This Instant Pot Orange Chicken is made with crispy fried chicken coated in a sticky orange chicken sauce. Just like Panda Express but better!
One of our largest spending categories when we first started budgeting was eating out. Takeout was something that we were doing two or three times a week. When we wanted to start to nail down our spending and start paying off our debt we knew that our takeout habit had to stop! So, I started looking for ways that I could make our favorite takeout foods at home so that we didn’t miss the taste but we still saved money by eating at home.
This recipe came from our need to spend less on eating out, but still wanting some delicious takeout Chinese flavors. Learning to make our favorite restaurant meals at home is what has really helped spend less and pay off all our debts.
I wanted to keep the ingredients simple and based around items that I usually have in my pantry or fridge. I try not to buy something that I can only use for one recipe. One of the ways that I save on my grocery bill is that make sure that every ingredient that I buy is used for more than one recipe. This orange chicken recipe keeps the ingredients simple which is always a win in my book!
I love Panda Express Orange Chicken. It’s one of my favorite takeout foods. However, when we moved to the town that we live in now there is not a Panda Express near by. So, if I want my Panda Express Orange Chicken, I have to make it myself. Which is so simple with this pressure cooker recipe. Instant Pot recipes are my favorite because they are quick and easy and help me get dinner on the table in a flash.
Your family will love this homemade Instant Pot Orange Chicken and will forget where you even put the takeout menus!
Now that we’ve made this Orange Chicken at home, I’m not even tempted to order Chinese takeout. I always pair this Instant Pot Orange Chicken recipe with my Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice recipe that you can you find here. We can’t eat Chinese food without fried rice in our house!
Orange Chicken
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken Breast cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup no sugar added orange juice
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Cornstarch Slurry
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon orange juice
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with a few paper towels and after that cut the chicken into 1-2 inch chunks.
- In a small bowl add your 2 eggs and whisk.
- In a separate bowl add your corn starch and all purpose flour.
- Mix to combine.
- Dip the chicken chunks into the whisked eggs and then into the flour mixture
- Shake off to the excess and set to the side.
- Repeat until all chicken is coated.
- Heat up your pressure cooker: press Sauté.
- Wait for the Instant Pot indicator to read HOT. Add the oil to the hot Instant Pot, add the chicken and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Turn your chicken over and over for an even cook.
- Cook until it just starts to get golden brown.
- Remove the chicken and set to the side. Deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup orange juice and scrape them with a wooden spoon. Add the Sauce ingredients to the pot. Stir gently until all the ingredients are combined.
- Add the chicken and toss until they are coated in sauce. Close lid, select Manual, and select 5 minutes on High Pressure.
- Make sure the vent is closed. Use a 10 minute Natural Release.
- Turn off the heat.
- Release the remaining pressure by opening the vent. Open the lid. Select again the Sauté function.
- In a medium bowl combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the orange juice, whisk until all combined with no lumps. Add the mixture to the Instant Pot and gently stir to combine.
- Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Turn the instant pot off.
- Allow the chicken to thicken for 5 minutes. Serve over rice and
garnish with fresh chopped green onions, red chilis, and extra orange
zest.