Air Fryer Orange Chicken
A Panda Express Copycat recipe, this is a healthy alternative, using an air fryer to make sweet, spicy, and savory chicken pieces with a crunch.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken thighs
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup corn starch
- 1 egg
- 1 onion sliced
- cooking oil spray
Orange Glaze
- 2 oranges zest and juice
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp mirin Chinese cooking wine
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Slurry
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Trim and cut chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces and season with some salt/pepper. In one large bowl, combine flour/corn starch. In another, crack an egg into it and whisk.
- Place chicken pieces first in the egg bowl to coat all pieces. In small batches, transfer chicken pieces to flour mixture, tossing until coated before setting aside on a pan.
- Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees, place chicken inside, and give a quick spray with cooking oil. Cook in batches for 20-25 minutes, flipping once. Each air fryer is different so you can check individual pieces periodically- they are done when no longer pink.
- Meanwhile, you can saute onion and once golden, set aside.
- When you are on your last batch, start making the glaze. In a saucepan on medium heat, saute the garlic and ginger for a couple minutes before adding the remaining ingredients and simmering on low heat for 5 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water to create a slurry and then pour this into glaze to thicken.
- Once chicken is ready, place in a large serving bowl and pour over glaze with sauteed onions, tossing to coat.
- Can optionally top with sliced green onions or extra orange slices.
Notes
Make sure to give the chicken enough room in the air fryer to allow for even distribution of heat.