Description
This Baked Orange Chicken recipe is a healthier twist on the classic favorite, featuring a crispy breadcrumb coating and a tangy, sweet orange sauce inspired by Panda Express. Perfect for a quick and delicious Chinese-inspired main course that's ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Chicken Coating
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into small chunks
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup flour
- Cooking spray or vegetable oil for brushing
Orange Sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons rice wine (white wine works too)
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, from zesting 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 10 tablespoons sugar
- 10 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 orange, zested
Instructions
- Prepare Breadcrumbs and Oven: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pulse the panko breadcrumbs in a food processor until they become smaller, resembling regular breadcrumbs for a finer coating.
- Set Up Breading Stations: Place the processed panko in one bowl, the chicken chunks in a second bowl, beaten eggs in a third bowl, and flour in a fourth bowl, arranging them for easy breading.
- Bread the Chicken: Dip the chicken pieces first in flour, then into the beaten eggs, and finally coat them with the panko breadcrumbs. Place each breaded piece on a baking sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil to help crisp the coating.
- Bake the Chicken: Bake the breaded chicken in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Make the Orange Sauce: While the chicken bakes, heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper, cooking for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Simmer the Sauce: Stir in cornstarch, rice wine, fresh orange juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, white vinegar, and orange zest. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until it thickens, then remove from heat.
- Toss Chicken with Sauce: Once the chicken is done baking, toss it in the prepared orange sauce until evenly coated and serve immediately.
Notes
- Using boneless, skinless chicken thighs keeps the meat juicy and tender.
- To make the breadcrumbs finer, use a food processor to pulse the panko just before breading.
- Adjust the amount of crushed red pepper based on your preferred spice level.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the flour and soy sauce with gluten-free alternatives.
- Sauce thickening depends on the cornstarch; ensure to mix it well to avoid lumps.
