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You are here: Home / Asian Takeout Recipes / Instant Pot Orange Chicken

Instant Pot Orange Chicken

May 29, 2020 · Modified: Jul 29, 2021 by Foodies Terminal 6 Comments 1660 words.

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Instant Pot Orange Chicken Panda express inspired but, minus the deep fried chicken. It’s a healthy version of Orange Chicken that’s made with an amazing sweet sauce with a slight kick. A 15 mins recipe that the whole family will love.

Instant Pot Orange chicken on rice in a black bowl on a grey cloth
Orange Chicken with the best Sauce

Instant Pot Orange Chicken Panda Express

Panda Express inspired Instant Pot Orange Chicken is extremely delicious & get’s ready in 15 minutes!

No, you’ll not have crispy deep fried chicken pieces doused in a sweet sticky sauce.

But, you’ll not miss them either because the sauce of today’s Instant Pot Orange Chicken healthy version is finger licking good and it beautifully coats each sauteed piece of chicken.

Healthy Orange Chicken inside Instant Pot with a steel ladle
Orange Chicken in Sweet Sauce

It has the freshness from freshly squeezed orange juice, a good punch from freshly grated orange zest, lots of sweetness from sugar (both brown & white) & a whole lot of goodness from orange marmalade.

And, yes, marmalade is the secret ingredient.

Add it if you can or skip, the dish will still be just as good.

The slight kick from the red pepper flakes adds a whole new dimension & compliments the sweetness of marmalade beautifully. We love it!

Ingredients

Find the Ingredients with actual measurements way below the post on the “Recipe Card“. The list below is just a reference.

recipe ingredients in different size bowls on a black surface
Ingrdredients
  • Chicken: Use boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs. You can even use frozen thawed chicken.
  • Aromatics: Finely chopped ginger & garlic.
  • Red Pepper Flakes.
  • Sugar: Both brown and white sugar.
  • Fresh Orange Juice: You can use sweetened bottled juice but than you have to reduce the amount of sugar from the recipe. Freshly squeezed orange juice will give the dish the best flavors ever.
  • Orange Zest: The zest from a fresh orange. Just grate the outer skin (only the orange part) lightly with the help of a hand grater.
  • Light Soy Sauce.
  • Rice Vinegar.
  • Ketchup: You can use Sriracha too for a spicy flavor or you can even use a mix of Sriracha sauce & ketchup.
  • Orange Marmalade: Now, this one will totally boost the flavors of the dish making it a little more sweet, thick, glossy, sticky. That’s how we love our Orange Chicken. However, you can totally skip out the Marmalade. The recipe will still be very tasty.
  • Cornstarch Slurry.
  • Any Neutral Oil.
Instant Pot Orange chicken garnished with orange zest on rice in black bowl with chopsticks
Healthy Orange Chicken in Panda Express style Sauce

Tips & Tricks

  1. Saute the Chicken: Just rub the chicken with few drops of sesame oil & light soy sauce and than Saute it until lightly golden around the edges. This will add great flavors to the final dish. It helps mimic the restaurant quality wok flavors to some extent.
  2. Cook the chicken with orange juice: Pressure cooking the chicken in freshly squeezed orange juice will add tons of great flavor. I’ll highly recommend that you choose juice from a fresh orange over bottled juices.
  3. The Orange Chicken Sauce: The recipe has a fabulous thick sauce that’s sweet with a slight kick. For the best sauce do not skip any ingredients.
  4. The Sauce consistency: We love a thick sauce that clings to the chicken pieces well and we achieved the right consistency by simmering it with cornstarch slurry & finally mixed in the orange marmalade. If you prefer a slightly thinner sauce do simmer it less.
  5. The red pepper flakes: Adds a lovely zing to the dish without making it overtly spicy. However, if you have little ones at home skip the red pepper flakes.
  6. The Orange Marmalade: Now, this adds a whole new dimension to the recipe. It adds a great depth of flavor, gives the sauce a fabulous consistency, makes it thicker, adds more sweetness & freshness, imagine a burst of orange flavor & also adds a good amount of glossy sheen. So good! However, you can skip the marmalade if you want to. We love it by all means 🙂
  7. Orange Zest, when to add it: You can add it before pressure cooking or you can add it while simmering the sauce just like us. Adding it before pressure cooking will make the zest softer & make it milder.
  8. Controlling the Sweetness: This recipe is on the sweeter side with a good kick from the red pepper flakes. However, if you do not prefer sweeter sauces do reduce the amount of sugar according to your preference.

Method

*Steps in words below step photos.

Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements way below the post on the “Recipe Card“.

Step #1 Saute Chicken

sauteing chicken with aromatics in instant pot step by step photos
Saute Chicken

Set the Instant Pot on SAUTE & set it on NORMAL.

Just 30 seconds is all you need to quickly saute the ginger & garlic.

Add the cubed chicken & saute until the edges begin to turn lightly golden. This helps boost the flavor so so much.

If adding red pepper flakes add mid way.

Step #2 Pressure Cook

Pressure cooking chicken with orange juice in instant pot step by step photos
Pressure cook Chicken

De-glaze the pot really well after adding the Orange juice. This is to prevent the BURN error. Scrape the sides & the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula.

PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for just 1 minute followed by a QUICK RELEASE.

Step #3 Thicken the Sauce

Simmer to thicken sauce in instant pot step by step photos
Simmer & Thicken Sauce

Add the sauce ingredients – sugars, light soy sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar, orange zest & cornstarch slurry (helps thicken the sauce).

Mix well & simmer on SAUTE at LOW for 1 min stirring from time to time.

Add the orange marmalade, mix & simmer until you reach the sauce consistency that you love.

Enjoy the Best Instant Pot Orange Chicken with rice 🙂

orange chicken in a sticky orange sauce inside instant pot with a steel ladle
Panda Express inspired Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken – FAQs

How long will Orange Chicken last in the fridge?

Orange Chicken will last for 5 days in the fridge when stored in moisture free air tight containers.

Can Orange Chicken be frozen?

Yes Orange Chicken can be frozen for upto 3 months.
We always prefer individual size freezer safe bags or containers. It’s easier this way to re-heat and enjoy the dish.

Serving Ideas

  • Steamed White Jasmine Rice.
  • Steamed Brown Rice.
  • Noodles.

More Asian Take-out Recipes:

Take-out style healthy Chinese chicken and broccoli
Instant Pot Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
Mongolian Chicken served on white steamed rice
Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken
Instant Pot Cashew Chicken restaurant style
Instant Pot cashew chicken
easy ramen stir fry in instant pot
Instant Pot Ramen Stir Fry
Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe
Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
Chicken Lo mein take out style
Authentic chicken lo mein recipe
Instant Pot Orange Chicken in black bowl

Instant Pot Orange Chicken

5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 733kcal
Author: Meghna

Watch Recipe Video

Instant Pot Orange Chicken Panda Express inspired but minus the deep fried chicken. You'll have the most amazing & best tasting Orange chicken that's made with sauteed chicken in a fabulous sweet, sticky sauce with a bit of a kick.

Ingredients

  • 0.83 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs diced into ½ inch cubes (380 grams)
  • ½ cup orange juice (from a fresh orange)
  • 1 tsp Finely Chopped Garlic.
  • 1 tsp Finely chopped ginger
  • 1 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
  • 3 tbsp any neutral oil

For Flash Marinating Chicken (Optional)

  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce

For the Sauce

  • 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1.5 tbsp Rice vinegar
  • 2.5 tbsp ketchup (or Sriracha for spicy sauce, *Read NOTES below)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 3 tbsp orange marmalade (*Read NOTES below)
  • ½ tbsp orange zest

Thickener

  • 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with equal parts water to form a slurry
Want more Recipe Videos?Check out our Youtube channel!

Equipment Used

Instant Pot DUO 6 quart

Instructions

  • Begin the recipe by gently rubbing the cubed chicken pieces with sesame oil & light soy sauce. Set them aside while you prep the other ingredients. This step is OPTIONAL. However, it adds a nice touch to the recipe.
  • Now, set the Instant Pot on SAUTE function & set it on NORMAL heat settings. Add oil & when the oil becomes moderately hot gently release the finely chopped ginger & garlic and saute them for just 30 seconds.
  • Next, add the flash marinated chicken pieces & saute them until lightly golden around the edges. Add the red pepper flakes mid way. Saute the chicken while scraping the sides of the pot to loosen any bits & crumbs.
  • Add the orange juice & de-glaze the pot very well with the help of a spatula. This is to help prevent the BURN error. It'll help loosen the bits & crumbs stuck at the base of the pot or on the sides.
  • CANCEL the SAUTE function. Close the lid, seal the valve and PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for just 1 min.
  • Once, the pressure cooking cycle is over perform a quick release manually moving the valve from the SEALING to the VENTING position. Open the lid carefully.
  • Now add all the ingredients mentioned above in the, "For the sauce" category of the Ingredients section and also the cornstarch slurry. Give a good stir. CANCEL the Pressure cook option.
  • Turn on the SAUTE function & keep it at LOW. Simmer the sauce until it thickens to the consistency that you prefer (the sauce also thickens further as it cools down). Finally add the orange marmalade, mix well and simmer for just 30 seconds to blend in the marmalade with the sauce. You'll have a fabulous sticky sweet thick sauce at the end.
  • Enjoy with Jasmine Rice, brown rice or noodles.

Notes

  1. Measuring Units Used, 1 cup = 240 ml & 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
  2. The Recipe is sweet, you can reduce the amount of sugar to control the sweetness. 
  3. Ketchup: If you love spicy food sub the ketchup with Sriracha Sauce. You can also use 1:1 ketchup:Sriracha.
  4. Red Pepper Flakes: They add a subtle kick to the dish. However, if you are completely heat intolerant or making the dish for little ones skip using them.
  5. Orange Juice: For best flavors use the juice from fresh oranges. 
  6. Bottled orange juice: It’s not a great sub for fresh juice. However, if you totally cannot find fresh oranges you may use bottled juice. In that case reduce the amount of sugar according to your preference.
  7. If not using Orange Marmalade: Use ¼ cups both brown sugar and white sugar.
  8. The Sauce: We prefer a thick sauce that beautifully clings to every piece of chicken. However, you may keep the sauce consistency the way you prefer. Simmer it less to thicken it less.
 
Calorific details are provided by a third party application & are to be used as indicative figures only.
 
 
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 733 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Fat 28g43%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 120mg40%
Sodium 1285mg56%
Potassium 941mg27%
Carbohydrates 78g26%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 65g72%
Protein 43g86%
Vitamin A 535IU11%
Vitamin C 38mg46%
Calcium 50mg5%
Iron 2mg11%
* Read our privacy policy – Calorie information is provided as a courtesy only and should be leveraged as an estimate rather than a guarantee.Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
 
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 733kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1285mg | Potassium: 941mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 65g | Vitamin A: 535IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
Course :Main Course
Cuisine :American-Chinese, Chinese
Keyword :Instant Pot Orange Chicken, Instant Pot Orange Chicken Healthy, Instant Pot Orange Chicken Panda Express, Orange Chicken, Orange Chicken with Marmalade, Pressure Cooker Orange Chicken
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emily says

    March 30, 2021 at 11:33 pm

    5 stars
    My family loves this!!! They requested it be made weekly 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Great recipe!!

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      April 5, 2021 at 1:56 pm

      Hey Emily so glad that your whole family loved the recipe 🙂 Thanks so much for the awesome feedback, appreciate it 🙂 – Meghna xoxo

      Reply
  2. Foodies Terminal says

    January 25, 2021 at 7:47 pm

    Thanks so much Heather for your wonderful feedback 🙂 So glad that you enjoyed the recipe. Hope you enjoy each and every recipe that you make from this blog 🙂 – Meghna xoxo

    Reply
  3. Shawn says

    December 7, 2020 at 11:58 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of the best orange chicken recipes EVER created!!!! Stop reading reviews and do whatever it takes to get this on the table tonight. You won’t be disappointed!

    Reply
    • Foodies Terminal says

      December 9, 2020 at 6:38 pm

      So glad that you loved the recipe so much Shawn 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your amazing feedback and for giving the recipe a try! Hope you’ll enjoy our other recipes as well 🙂 – Meghna. XOXO

      Reply
  4. Meghan says

    December 5, 2020 at 12:04 am

    5 stars
    I’ll be honest here…like I made a ton of orange chicken recipes from Pinterest and from Google and did not like any of them. Such disappointing results and bland taste! But, this Orange Chicken OMG :O totally surprised me with the superb taste, amazing flavor and a wonderful texture. We love a thick sauce that really clings to the meat and this recipe provided exactly that! Thank you for such a fabulous recipe, this is gold guys, make it without a second thought!

    Reply

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!Hi! I am Meghna! Welcome to my web kitchen! I am the recipe developer, cook, writer & photographer behind this blog. Here you’ll find delicious, tried & tested recipes with step-by-step photos & videos.

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