Ground Orange Chicken is made in one pan and only takes 20 minutes using a Panda Express copycat sauce. So much healthier than the original!
I love Chinese Chicken Recipes, especially ones that give a healthier option than just grabbing take-out on the way home. For more healthier meal options like this, try my Ground Sesame Chicken and Ground Chicken Stir Fry.
Why You’ll Love This Ground Orange Chicken?
- It is so much healthier than the fried version.
- It comes together in just 20 minutes!
Sabrina’s Ground Orange Chicken Recipe
A dinner that is fast, delicious, and healthy all at the same time? That’s what I have for you here with this ground chicken recipe. Ground Orange Chicken was born in my head one evening when I was preparing Korean Ground Beef as I have for years. I had a package of ground chicken and I was about to suggest making Korean Ground Chicken when I thought, “ooooorrrrrrrrrrrrr….” and a whole new world of ideas came flooding into my head. Get ready to add this to your regular dinner rotation and be prepared for the family to ask for seconds.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger root , minced
- 2 teaspoons garlic , minced
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 5 tablespoons white vinegar
- zest of ½ orange
- 3 tablespoons water , divided
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- To make the sauce combine the rice wine, 2 tablespoons water, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, white vinegar, and orange zest.
- Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in the remaining 1 tablespoon of water and set aside.
- To a large pan add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and ground chicken.
- Cook until a good crust forms before breaking apart, then finish cooking by breaking it apart with a spatula and cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked add the ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook for about 10 seconds.
- Add the orange sauce and bring to boil.
- Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and cook for just a few seconds, stirring until it thickens.
Video
Nutrition
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Sabrina’s Tips
Set your rice to cook in the rice cooker, start cooking the chicken, and wash and cut up some broccoli to steam in the microwave (glass bowl, a bit of water and a wet paper towel over the top for 3 minutes). By the time the rice is done cooking, so is dinner.
Table of Contents
About this Recipe
This dish is amazing because you still get a crisp texture because I brown it well before breaking the chicken apart. And of course there is that addicting Panda Express Orange Chicken sauce that we all love. The only thing missing is the deep fat frying. Plus, it takes literally 20 minutes to make, and that is at a leisurely pace.
Ingredients
- Soy Sauce: I always recommend reduced sodium.
- Sesame Oil: The flavor of sesame oil in this dish is unmistakable and not really able to be substituted. Some grocery stores will try and sell less expensive options that aren’t actually sesame oil, so just be sure the one you’re buying is authentic sesame oil.
- Rice Wine: Adds an authentic flavor to the sauce, in a pinch if you absolutely can’t find it you can substitute white wine, but it will make it taste slightly different.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Wok: Great for high heat, quick cooking. This wok is a great addition to your kitchen if you love cooking Chinese food or stir fries in general.
- Large Frying Pan: If you don’t have a wok, you can use a large stainless steel frying pan or skillet, preferably with tall sides.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, this is a great meal option that you can prep ahead for busy weeknights or take for lunch in the office. After cooking, allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. It will stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days. Heat it up on the stove top or in the microwave. You can also freeze chicken for up to 3 months. Take it out and set it in the fridge to allow to thaw before reheating. As an added bonus, making it ahead of time also lets the flavors meld together to enhance the flavor.
Pairing Suggestions
This dish pairs well with so many things. You can keep it classic and serve it on top of White Rice with Easy Chinese Broccoli. You can also get creative and make other tasty Chinese sides like Egg Rolls, and Crab Rangoon with Duck Sauce for a full take-out meal made at home.
How to Store
- Serve: You can keep chicken at room temperature for up to 2 hours before storing it in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Store: Cool the chicken before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop for the best sauce consistency and taste.
- Freeze: Once cooled, transfer chicken to a sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stovetop.
Frequent Questions
If you don’t have any rice wine, you can replace it in this recipe with pale dry sherry, gin, dry white wine, sake or mirin, or even apple or grape juice.
No, rice wine and rice vinegar are different. Rice vinegar is a variety of vinegar you’ll find with the other vinegars in the grocery store. Rice wine is actually a type of wine, has alcohol content, and you’ll find it in the wine and spirits section of the store.
Variations
- Meat: You can use other lean meat, like ground turkey or ground pork. If you use ground beef, make sure to drain it before seasoning it with the garlic and red pepper flakes.
- Stir-Fry Veggies: Once the meat is cooked, transfer it to a plate. Stir fry veggies like snow peas, sliced carrots, bell peppers, and broccoli until crisp-tender. Add the ground chicken and sauce to the pan, tossing until hot.
- Seasonings: Asian flavorings that taste great with orange chicken sauce are hoisin sauce and chili garlic sauce. For a Kung Pao Chicken kick, add diced dried chiles!
Related Recipes
More Ground Chicken Recipes
These photos were used in a previous version of this post
so easy but so good! Orange sauce comes out fresh, not cloying and over sweet like store bought brands.
I don’t have rice wine or any wine at all. Do you think I could work without any?
You could also use apple or grape juice mixed with a small amount of rice vinegar.
This recipe is so amazing simple ingredients but delicious. NO LEFT OVER and my family want more. Thank you so much Sabrina for sharing 🙂
This was amazing , My favorite orange chicken recipe! Thanks so much Sabrina , love your recipes.
Thanks, Allen.
Absolutely amazing!! I took the advice of others and cut the sugar in half, which still made a sweet sauce. I added extra soy sauce to balance it. Next time I’ll add veggies and double the sauce. Oh also the red pepper flakes def added a kick! Be careful if you don’t like spicy! I highly recommend this dish and will add this to my regular rotation!
This was a hit at my house!!!
This was pretty amazing and super duper easy!!!
Hello –
I have all the ingredients except the sesame oil. Will that make a huge difference?
Thanks,
It will change the flavor profile a bit but it will still be delicious!
HI, this tastes amazing, thank you for the recipe! Just wondering why my sauce doesn’t look orange glazy like yours? The ground chicken I used has only 5% fat so it looks on the greyish side, but thought sauce would add some color and it didn’t. Thoughts?
Hmm, did you allow for it all to come to a boil once the sauce was added? My though is that maybe it didn’t cook long enough for it to darken. So glad it still tastes amazing as that’s the most important.
I had the same issue making it tonight. How long should it have boiled for it to darken in color?
You just want to boil it until it thickens.
Haven’t made this as of yet, it’s my menu plan tonight as I defrost my ground chicken. Any guesses on the measurements of orange zest? I have tangerines in the fridge I plan to use for the zest.
You’ll want about 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of zest for this dish.
Thank You for sharing this recipe! We loved it. I have to admit I just found it yesterday due to a mix up at the meat market, they gave me ground chicken instead of boneless, skinless breasts, so I looked up recipes for ground chicken and this one looked best. Glad I tried it. I didn’t have any oranges so I used orange juice (4TBSP) it was fantastic. Going forward, I will double the sauce (we’re just saucy people).
Glad it saved the day!
My husband loved this one! I used 1/2 the sugar and substituted with honey and it was delicious and not overly sweet.
I’m thrilled to find your recipe! One question – I only found toasted sesame oil at my regular grocery. Is toasted OK or do I need find the regular sesame at an asian market?
Yep that works great!
This was SO delicious! Served over cauliflower rice and with broccoli. May try to cut back sugar a little next time. Don’t skimp on the orange zest…it makes the dish!
P.S. I did sub Pinot Grigio for the rice wine because it was what I had on hand.
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed it, Jenn.
This was amazing and my husband and daughter agreed! Definitely adding to my rotation! I followed the recipe exactly and serviced it with steamed broccoli and miso noodles, yum!
Could this recipe be made with ground beef?
Sure 🙂
Do you have any thoughts on if I were to grind my chicken myself in a food processor? Thanks
That would work. Just pulse the blade until the meat is ground but still has texture.
Fabulous recipe!! So glad I found this. Just made it for lunch. I recommend doubling the recipe as this was not enough for four people since it’s so delicious, we gobbled up to the last morsel!!
Made this last night because I was unable to find ground beef in the stores but could find ground chicken. I’ve never cooked with ground chicken before So I wanted to try something I know they would like. We all love Panda Express orange chicken. My family loved it. Great recipe. I don’t eat rice so I added half a bag of a chopped cabbage salad mix at the end of cooking. Worked well. Definitely a keeper. Loved it. Thank you.
So glad you loved it!
Is there something I can use as a substitute to the rice wine? I’d love to give this recipe a try, looks delicious! Thanks!
You can use a dry sherry if you have that. Enjoy!
If you want quick and delicious this is it!!! I doubled recipe for a family of four (with 2 guys that are big eaters) and I will triple next time. Also added broccoli. Family staple now!
Thanks, Kim.
Easy to make & taste great. Everyone loved it – No leftovers is the only down side. We will definitely make a habit of this.
Your recipes are easy and the taste is so so good!!
Deeeeee-licious!
Excellent recipe! I needed a larger portion so I used 3lbs ground chicken and quadrupled the sauce recipe. A few tweaks I did: used Coco Aminos in place of the soy sauce, Truvia for the sugar (and used half the amount the recipe calls for since you only use half as much truvia vs sugar) and Arrowroot flour in place of cornstarch. Turned out perfect and everyone loved it including my 3yr old.
Could you freeze this? It was delicious! I doubled the sauce and yes, add veggies! I’m trying to get a good freezer meal list before baby #3 comes.
Yes, you can freeze this. Congrats!
This recipe was a hit with my husband and four year old son! Definitely an easy, yummy dish to add to the rotation.
This Is absolutely amazing. The flavor is so Intense, but the orange doesn’t overwhelm. Will be making this often.
Thanks for the 5 stars, Annie.
My family loved this, especially my 11 year old son who orders orange chicken from Pei-Wei and Panda. Might try honey next time, as someone else suggested.
I made this last night (1/28/20), it was awesome! Will keep in recipe binder for rotational dinners. Thanks!
Made this multiple times and it is SO good! Definitely recommend.
Could the sugar be replaced with honey?
I’ve not tested it but if you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
Can this be given to kids? My concern is the rice wine.
Because you’ll be cooking the sauce at a high heat, it allows for the alcohol to evaporate and makes it safe for kids. The sweet flavor will remain but not the alcohol.
It’s 1 Tbsp of rice wine for a full recipe so even if the alcohol didn’t cook out (which it does), it would still be safe for kids….
Excellent!
The ground chicken sticks together and seems gummy. Weird.
I followed the recipe with the following adjustments:
• Increased orange zest to one whole orange.
• Thinly sliced a couple green onions and stirred in right at the end.
I made it with Splenda too and it was awesome.
This was very yummy and quick to make. There isn’t much sauce and that worried me but it’s so flavorful a little goes a long way. This sauce would be good on a variety of meat or veggies.
Wow! A great recipe for sure.
I, too, doubled the sauce – so good.
Is now on my “to have again” list.
Warmed this Canadian gal up on a really cold night. ??
I made this recipe last night for dinner because I had to make something with the ground chicken I had. This was truly delicious! My husband, who is not a ground chicken fan, had two servings and took the rest for lunch today. I tripled the recipe and the only thing I changed was adding some of the juice of the orange that I used for “zesting”. The flavor of the orange sauce was restaurant quality….truly. I love to read reviews, but seldom leave them, but I had to revisit this site to leave my comments. The only thing I would change if I could have is I would have used whole chicken slices instead of ground. Still a winning recipe! Thanks!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know, Jackie. I’m so glad you both enjoyed it.
Can this be made with ground Turkey?
Sure 🙂
Delicious and so easy to make!
Loved this! Added a red pepper and onions! Doubled the sauce and served over brown rice! DELISH!
Thanks so much for coming back to let me know, Jacqui!
This was fabulous! I doubled the sauce recipe, other than that, I followed it exactly and served over rice. Sooo good.
This is one I definitely recommend doubling the sauce for, at least for our family haha! Glad you liked it!
Such a keeper! I have a big household of 7 to feed and in a hurry most times. With cheer practices, football games, basketball games, soccer practices, soccer games, and more I’ve been experimenting with ground chicken recipes. Love Korean Beef w ground beef but want some other options. This is a winner! I added 2 Tblsp of orange juice to mine. Tbh I double everything so I really added 4 Tblsp. It’s very much the same Orange Chicken flavor as Panda ? ? You can adjust heat too which is nice. I gotta couple lil ones who aren’t quite there yet for spicy foods. Thanks for another great option!
You are amazing to juggle so much! So glad that you all loved this recipe.
Orange chicken was good but next time I would cut the sugar in half it was way too sweet. I would also add broccoli and cashews.
So sorry to hear it wasn’t to your taste – it sounds like you’ve got some great ideas to make it more to you liking! I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Do the nutrition facts include the rice?
They do not, just the chicken and sauce.
Can you substitute the sugar for a sweetener like xylitol?
I haven’t used that personally so I don’t want to give a recommendation. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
I’ve made it twice with Splenda instead of sugar and it’s great!
So glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing so that others will know it’s a great substitute!
I used monk fruit sweetener and it was outstanding! I’m making it again tonight with chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces. Can’t wait to eat ?
I am sitting here right now eating both this and your Kung Pao version. I had packages of both ground turkey and chicken that I needed to use and I googled ground chicken recipes and found yours. They are both very good. Hubby liked but said he would like more crunchy veggies in the kung pao. I did double the sauce. But again, both were very good. I will definitely make again.
So happy to hear that! Some crunchy veggies I suggest would be water chestnuts or bean sprouts added in at the end. You can also dice instead of mince the peppers 🙂 Hope this helps and thanks for coming back and letting me know how it turned out!
This dish is bomb af. So delicious! So easy!
Absolutely terrific. I totally agree about doubling the sauce. I used rice wine vinegar instead of plain white vinegar. 5 stars. Easy. Delicious.
Glad you enjoyed!
Very good. Close enough to restaurant style using ground chicken
Just made this today and it was awesome, quick, and easy! My local grocery store didn’t have rice wine and I didn’t have time to go to an Asian market, so I used a dry white wine. I doubled the sauce, replaced one of the tablespoons of sugar with honey, and added a bit more red pepper. I also threw in some peas and diced carrots and served it with jasmine rice. I’m definitely going to check out your other “ground” Asian dishes now!
Sounds delicious! Let me know how you like the other dishes!