Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Recipe Review: Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken

Panda Express, to me, is the epitome of food court food.  And there's something so comforting about their food, which is full of sugar, cornstarch, fat, MSG, and who knows what else.  But honestly, I don't care what they put in their food, because it hits the spot when I want that cheap, over processed Chinese food that Panda Express more than willinginly provides for me.

But I came across a recipe that caught my eye.  Orange chicken.  Love.  Panda Express.  Love.  A copycat recipe for Panda Express' Orange Chicken!  Love. 

I was a little hesitant to make this because the BF has a sensitivity to orange, but alas, he was a-ok after eating.  Maybe it's processed oranges that give him a hard time, who knows.

After devouring eating this meal, I came to the realization that this recipe is even better than Panda Express.  It took a little bit to make, what with the frying and all, but it was soooooo friggin good.  I used orange juice straight from the oranges and was able to control the amount of heat, which I'm sure was too spicy for the average person and not enough spicy for us.


Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into irregular 1 inch cubes
1-2 c flour
2 eggs
oil for frying
For the sauce (which I doubled):
juice from an orange
some orange zest
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 rice wine vinegar
Sriracha, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp cornstarch

Heat your frying oil.  Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a bowl.  Put the flour in another bowl.  Dip the chicken into the egg and then coat with flour.  Then fry until cooked.  It helps to do this in batches because you don't want the chicken to touch while they're frying.  When done, put the chicken on a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200 degree oven.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small pot.  Make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved.  Heat on medium heat until the sauce thickens.

Place the warm chicken in a large bowl and pour the sauce on top.  Mix until it's all coated and serve with rice.  Noms.

*The chicken doesn't have to be fried.  It can be stir-fried.  The chicken won't be crunchy, but it'll taste the same.




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