Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken

Orange chicken has been hailed as the most popular food item at Panda Express. It's likely the most popular of all chinese restaurants as well. This is easy to put together, despite the long ingredient list. For added heat, feel free to add some dried hot chili peppers to the sauce mix or a little dash of cayenne. Here's what you'll need to make 4 servings:

Photo bySabrina

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken thigh, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 Tbs ginger, grated
• 2 Tbs light soy sauce
• 2 Tbs shaoxing wine
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 Tbs sesame oil
• Zest of remaining 1/2 orange

Dry Batter

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp white pepper
• Peanut or avocado oil for frying

Sauce

• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 Tbs brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chicken stock, sub water
• Zest of 1/2 an orange

Other Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 Tbs ginger, minced
• 1/2 Tbs crushed red pepper, optional
• 2 Tbs white vinegar

Cornstarch Slurry

• 1 Tbs cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Cut boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces. Marinate them with garlic, ginger, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, sesame oil, and orange zest for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine chicken stock, soy sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, and additional orange zest, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

In another bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in a bit of the extra chicken marinade and mix to create a rough/bumpy texture.

Dredge the marinated chicken in the flour mixture, pressing firmly to ensure the coating sticks. Place the coated chicken on a sheet tray and let it rest while you heat the oil.

Pour 2 inches of neutral oil into a large wok or Dutch oven and heat to 350°F. Fry the chicken pieces for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oil and set aside. Bring the oil back up to 350°F and fry the chicken a second time for 1-2 minutes, until a deep golden brown. This is what gives your chicken that awesome crispy crunchy coating, so don't skip the second fry.

In a wok over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil and sauté the garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper for about 15 seconds, until fragrant. Immediately pour in the sauce mixture and vinegar. Stir until the sauce just begins to boil, then add the cornstarch slurry, mixing to thicken for about 30 seconds.

Add the fried chicken to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly for about 30 seconds. Serve immediately with rice and veggies and enjoy!