispy orange chicken on a wooden table

Why use chicken thighs?

Chicken thighs are more tender than chicken breast, and stand up well to cooking over a high heat without drying out, but you can replace with chicken breast if you prefer.

How to make orange chicken

  1. We make the batter for the chicken first by mixing flour, egg, garlic salt, salt, pepper and water. Then in a separate bowl, we coat the chicken in cornflour, and add the chicken into the batter. Give it a stir to coat.
  2. Then we fry the chicken in a wok in the hot oil. My pro tip is to fry the chicken in 2 or 3 batches – this ensures all of the chicken will be lovely and crispy.
  3. Remove from the pan and carefully discard the oil.

6 image collage of making crispy chicken for Chinese orange chicken recipe

How to make the orange chicken sauce

  1. The orange sauce is made from a mixture of the orange juice and zest, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar.
  2. This is bubbled up in the wok until slightly thickened.
  3. The chicken is then added back in, and tossed in the sauce until fully coated.
6 image collage showing how to make orange chicken sauce
Making orange chicken sauce and mixing with crispy chicken

Want to make it spicy? 🌶

Add a tablespoon of sriracha to the sauce and sprinkle with a few chilli flakes before serving.

Serve the chicken over boiled rice, topped with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Copycat Panda Express Orange chicken on a blue background being lifted from a bowl with chopsticks

Serve it with

Wondering what to serve with Orange Chicken?  I normally serve this with boiled rice or egg fried rice, but why not make it as part of a fantastic Chinese banquet with:

Close up image of crispy orange chicken in a grey bowl. Further bowl in the background.

Looking for more Chinese takeout recipes?

How about one of these:

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Watch how to make it:

4.67 from 54 votes

Orange Chicken Recipe

My copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken is sticky, sweet and tangy. Succulent chicken pieces with a crispy coating and plenty of that delicious sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Ingredients

Chicken Coating and Chicken:

  • 90 g (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 1 medium egg
  • ¼ tsp garlic salt
  • pinch salt and pepper
  • 90 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) cold water
  • 8 chicken thigh fillets (skinless and boneless) chopped into bite-size chunks
  • 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil for frying

Orange Sauce:

  • juice of 2 large oranges
  • zest of half an orange
  • 6 tbsp caster sugar or superfine sugar
  • 5 tbsp soy sauce (I use dark soy sauce, but you can use half dark and half light soy sauce for a lighter coloured sauce). You can use low sodium soy sauce if you prefer.
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 3 tbsp cold water to form a slurry, (optional)

To Serve:

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Instructions 

  • Start by making the batter for the chicken. In a large bowl, add the plain (all-purpose) flour, egg, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and water and mix together using a whisk until smooth. You want a thick batter that will coat the chicken. If it's too thick, add a splash of water and mix again.
    90 g (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, 1 medium egg, 1/4 tsp garlic salt, pinch salt and pepper, 90 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) cold water
  • Place the chopped chicken thighs in a separate bowl and sprinkle on the cornflour (cornstarch). Toss together so the chicken is coated in the cornflour.
    8 chicken thigh fillets (skinless and boneless), 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
  • Add the chicken to the batter, and mix together so the chicken is coated in the batter.
  • Add the oil to a wok or large frying pan (skillet) and heat over a medium-high heat until hot.
    120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
  • While the oil is heating, make the orange sauce. In a medium bowl, mix together the orange juice and zest, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and rice vinegar. Put to one side.
    juice of 2 large oranges, zest of half an orange, 6 tbsp caster sugar, 5 tbsp soy sauce, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • When the oil is hot, add the chicken to the oil. I find it's best to work in two or even three batches for the crispiest chicken. Add the chicken in a piece at a time, and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until golden brown and cooked throughout (*note 1).
  • Once cooked, place the chicken in a bowl lined with kitchen paper while you cook the second batch. You can add a little more oil in if needed, to ensure the chicken is surrounded by oil, but be sure to keep the temperature up so the oil is bubbling and hot.
  • Carefully dispose of any leftover oil from the wok and turn down the heat to medium. Add the orange sauce to the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
  • If you want to thicken further, then slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp cold water) whilst stirring (*note 2).
    1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
  • Add the chicken back to the wok and carefully toss together until the chicken is coated in the sauce. I find the best way to do this is to slide a spatula underneath the chicken, lift it up and turn it over - do this repeatedly until all the chicken is coated.
  • Serve the chicken over boiled rice, topped with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
    boiled rice, 1 tsp sesame seeds

Video

Notes

*Note 1 - Checking the chicken is cooked:

Slice open a large piece of chicken and if it's piping hot and white in the middle (no pink) then it's cooked.

*Note 2 - Cornflour/cornstarch slurry

I find that I only need to add the cornstarch slurry if I've used particularly large and juicy oranges, as this means there's more sauce to thicken.

Can I use store-bought orange juice instead of squeezing my own?

Yes, use 100% pure orange juice (with or without pulp). You'll need about 1/2 cup or 120ml altogether.

Can I make it gluten-free?

Yes!
Replace the soy sauce with gluten-free soy sauce/tamari. Use a dark tamari rather than a thinner/lighter version.
Also, replace the plain (all-purpose) flour with gluten-free flour.

Can I make it ahead?

This recipe works best when made and served right away. Freezing/chilling then reheating means the chicken won't be crispy.
You can partially make it ahead by making the sauce (you could boil and simmer it at this point then cool it, or you can just mix the ingredients together without boiling it). Then cover and refrigerate for up to two days.
You can make up the chicken batter up to a day ahead too (cover and refrigerate until needed).
If you did want to make it ahead fully, you can cook and cool it, then reheat the chicken and sauce until piping hot throughout in a wok. However, the chicken won’t be crisp. It’s still tasty for a quick meal though.

Can it be frozen?

Yes, you can cool, cover and freeze, then defrost before reheating thoroughly (heat in the microwave or covered in the oven or in a wok/frying pan). However, the chicken won’t be crispy. It’s still tasty for a quick meal though.

Can I make Orange chicken in the oven instead of frying it?

Unfortunately the chicken won’t be as crispy is baked rather than fried. You can use the same method I use for my baked sweet and sour chicken instead: Use the chicken plus
3 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika
3 tbsp olive oil
Pre-heat your oven to 190c/375f. Put a large baking dish in the oven to warm up. Cut the chicken into bite sized chunks. Put to one side. In a medium sized bowl, mix the cornflour, salt, pepper, garlic salt and paprika. Pour your olive oil in another medium sized bowl. Place the chicken in the bowl with the cornflour, and mix, ensuring every piece of chicken is completely covered. Scoop out the chicken, and put it into the bowl with the olive oil in. Toss gently in the olive oil. Pour any leftover cornflour mixture onto the chicken, and mix it all up. You should end up with the chicken pieces looking well coated and a bit sticky. Carefully take your dish out of the oven and place the chicken into the dish in a single layer. Try not to bunch the chicken together. The more room it has, the more crispy it will get. Place in the oven to cook for 15-20 minutes until cooked throughout.
Then toss in the orange sauce that you've already bubbled up and thickened in a pan.
Nutritional Information is per serving - NOT including rice. We've calculated a little less oil overall, as not all of the vegetable oil will be absorbed when frying the chicken

Nutrition

Calories: 637kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 256mg | Sodium: 1621mg | Potassium: 642mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 114IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

This Chinese Orange Chicken post was first published in June 2014. Updated in Jan 2020 with new photos, video, tips and improvements to the recipe. Updated again in May 2020 with extra info and housekeeping reasons.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

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Hi, I'm Nicky and I love to cook! I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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Comments

  1. Bruce Newmin says:

    5 stars
    Came out great! Yes needed more water to the batter. I also added surger powered orange rhine to the orange sauce. Made it over the top sweatly delicious. Definitely Making it again. Hit with the family. Thanks

  2. Melissa says:

    Good recipe but needed to add another cup of water to the batter- as it reads it only made a ball of dough and couldn’t coat anything, and 1/2 cup of oil is not enough to fry all that chicken. Also- definitely not a quick prep/cook, but worth the time in the end.

  3. Joker_Storm says:

    2 stars
    Followed this to a T and the batter never got crispy. The SECOND it was done frying it got soft and oily. Reminded me more of sweet and sour chicken than orange chicken as far as texture goes.

  4. Lewis J Lautin says:

    4 stars
    Nice dish. However, I am an 79 year old cook; there is NO Way you can prep this in 5 minutes and cook in 15. “Ready in 20 Minutes” Impossible.

  5. Maria says:

    4 stars
    The family loved this reicpe. However it took a lot longer than 20 mins to cook!
    I used chicken tenders cut in smaller pieces – turned out delicious. Orange sauce had a lot of flavour, especially with the ginger and orange rind. I used low sodium soy sauce as we find the other soy sauces way too salty.

  6. smotrs says:

    4 stars
    Easy to follow, came out tender, crisp and tasted like restaurant. However, didn’t turn as dark as the pics in recipe. What’s missing? Also, 5min prep.

  7. HildeG says:

    2 stars
    Idid nor like this. Maybe I did not do it right. The batter just turned out doughy, not crisp at all after frying. The sauce was way to sour, improved a bit after adding some ketjap manis. I like the idea of an orange sauce, but next time, i will just bread the chicken with panko I think, and think up some tweaks for the sauce

  8. Michael says:

    Definitely a quick good meal.

  9. Jenna says:

    5 stars
    Tried another orange chicken recipe a while back and didnt care for it. Found this recipe and tried it and omg!! So goood. New staple in our house, thank you!!

  10. Mrs Karen Denby says:

    5 stars
    I have followed a few orange chicken recipes but this is the best one I have tried. Thank you! I won’t be looking any further!!