My son absolutely loves Panda Express and like many others, his favorite dish there is the famous Orange Chicken. In honor of his birthday today, I made Orange Chicken and it was a hit! I found it to be better balanced than the fast food counterpart and it felt good knowing it was a wholesome choice over the commercially made version.
I prepared this in our Instant Pot and it came together pretty quickly. With only 6 easy steps, you can have this ready and on the table in less time than going to your local Panda Express drive through!
Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Serves 6-8
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15-20 minutes
2 pounds of chicken breast or thighs, chopped into 1-2 inch nuggets
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha
Zest of 1 orange
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons orange juice slurry mixture
2 pounds of chicken breast or thighs, chopped into 1-2 inch nuggets
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha
Zest of 1 orange
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons orange juice slurry mixture
1. Gather all your ingredients.
2. Heat Instant pot to Saute, add olive oil. When oil is hot, add the chicken.
3. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
4. In a small bowl combine the orange juice, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, orange zest, and sriracha.
5. Add sauce to chicken and stir together until well combined. Close lid and select Manual. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Use a 10 minute natural release and turn off the heat. Select the saute function on low.
5. Add sauce to chicken and stir together until well combined. Close lid and select Manual. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Use a 10 minute natural release and turn off the heat. Select the saute function on low.
6. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons orange juice. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Add slurry to the Instant Pot and gently stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes until it begins to thicken. About 2-3 minutes. Allow it to set for about 5-7 minutes while the sauce thickens more.
Serve with rice and your choice of garnishes.
This is going on the menu for this week. Looks wonderful!
Thank you for this recipe. I love it because I don't have to leave the house and get any ingredients that aren't already in my cupboards. This is simple and so easy to make! Oh, and delicious too!!