My lover affair with Panda Express Orange Chicken probably started in college! It was a favorite lunch spot for me and my friends in-between classes and it always satisfied.
My love for the sticky sweet orange chicken is still going strong but, of course, I had to try to recreate it at home!
This recipe is easy (do not be intimidated by the shallow fry!) and the sauce is what my orange chicken dreams are made of. Here are some helpful tips:
Helpful Tips 💡
Which Orange Marmalade Brand is Best?
I actually tried this with multiple orange marmalades and they all turned out pretty good but the fancier brands had a little bit more of that bitter citrus bite because of the addition of orange peel. My favorite one for this dish is Smucker’s Natural Orange Marmalade:
Should I Use White Sugar or Brown Sugar?
Both work well but if you want a brighter sauce use white sugar and if you want a sauce that is a little richer, use brown sugar!
I Have Never Shallow Fried Before, What Are The Best Tips?
Shallow frying is such a simple way for a home cook to get a nice browned crust on meat! But if you’ve never tried it before follow these tips for the perfect battered chicken or meat:
- Make sure your oil is hot. When your battered chicken is placed in the oil, you want to hear the sizzle. Be sure to heat the oil for a good 3-5 minutes. This will make sure your batter is crispy and not soggy.
- Your chicken should have a thin coating of the batter. Let some of the batter from the chicken cube drip off into the batter bowl before adding it to your sauté pan. Because this is a shallow fry, we don’t want excess coating on our chicken. Just a thin layer of the batter is perfect!
- Do not overcrowd the pan! If the chicken is squeezed in next to each other it can make the batter start to steam instead of fry and that will lead to a soggy coating.
Keep the chicken warm until ready to toss in the sauce! Before I start frying my chicken cubes, I place my oven to the Warm setting (or about 170 degrees F) and I grab out my sheet tray with a wire rack. When I am done with my first batch, I add the chicken to the baking sheet and place in the oven until I am finished with my second batch and ready to toss in the sauce.
Can I Make This Without Shallow Frying the Chicken?
Yes! If you prefer your chicken not to have a batter you can just sauté your chicken cubes, then toss in the sauce.
If you want a super quick shortcut, buy the Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken and bake the chicken per the package instructions. Discard (or save for later use) the sauce that comes in the package and make my sauce instead 😏
Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken
- Yield: 4-5 1x
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
1 egg
2 Tbsp heavy cream
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup arrowroot or cornstarch
1/2 cup frying oil
For the Sauce:
8–10 oz jar (or about 1 cup) orange marmalade
1/2 cup brown or white sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 garlic, minced
To Thicken Sauce (optional):
2 tsp arrowroot or cornstarch
2 tsp water
To Serve:
White rice
Steamed broccoli
Instructions
In a bowl whisk together the egg, heavy cream and salt. Add the cubed chicken and mix to coat the chicken. Next, sprinkle in the arrowroot or cornstarch and mix to evenly coat the chicken.
In a deep, large sauté pan, add the oil and allow it to heat over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes. Add in the coated, cubed chicken, as many as will fit in the pan without crowding (I usually need to do this in two batches). Allow to cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook on the other side for an additional five minutes.
Remove chicken to a baking sheet (if you have a wire rack, use that, it helps keep the chicken from getting soggy). Place the baking sheet in the oven preheated to Warm or 170 degrees F.
Repeat with the second batch of chicken.
For the sauce, pour out the oil in the sauté pan the chicken was cooked in until there is none left. Add all the sauce ingredients and allow to cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn down to simmer and allow to thicken for 5 minutes. If your sauce does not thicken, in a small dish, mix together 2 tsp arrowroot with 2 tsp water. Mix until combined. Slowly pour this slurry into your sauce while stirring. Allow to thicken for about two minutes.
Add the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat.
Serve over basmati rice.
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