CopyCat Panda Express Orange Chicken

Ingredients

For the chicken:
1 pound chicken breasts or thighs (really tasty) cut into irregular 1 inch cubes
1-2 cups self- rising flour
2 large eggs
3 cups Oil for deep frying , or as many cups as you need for your fryer

For the orange chicken glaze/sauce:
1 large orange juiced, 1 large orange is around 3/4 cups
1/4 tsp. orange zest
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes or 1/2 tsp. Sriracha sauce (to taste)
1 clove of garlic minced
2 tsp. corn starch
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Directions

Heat the oil in a frying vessel or fryer to 375° F. This temperature is optimal for a deep fry. Make sure there is enough oil to cover the chicken.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until they are mixed thoroughly.

In another medium sized bowl put 1 cup of the flour or cornstarch (you can add more later if you need it).

Dip the chicken first in the eggs then coat the pieces with the flour. Repeat this step until you have the desired amount to fry.

Next, take around 1/4 of the coated chicken and add the chicken to the hot oil in the fryer or frying pan. Depending on your frying vessel the chicken will need to be fried in batches. The chicken pieces should not be touching in the fryer. You will know they are ready to take out when the coating is medium brown and the inside of the chicken reaches at least 165 degrees. Around 3 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile make the sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small pot (making sure that the cornstarch is dissolved before cooking. Heat on medium heat until the sauce thickens. This will take around 7 minutes.

Last step: Place fried chicken in a large sized bowl and pour the sauce on top. Toss lightly until all chicken is coated. Serve immediately.