Our easy Copycat Orange Chicken delivers the bold citrus flavor and the signature crunchy bite of your favorite takeout, but without the restaurant price. It’s a family-friendly dish you can make at home with simple ingredients and pantry staples.
Copycat Orange Chicken Recipe
This homemade version of Panda Express-style Orange Chicken is one of my go-to recipes when I want the flavor of takeout without the cost. It takes about an hour from start to finish and uses ingredients you can easily find in your kitchen.
Although the ingredient list may look long at first glance, most items are common pantry staples: chicken, eggs, cornstarch, flour, citrus, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and a few aromatics like garlic and ginger. The optional orange extract gives the sauce a bright, concentrated orange punch, but the recipe works well without it.
You can tailor the sauce to your tastes. Want heat? Add extra red pepper flakes or a splash of Sriracha. Prefer a milder sauce? Reduce the chili and balance with a touch more orange juice or a bit less sugar.
A wok is ideal for shallow frying because it heats evenly and lets you work in batches, but any large non-stick skillet or a well-seasoned cast iron pan will do just fine.
Pair this with egg rolls or another favorite appetizer for a full meal
Recipe Shopping List
Here’s a concise list of what to pick up if you don’t already have these items. For exact measurements, follow the recipe card in the recipe section below.
- Chicken (boneless, skinless breast or thigh)
- Egg
- Salt & black pepper
- White pepper (optional)
- Cooking oil (canola or another neutral oil)
- Cornstarch
- All-purpose flour
- Orange zest and fresh oranges (for juice)
- Ginger (fresh or paste)
- Garlic (fresh or paste)
- Red chili flakes
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce
- Sugar
- White vinegar
- Orange extract (optional)
- Green onions for garnish
Try this alongside miso brown butter udon or steamed rice for a complete meal
How To Make This Recipe
This overview explains the main steps so you know what to expect. Follow the detailed ingredient amounts and timings in the recipe card below while cooking.
- Marinate – Toss the chicken with a beaten egg, salt, white pepper, and a splash of oil to bind and season it.
- Prepare the dry coating – Combine cornstarch, flour, and orange zest in a shallow bowl for a crisp, bright coating.
- Heat the oil – Preheat oil to about 350–375°F (175–190°C) for frying. If you don’t have a thermometer, heat until a small amount of batter sizzles and rises immediately.
- Bread and fry – Dredge the chicken pieces in the cornstarch-flour mixture and fry in batches until golden and cooked through, then drain on paper towels.
- Make the sauce – Sauté ginger and garlic briefly, add soy sauce, water, sugar, vinegar, orange extract (if using), and simmer. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry made from fresh orange juice and cornstarch.
- Toss and serve – Add the fried chicken to the sauce and toss gently until coated. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Serve this with miso soup or steamed rice for a comforting dinner
Recipe FAQ
They’re similar in preparation—both feature crispy fried chicken—but the sauces differ. Orange chicken highlights sweet, tangy, citrus-forward flavors, while sesame chicken emphasizes a savory, slightly sweet profile with sesame notes. Both are delicious, but the distinct sauces set them apart.
The appeal comes from contrast: the crunchy coating and tender chicken paired with a sticky, bright, umami-rich citrus sauce create a satisfying combination of textures and flavors. A little sugar, acid, and aromatics like garlic and ginger elevate the dish.
Both dishes use fried chicken, but Orange Chicken is citrus-forward with a sweet-tangy sauce often including orange zest and juice. General Tso’s sauce tends to be richer and more savory, with soy sauce and hoisin elements and typically a spicier finish.
Serve This With…
- Homemade fried rice (omit the chicken for a vegetarian side)
- Garlic beef and broccoli or honey pecan shrimp for a larger spread
- Sesame vegetables with rice noodles or simple steamed vegetables
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Blackstone teriyaki meatballs — savory pork meatballs glazed in teriyaki flavors.
- Blackstone pineapple chicken — marinated chicken with a sweet, tangy pineapple glaze.
- Poke salmon cakes — fresh salmon combined with classic poke seasonings and pan-seared until crisp.
- Traeger sweet chili shrimp — grilled shrimp with a sweet and spicy chili glaze for smoky flavor.
- Korean ground beef bowl — a quick, budget-friendly weekday dinner full of bold flavors.
- Spicy broccoli shrimp stir fry — a bright stir-fry using a homemade chili garlic sauce for heat and depth.
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Panda Express Copycat Orange Chicken
Make crispy, sweet orange chicken at home for a fraction of the cost of ordering out. This recipe yields plenty to feed a family and reheats well for leftovers.
Ingredients
Chicken & Marinade
- 2 pounds chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil
Breading
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1–3 cups neutral oil for frying
Sauce
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste (or minced fresh ginger)
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste (or minced garlic)
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons water
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 5 tablespoons white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon orange extract (optional)
Sauce Thickener
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Garnish
- 4–5 green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Combine the chicken, beaten egg, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, white pepper, and 2 tablespoons oil in a bowl. Stir to coat and set aside to marinate briefly.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the cornstarch, flour, and orange zest.
- Heat oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. The oil should be hot enough that pieces cook in 2–3 minutes.
- Working in batches, remove chicken from the egg mixture, shake off excess, and dredge in the cornstarch mixture. Carefully place into hot oil and fry until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
- Mix the ¼ cup orange juice with 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth; set aside.
- In a separate pan, heat 1 teaspoon canola oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, chili flakes, and sesame oil; stir-fry about 30 seconds. Add soy sauce, water, sugar, white vinegar, and orange extract if using. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the fried chicken to the sauce and toss to coat. Stir in the orange juice slurry a little at a time until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Toss in chopped green onions and reserve a few for garnish.
- Serve immediately over steamed rice and garnish with additional green onions.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 8 servings | Serving Size: 1
Estimated per serving: Calories 771, Total Fat 68g, Saturated Fat 7g, Cholesterol 87mg, Sodium 436mg, Carbohydrates 21g, Fiber 1g, Sugar 6g, Protein 20g.
Nutrition data is an estimate. Consult a trusted source if you require precise information for medical reasons.
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