Frugal Foodie – Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken for $2.74 a Serving

I love Chinese food so much.

Sweet and sour chicken, orange chicken, sesame chicken – I love them all.

Unfortunately, most places just can’t seem to get the chicken right.

For me, the perfect Chinese chicken is crispy, juicy and tender – not at all soggy.

I figured if I was going to find the best Chinese chicken recipe, I would have to make it myself – though this time I had some help from my brother.

We had both been looking for an orange chicken recipe that would meet our requirements (sweet, tangy, crispy, juicy) and we finally found one that did – and now I’m sharing it with you.

It’s a copycat Panda Express orange chicken recipe!

 

 

Tender chunks of boneless chicken thigh are coated in a thick, rich batter, then friend to golden perfection.  Topped or rolled in orange sauce and served on a bed of rice and vegetables – so good.  And reasonably healthy(ish).

It’s way better than what you’d get at any restaurant, fresher, healthier and saves money too! 

Each serving only costs $2.74.

Here’s a couple photos of our version:

 

 

 

 

 

What’s great is that the chicken recipe is so versatile that you can use it for any type of Chinese food chicken recipe, like general tsao’s, sesame chicken, sweet and sour chicken, etc.

You can even eat them alone, or in stuff like salads, wraps, etc.

 

 

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4.

There are two separate lists for ingredients because we’ll be making both the sauce and breading for the chicken from scratch.

I recommend prepping and marinating the chicken first because it requires a 30-minute resting period – the perfect amount of time for making the sauce or other prep work – cooking rice, veggies, etc.

 

 

Let’s get cooking!

 

PREPPING OUR INGREDIENTS

 

Because the chicken needs to marinate for at least 30 minutes, we should start by preparing the chicken.

We can make the sauce while it’s marinating.

 

 

MAKE THE CHICKEN

 

1. cube the chicken

Fortunately, we don’t have to pound the chicken down.  Simply trim off any fat or unattractive parts, then cut into 1″ cubes, like so:

 

 

2. Make the batter

Add the 1/2 tablespoon salt, the 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1.5 cups of flour to a bowl and whisk to combine:

 

 

Slowly whisk in the 1/2 egg, the 1 to 2 cups water* and the 1 tablespoon oil until it reaches a pancake-like consistency, but is smooth:

 

 

*You may need to add more water, depending on how clumpy it is.  Start with one cup, and add additional 1/4 cups until it is smooth.

 

3. ADD CHICKEN AND refrigerate for 30 minutes

Add chicken and fold until evenly coated.  Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes:

 

You can either fry the chicken now if you’re ready, or skip ahead to “Make the Sauce” and make that while the chicken is marinating in the fridge.  This would also be a good time to start cooking rice, etc. if you’d like it.

 

4. Heat oil to 350˚F (180˚C).

You can use either a wok or large frying pan.  If you don’t have a thermometer, know that it takes about 10 minutes on medium for the oil to heat to 350 degrees.

You’ll most likely have to fry the chicken in batches.

 

 

 

5. add chicken to the oil

Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, flipping half way through, until they are golden in color (they will be light):

 

 

 

 

6. Remove the chicken

Transfer to a paper lined paper plate or tray and allow to cool:

 

 

MAKE THE SAUCE

Feel free to double the sauce recipe – we did because we like a lot of sauce.

 

1. HEAT OIL

Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a sauce pan and cook on medium until it’s shimmering:

 

 

2. Add SPICES

Add the 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon ginger and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly:

 

 

 

3. ADD SUGARS AND ORANGE JUICE

Add 1/4 cup of white and 1/4 cup brown sugar, along with 1/4 cup orange juice, and continue to cook and stir:

 

 

4. Add VINEGAR AND SOY SAUCE

Add the 1/4 cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and stir to combine:

 

 

5. MAKE WATER/CORNSTARCH MIXTURE

Add 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in small bowl and whisk until smooth:

 

 

Slowly add to the saucepan, stirring constantly.

 

6. Continue to cook

Keep cooking over medium until the sauce reaches a syrup like consistency, 1 to 3 minutes:

Do not overcook.

 

 

If you made the sauce before the chicken, you can just off the heat and set it aside a couple minutes before you’re ready to eat.  Just heat over medium-low, stirring constantly, and it should warm right back up.

With the sauce warmed back up, you can roll the chicken in the sauce, or simply dunk.

Either way…

 

PANDA EXPRESS ORANGE CHICKEN COMPLETE!

 

 

 

 

COST BREAKDOWN

 

This recipe makes 4 servings.

Numbers are rounded up to the nearest penny, since some of the amounts are so small, and others are so minuscule that the amount is negligible – we’re talking like two-tenths of one penny.

 

CHICKEN

 

ORANGE SAUCE

 

 

There are multiple ways to make this even cheaper.  For example, you can buy chicken and other staples in bulk, and you can use vegetable oil instead of peanut oil, which will save you a lot of money too, as it’s almost half the cost.

 

CONCLUSION

This copycat Panda Express orange chicken is so good you won’t have to pay for take out ever again!

It’s a great deal too, at just $2.74 per serving.  Compare that to the average entree of $6.50 at Panda Express, and you’re saving over twice the cost – while probably getting more food too.

If you love fried chicken or any of its many variations, you need to try this recipe out!