Panda Express Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe

So... tonight I decided to try another Pinterest inspired recipe. This one caught the eye of my son who requested I give it a shot some time. I had to admit it did look pretty awesome and I had all the ingredients on hand so I went for it. Oh. My. Goodness!! This was about as close to a Panda Express recipe that I could have imagined making at home, that is for sure. I tweaked it a little bit from the original recipe and was really glad that I did. It feels like it took forever to make, but, in actuality, it only took about 20 minutes. Not bad at all. If I made it when I was TOTALLY NOT in the mood to cook (like tonight), then certainly you all can handle it too. ;-) Give it a shot when you are in the mood for Chinese food and you will not be disappointed. I made broccoli and steamed rice to go with it. Super yummy!!

Just-as-good-as-Panda-Express Orange Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups cornstarch
vegetable oil, for frying the chicken

dredge the chicken pieces in cornstarch and cook in preheated oil, in small batches, until light brown, about 6-8 minutes. Set aside.

sauce:
1 cup water
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp orange zest
juice of 1 orange
1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
4 tsp cornstarch

Next, combine sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl until blended well. Heat to a simmer in a frying pan, large enough to hold all the chicken pieces. Once simmering, allow to thicken for 3-4 minutes. Add cooked chicken to sauce mixture and stir to coat the pieces. Allow to thicken a little more, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Let's just call this one my Pinterest Weekly Project too. #6. :)

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