Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken

A Panda Express run for the whole family adds up fast, and this copycat orange chicken recipe brings that glossy, sweet-tangy plate into your own kitchen for the cost of a pound of chicken breast and a couple of oranges. I make it on busy weeknights when takeout is tempting, but I’d rather keep dinner spending down.

The trick is two small moves: a flour and cornstarch coating that fries up crisp, and tossing the chicken in the sauce only at the last second so it never turns soft. Fresh orange juice, squeezed from a couple of oranges, is what gives the sauce its bright, clean bite.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A mix of flour and cornstarch gives the crust its snap, and saucing at the very end keeps it from going soft.
• Real citrus does the work, not a bottled mix, so the sauce tastes clean instead of syrupy.
• One pound of chicken breast stretches to four servings, so a modest amount of meat feeds the whole table.
• Start to finish it takes about 25 minutes, quick enough for a weeknight when you’re short on time.
• Leftovers keep for a few days and reheat crisp in the oven, so it earns its place in a meal-prep rotation.
• It scratches the takeout itch at home, built from everyday ingredients you likely already have on hand.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what’s worth knowing before you start: the printable card below has the full list with quantities.

• Chicken breast: boneless and skinless, cut into even bite-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate and stay juicy inside the coating.
• Flour and cornstarch: used together for the coating, the cornstarch is what gives the crust its light, crisp snap instead of a heavy batter.
• Low-sodium soy sauce: half a cup goes into the sauce and reduces down, so low-sodium keeps the finished glaze from turning too salty.
• Brown sugar: balances the salt and the vinegar and helps the sauce turn glossy as it simmers.
• Rice vinegar: the tang that stops the sauce from tasting flat and one-note sweet.
• Fresh orange juice: squeezed from about two oranges, it gives a brighter, cleaner orange flavor than anything from a bottle.
• Garlic: three cloves, minced, for a savory base under the sweet and sour.
• Sesame seeds and green onions: an optional finish, but they add a little crunch and color right before serving.

How to Make Panda Express Orange Chicken

Scroll down for the full recipe card containing a full printable recipe and measurements in both US customary and metric units.

This comes together in four steps: coat the chicken, fry it, simmer the sauce, and toss.

Dry and coat the chicken

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels, then toss them in a bowl with the flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper until they are evenly coated. Drying first is what helps the coating grip and crisp rather than slide off in the oil.

Fry until golden and crisp

Heat about 1 to 2 inches of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then fry the chicken in batches for 5 to 7 minutes, leaving enough space between pieces so they brown instead of steam.

A golden color indicates the crust is ready, but check that a few pieces reach 165°F on a meat thermometer, as color alone doesn’t confirm the chicken is fully cooked. Transfer the fried pieces to a paper towel-lined plate.

Simmer the orange sauce

In a saucepan, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, orange juice, and minced garlic, then bring it to a gentle simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until it thickens slightly and turns glossy.

Toss and serve

Add the crisp chicken to the sauce and toss until every piece is coated, then serve it hot right away, scattered with sesame seeds and sliced green onions if you like.

Recipe Notes and Expert Tips

• Dry the chicken well before it goes into the flour; surface moisture is the main reason a coating steams soft or slides off in the oil.
• Give the pieces room in the pan and work in batches, because crowding drops the oil temperature and you get greasy, pale coating instead of crisp.
• Keep the oil steady around medium-high; too cool and the crust turns oily, too hot and the outside browns before the chicken cooks through.
• Add the sauce only right before serving, since chicken left sitting in it softens quickly.
• If the sauce reduces too far and turns sticky, loosen it with a splash of orange juice or water over low heat.
• Taste before you toss: a little more orange juice softens a sauce that got too salty, and a little more brown sugar rounds out one that turned too sharp.

Recipe Variations

• Boneless, skinless thighs stand in for the breast if you like darker meat that stays a bit juicier; I haven’t tested this exact recipe with thighs, so treat the fry time as a guide and check for doneness with a thermometer.
• Here’s the corrected version:
• Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes or a little chili paste into the sauce as it simmers for a gentle heat, closer to some versions of the dish. This change is well supported and does not shift the timing or the sauce balance.
• For a stronger citrus hit, grate in a little orange zest along with the juice. It’s a low-risk swap, backed by how the zest carries oils the juice alone doesn’t, and it leaves the cook time untouched.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover orange chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat it in a 350°F oven or air fryer rather than the microwave, as microwaving steams the coating and makes it soft.

Heat until it reaches 165°F throughout. To freeze, cool the chicken completely, then pack it into a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

If you want to cook ahead, keep the fried chicken and the sauce separate and toss them together only when you reheat, so the crust stays crisp.

What to Serve With Panda Express Orange Chicken

Orange chicken wants a bed of steaming white or brown rice to catch the extra sauce, and one simple vegetable keeps the plate from tipping all sweet and fried. A batch of Copycat Panda Express Super Greens, which is broccoli, cabbage, and kale in garlic and sesame, is the natural green partner and comes together while the chicken fries. If you’re building a bigger takeout-style spread for a crowd, set it next to Copycat Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast for a second, lighter protein that shares the same rice.

FAQs

More Easy Panda Express Copycats to Try at Home

If this one hit the spot, here are more copycat Panda Express dishes worth cooking at home:

• Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken: seared chicken thighs in a sticky soy and brown sugar glaze, another easy win for rice night.
• Copycat Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak: thin sirloin and peppers in a peppery soy and oyster sauce, on the table in about 25 minutes.
• Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp: crisp shrimp in a creamy honey sauce with candied walnuts for a weekend treat.
• Copycat Panda Express Beijing Beef: crunchy fried beef in a sweet and spicy sauce for a Friday night takeout swap.