The 4-Ingredient, 20-Minute Orange Chicken I Make All the Time

When I was working as a food video producer at another publication, I had the opportunity to meet Jimmy Wang, the Executive Director of Product Innovation at Panda Express—the chain behind orange chicken. I was lucky enough to get to watch him make the dish from scratch. Seeing classic Chinese culinary techniques blended with American ingredients and flavor preferences was illuminating as he prepared this iconic dish right in front of us.

As he cooked, Jimmy emphasized that Chinese food isn’t “fast food”—everything is prepared fresh, even if it’s done quickly. That sentiment stuck with me and brought me back to my childhood, watching my mom make simple Chinese home-cooked meals from scratch after long school days.

That experience has stayed with me, but so has the reality of weeknight cooking. While I deeply respect and understand the emphasis on freshness and technique, I’ve adopted my own shortcuts over the years to make orange chicken at home in a way that feels more approachable. This recipe reflects that balance.

My Quick and Easy Version of Orange Chicken

In his demonstration, Jimmy Wang shared a simplified version of the chain’s orange chicken recipe for home cooks, noting that Panda Express’s proprietary blends and techniques are what create the chicken’s signature light, fluffy crunch and moist interior. Rather than trying to reverse-engineer the food science behind it all, I reach for what makes the most sense to me: frozen chicken bites.

I personally prefer Tyson frozen chicken bites. They’re uniformly sized—similar to Panda Express’s orange chicken—and have enough craggly surface texture to hold onto the sauce without falling apart or sacrificing that delicious, crisp crunch. Because the breading is already perfected, I don’t have to worry about dredging or frying—a weeknight win!

Chicken nuggets will work in a pinch, but I find their thinner, softer coating can turn soggy once tossed. If that’s what I have on hand, I’ll dunk them in the sauce instead—McDonald’s style—which I honestly enjoy just as much.

As for the sauce, Panda Express’s bottled orange sauce is the real deal, complete with its signature red chili flakes suspended in the glossy orange sauce. That said, I find it more acidic than the restaurant version. The moment I open the bottle, a sharp hit of vinegar comes through, stronger and more pungent than what I’m used to from the restaurant.

While that acidity is clearly intentional—and likely key to shelf life—I like to soften it slightly at home. A splash of fresh orange juice adds brightness and natural sweetness, while a bit of light brown sugar rounds out the sharp edges. The orange juice also loosens the sauce to a consistency I really enjoy, making it clingy and forgiving without feeling sticky and gluey. 

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