Air Fryer Orange Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)
Description
Crispy air fryer orange chicken tossed in a sticky homemade orange sauce, all the Panda Express flavor with a fraction of the oil. Ready in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, or breasts or tenderloins
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon potato starch, or cornstarch
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Olive oil, or avocado oil cooking spray
Orange Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1 large orange, juiced, about 1/3 cup
- 1/2 cup soy sauce, low-sodium recommended
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For garnish
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- Extra orange zest
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Whisk the flour and potato starch together and divide the mixture between two shallow bowls. In a third bowl, whisk the eggs and water. In a fourth bowl, combine the panko, red pepper flakes, black pepper and ground ginger.
- Working in batches, coat the chicken in flour, dip it in egg, coat it in the second bowl of flour, dip it in egg again, then press it into the panko mixture.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 3 to 5 minutes. Line the basket with a perforated parchment liner or greased foil and arrange the chicken in a single layer. Spray it lightly with oil.
- Air fry for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and the chicken reaches 165°F.
- While the chicken cooks, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and orange zest, and cook for 1 minute. Whisk the marmalade, orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar and cornstarch until smooth, then add the mixture to the pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes until thickened. Season to taste.
- Toss the hot chicken in the sauce. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds and orange zest, and serve over rice.
Equipment
- Perforated parchment liners (optional)
- 4 shallow bowls
- Medium Saucepan
- Instant-read meat thermometer
Notes
Cooking times vary by air fryer model, so always check for 165°F. For less sodium, use low-sodium soy sauce and skip the added salt. For gluten-free, use GF flour and panko plus tamari.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 512kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 36gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 255mgSodium: 1436mgPotassium: 683mgFiber: 4gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 654IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 5mg