It’s Time To Satisfy That Craving With Less Guilt

Hello again, my friends!

What are you doing right now to satisfy those fast food cravings? Taking the easy way out and ordering out, or are you experimenting a bit to find that tasty alternative? Fret not, I found a great recipe for you all to try!

This weeks recipe for baked orange chicken is courtesy of Dinner Then Dessert. The recipe can be found right -> here!

This week I’ve been craving some orange chicken without having to order out. I’ve tried a few recipes for orange chicken in the past and they all have their upsides, but this recipe for baked orange chicken really separates itself by having a Panda Express Orange Chicken copycat sauce. Those who have witnessed the addicting flavors of Panda…you know what you’re looking out for.

Prepping the Chicken

My favorite part of a baked recipe is how the chicken is prepared. I’ve attempted a few different ways, but this recipe really nails it on the nose. Follow this recipe to every punctuation mark for prepping this chicken. One thing I would stress though is to use chicken thighs as indicated instead of chicken breasts. The last thing you want is dry chicken for your meal, and chicken thighs just taste better. We can’t argue on that, right?

Because you want to create that same textured coating for the chicken, make sure each side is complete covered with the panko crumbs. It makes all the difference, I promise. Oh yes–and the vegetable oil for coating? I would 100% recommend using a vegetable spray instead of a brush to apply the oil.

The Magic is in the Sauce

If you’ve had Panda Express orange chicken before, then you know it has a distinct taste. It’s not just sweet; it’s not just orange. It has an extra bite. Looking at the ingredient list, I realized what it was: vinegar. When I first saw that the sauce, I was a bit taken bake by the amount of sugar and vinegar that is in it, but I’ll be honest with you that the sugar and vinegar work well together. Neither flavor overpowers the other. The sauce thickens up and coats every bit of the baked chicken pieces, which is what I always look for in a dish like this.

I do, however, have some recommendations after making this. If you’re eating this chicken with some rice, I do recommend that you double the sauce. Because of how thick it gets, it really sticks to the chicken and there isn’t much left for anything else. I do like having extra sauce for the option of adding more. Aside from the amount of the sauce, I would probably increase the amount of orange juice from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup.Very slight change, but I do love the flavor of the orange in this sauce.

Overall, what I do love the most about this recipe is that it’s a baked chicken recipe. Sometimes you want to eat the delicious goodies without feeling weighed down by fried foods. This recipe will satisfy that craving, I guarantee it.

Grey’s Grade: 5/5

Whether you’re trying to watch how much takeout you’re ordering, or wanting to learn to make your favorites without all the frying–this recipe is fantastic. The chicken preparation is a nice blend of juicy and crispy, which is exactly what you’re looking for. Pair it with the delicious sauce and you’d think you were eating Panda Express Orange Chicken. Of course, as all copycat recipes, keep in mind that with these differences in preparation and ingredients–this will not be 100% exact, but it will get the job done.

I will absolutely be making this again with the few changes to the sauce that I mentioned above.

What’s your favorite guilty pleasure meal? Anything you tried to recreate? Let me know below!

Check Out My Reviews

• Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry
• Guilt-Free Oven “Fried” Chicken
• Thai Turkey Meatballs in Coconut Red Curry Sauce

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