Instant Pot Orange Chicken

I know Panda Express is not "real" Chinese food, but you have to admit: they have some good stuff. Now this orange chicken doesn't taste like theirs, but I'd say, for homemade, it's still pretty good. I think some of it is that theirs is so crispy. This wasn't, but again, still decent. 

Chicken

• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 

Sauce

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper

Corn Starch Slurry

• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp orange juice
• 4 green onions, sliced
• orange zest

In a small bowl, add eggs and whisk. In a separate bowl, add your flour and cornstarch. Mix to combine. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Dip the chicken in chunks into the whisked eggs and then into the flour mixture. Shake off the excess and set aside. Repeat until all chicken is coated. 

Press sauté on Instant Pot and wait for indicator to read HOT. Pour in the oil. Add the chicken and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken and set aside. 

Deglaze the bottom of the pot with 1 cup orange juice and scrape off any food stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon. Mix in the ginger, garlic, vinegar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, soy sauce, sriracha, and red pepper. Add the chicken and toss until coated in the sauce. Close the lid and set the pressure release valve to seal. Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. 

Natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid. Press the sauté button again. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 Tbsp cornstarch and 2 Tbsp orange juice. Whisk well, until no longer lumpy. Pour the mixture into the instant pot and gently stir to combine. Let the sauce simmer for 3 minutes. Turn the pot off. Allow the sauce to thicken for 5 minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with fresh chopped green onions and orange zest. 

NOTES: The recipe said to only cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes in the oil at the beginning and this wasn't enough time for me to get mine browned. I also had to add more oil. I upped the time I recorded here, but you may find you need even longer. 

Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Recipe from AileenCooks.com