Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe (2024)

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This post is all about how to make a copycat version of the Cheesecake Factory orange chicken. One of the most popular dishes that this restaurant serves, you can now make this dish at home in just 30 minutes! Plus it’s even tastier 🙂

Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe (1)

My copycat Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken is sweet and tangy with a strong orange-essence that derives from the zest and juice of fresh oranges.

In this recipe, I’ll show you my tips and tricks to get an extra crunchy puffy batter to ensure a stay-crisp coating, just like we experience at the restaurant.

This addictively delicious crowd-favorite tastes just like the Orange Chicken that’s served up at the Cheesecake Factory (and better than any takeout restaurants for that matter).

This post is all about how to make the perfect copycat recipe for Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken

Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe (2)

Is the Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken any good?

Why am I making an Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe from The Cheesecake Factory of all places? I realize it’s a bit random to be sharing an orange chicken recipe from the Cheesecake Factory. After all, it’s not an authentic Chinese restaurant or even a Chinese restaurant for that matter. But they do have a really good version that’s widely adored.

Consistently delicious from location to location. Their chicken is always super crispy and hot, the sauce is tangy, sweet, with a kick of spice and has a strong real orange scent that permeates from the plate. So although this is certainly an americanized dish, it’s one that is exceptionally delicious and crave-able.

So I decided to create a recipe for this dish so I can help all the people that LOVE this dish (myself included) make this at home!

Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe (3)

The Key To Extra Crispy Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken:

To get the ultimate crispiness on your chicken pieces for this dish and others, the key is a double deep fry. There is nothing worse than breaded, fried chicken pieces that turns mushy after it’s coated in sauce. You want that chicken coating to withstand the saucy moisture and still keep a crunch.

You’ll fry the chicken in round 1, then remove the chicken and let it cool for several minutes on a cooling rack. Once the oil reaches the proper temperature, we’ll place it back into the hot oil for an addition minute. Frying twice gets the chicken twice as crispy!

Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe (4)

Looking for another great Asian-inspired chicken recipe?

Try my Sesame Chicken Recipe that was inspired by a local Mandarin/Cantonese restaurant in my hometown in Oregon.

Chinese Takeout Sesame Chicken

Sticky Chili Apricot Chicken

The Best Crispy General Tso’s Chicken

PF Changs Crispy Honey Chicken

Mom’s Famous Egg Rolls

I look forward to your comments and any questions you may have! Please feel free to list them below and don’t forget to tag me on social media if you make this recipe @BadBatchBaking and use #BadBatchBaking.

Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe (5)

Print Recipe

Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe

Sticky coated orange chicken with an ultra crispy batter served over a bed of rice.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Mallory Austin

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
  • Oil for frying about 2-3 cups

Orange Chicken Sauce

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp ginger grated
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Zest from 1 orange avoid the white part
  • Slurry- 2 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water

Dredging

  • 1/2 cup cornstarch

Wet Batter

  • 6 tbsp cornstarch
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 7-8 tbsp cold soda water
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2-3 cups vegetable oil
  • prepared rice for serving (optional)
  • Garnish - orange zest and sliced green onions

Instructions

  • Preheat oil to 350 degrees in a fry safe skillet. For best results, use a thermometer to maintain accurate oil temperature. Nearby, place a cooling rack atop of baking sheet as a landing space for cooked chicken.

  • Prepare sauce by combining all sauce ingredients into a saucepan (withholding cornstarch slurry). Bring to a simmering boil until sugar dissolves. Combine the cornstarch+water slurry and add to the sauce, whisk to incorporate and simmer until thickened. Keep warm while preparing the chicken.

  • Dust Chicken: Place 1/2 cup of cornstarch into a medium bowl and toss chicken chunks in the cornstarch to coat.

  • Make cold batter by whisking together flour, salt, cornstarch and baking powder in a separate medium bowl. Pour in about ~7 tablespoons of COLD soda water then whisk just a few times until combined, a few lumps are ok - don’t overmix.

  • 1st Fry: dunk a handful of chicken pieces into the batter, turning to coat each piece, place one at a time into the oil. Fry for 3 minutes until light golden brown, remove them and drain on a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining chicken.

  • 2nd Fry: bring oil back to temperature (this takes about 5 minutes or so) and again working in batches, add the chicken back into the oil to fry 90 seconds or until medium-golden brown and return to cooling rack to drain excess oil.

  • Add handfuls of fully coated chicken into prepared warm sauce, tumbling around quickly to coat, repeating with remaining chicken.

  • Serve over a bed of warm rice and top with grated orange peel and diced green onions and a few spoonfuls of extra sauce.

Notes

For best results, use a thermometer when frying to maintain accurate temperature as the oil with fluctuate.

This calls for a double fry method to ensure maximum crispiness.

It’s imperative to use cold soda water in order to ensure to proper crisp texture of the chicken pieces.

Double the sauce recipe if you tend to like extra sauce to drizzle over the rice when serving.

More from my site

  • Louisiana Chicken Pasta Bake
  • Sticky Chili Apricot Chicken
  • The BEST Crispy General Tso’s Chicken Recipe
  • Triple Berry Oat Tropical Smoothie Copycat Recipe
  • Crispy Honey Chicken PF Changs Copycat
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Cheesecake Factory Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the orange chicken sauce made of? ›

How to make the orange chicken sauce. The orange sauce is made from a mixture of the orange juice and zest, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar. This is bubbled up in the wok until slightly thickened. The chicken is then added back in, and tossed in the sauce until fully coated.

Is General Tso chicken the same as orange chicken? ›

General Tso's chicken is typically spicier and has a more complex flavor profile, with a sauce that includes soy sauce, vinegar, and chili peppers. Orange chicken, on the other hand, has a sweeter and tangier sauce made with orange juice and zest.

What is the difference between orange chicken and tangerine chicken? ›

Tangerine is used in traditional Chinese medicine as well as cooking. Tangerine chicken tastes fresh and spicy, but orange chicken tastes sweet and sour. Orange chicken is crispy cooked in a sweet and little spicy orange sauce. The sweetness of orange chicken was introduced to cater to American tastes.

What is similar to orange chicken? ›

Sesame Chicken, General Tso, and Orange Chicken look quite similar and share some common ingredients, which can make it difficult for some to choose between them.

Why is my orange chicken sauce not thickening? ›

Sauce is like gravy in that if it's not thickening as much as you want after you've added the cornstarch, turn the heat up a little and continue to cook. Keep an eye on it though, as it can thicken quickly.

How do you thicken orange chicken sauce without cornstarch? ›

Mix 2 tablespoons (16 g) of flour with 1/4 cup (60 mL) of cold water, then add to your sauce and stir over medium heat until it thickens. Alternatively, create a sauce-thickening roux by whisking 1 tbsp (15 g) of butter and 1 tbsp (9 g) of salt together, then adding the mixture to your sauce.

What is the closest thing to General Tso's chicken? ›

General Tso's is very similar to sesame chicken, though it's a little spicy and the flavor is a bit more savory-sweet, whereas sesame is much more sweet-sweet, if that makes sense.

What is better Szechuan chicken or General Tso's? ›

Our experts say… General Tso's chicken is about the most dangerous Chinese dish on the menu—dark meat battered and deep-fried, then cooked with vegetables in a sweet, spicy sauce. Szechuan chicken, made with leaner, white meat and sautéed with vegetables, is a far better choice.

Why is orange chicken so high in calories? ›

The chicken in many orange chicken recipes is usually battered and fried before adding the sauce. So you end up having a dish that is high in calories, fat, and sugar. It gets worse when you insist on eating it with sauce drippings and rice, which itself is highly caloric as well.

Is orange chicken Chinese or American? ›

While the orange chicken is one of the most famous Chinese dishes in America, it is a purely American invention, with no authentic Chinese resturants or restaurants in China serving this dish.

Why does orange chicken taste so good? ›

One distinct characteristic of orange chicken is that it is sweet, and that comes from the addition of brown sugar (and honey), which gives the sauce it's sticky, caramelized glaze. The addition of brown sugar in many Asian recipes helps to balance out sour flavors and spices added to the dish.

What is orange chicken from a Chinese restaurant? ›

What Is Orange Chicken? Orange chicken is one of many iterations of Chinese takeout dishes that involve fried chicken pieces tossed with sauce. In this case, the sauce is a mix of soy sauce, water, and orange juice, plus some cornstarch thickener to make the sauce just thick enough to coat the chicken.

What can I substitute for orange juice in orange chicken? ›

The most commonsubstitutes for orange juice are lemon, lime, apple, and pineapplejuice. Sometimes you can use orange extract as well to keep the orange flavor. But for some recipes you may also need to add something acidic as well, such as pineapple juiceor citric acid.

What is a substitute for orange marmalade in orange chicken? ›

1. Orange or citrus jam: These jams are made from oranges or a mix of citrus fruits and can provide a similar tangy flavor to marmalade. 2. Apricot jam: Apricot jam has a sweet and slightly tart flavor that can be a good alternative, although it lacks the distinct bitterness of marmalade.

What ethnicity is orange chicken? ›

Yes, but it is not an authentic Chinese dish, Orange Chicken is an Americanized Chinese dish. Orange Chicken was inspired from a Cantonese dish that features deep fried chicken with sauce. What is the origin of General Tso's chicken?

What is the orange sauce at Chinese restaurants? ›

Duck sauce (or orange sauce) is a condiment with a sweet and sour flavor and a translucent orange appearance similar to a thin jelly. Offered at American Chinese restaurants, it is used as a dip for deep-fried dishes such as wonton strips, spring rolls, egg rolls, duck, chicken, fish, or with rice or noodles.

What is Panda Express orange chicken made of? ›

Ingredients: dark meat chicken, water, sugar, distilled vinegar, modified food starch, corn starch, potato starch, contains less than 2% of: wheat, orange extract, caramel color, salt, garlic, phosphoric acid, rice wine, sesame oil. *The dish uses a proprietary batter and sauce.

What does orange chicken sauce taste like? ›

Orange chicken is a popular item at Chinese restaurants. It consists of small cubes of chicken that are breaded, pan-fried, and coated in an orange sauce. The orange sauce is sweet with a little tang and a hint of spice. It's mainly known for its orange flavor (as you can guess from the name).

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