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crispy chicken with sesame seeds
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Air Fryer Orange Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)

This Panda Express Orange Chicken Recipe In The Air Fryer is a homemade version of the bite-sized pieces of coated chicken you get from a Chinese restaurant. Each crispy bite of cubed chicken with tangy orange sauce makes the most delicious meal or side dish.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time27 minutes
Course: Chicken
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 477kcal

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN

  • ¾ cup gluten free flour or regular all purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • 2 eggs
  • 1.5 lbs chicken cut into bite size pieces

FOR THE ORANGE SAUCE

  • 1 cup orange juice
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp ginger
  • red chili flakes
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • orange zest from 1 orange

Instructions

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. Chop your chicken up into bite size pieces.
  • In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch. Put the eggs in a second bowl, and line the air fryer basket with a parchment paper liner or a silicone liner if using.
  • Dunk each chicken piece in the flour cornstarch mixture, then into the egg, then back into the flour until it's completely coated. Repeat with all the chicken pieces.
  • Add them to the air fryer basket in a single layer, with a little space in between. You may need to cook the chicken in 2 batches.
  • Spray or brush the chicken pieces with olive oil or cooking spray so that all of the flour is wet.
  • Air fry at 400ºF for 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces over, spray with more oil, and fry for 6 to 8 more minutes at 400ºF, until golden brown and crisp.
  • While the chicken is air frying, make the sauce. In a medium pot, add orange juice, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes. Heat for 3 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, whisk 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of water to form a paste. Add to orange sauce and whisk together.
  • Continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Once the sauce is thickened, remove from heat and add orange zest.
  • When the chicken is done, toss the chicken and sauce mixture together in a bowl to coat the chicken pieces well. Serve hot, garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1grams | Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 400mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g