I don't know about you, but to me the Orange Chicken from Panda Express at the mall is pretty much the best tasting stuff in the world. I think I've even had dreams about it.





But. Now that we are gluten free it's just not possible to eat it anymore and the frozen variety they sell at the grocery store is still gluten-city. So I needed to find a way to make it from scratch at home without the gluten or scary chemicals.





Enjoy!













I was talking to my grandma the other day, and she mentioned that my brother had brought her and grandpa orange chicken from Panda Express.

and that was it. I needed some.

I've made

a few times in the slow cooker, and was impressed with the results.





I tested out the same recipe with orange juice instead of lemonade, and guess what?





Instant orange sauce, without ingesting tons of deep-fried grease or a drop of gluten.





Yay!





How to Make CopyCat Panda Express Chinese Orange Chicken at home in the CrockPot Slow Cooker

The Ingredients.

serves 4

















1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch chunks

1/2 cup flour (I used Pamela's Baking Mix)

olive oil, for browning the chicken

1 teaspoon kosher salt

6 ounces (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (I'd opt for little-to-no pulp. The pulp can taste a bit bitter when cooked)

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons ketchup

The Directions.

Use a 4 quart slow cooker for best results.





Dredge the chicken pieces with the flour, and shake off the excess.





[hey steph, what do you mean by "dredge"? AH! Okay, shake the chicken around in a plastic bag with the flour so it's coated nicely, but not super clumpy.]





:-)





Go ahead and throw away any remaining flour, we won't need it.





Heat olive oil in a large skillet on the stove and brown the chicken on all sides.





There is no need to fully cook it, just sear it enough for the flour to stick and get a nice coating.

Plop the chicken pieces into your slow cooker.





In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup.





Taste.





If you'd like the chicken to be a bit sweeter, add a touch more sugar.





Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss gingerly to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4.





Serve over white or brown rice.

The Verdict.

Delicious. All four of us had seconds. Like I did with the

, I sprinkled some red pepper flakes onto my portion, because I like a bit of heat.





Everyone else at the table ate it as-is, and was quite happy.

other great take out fake out dishes:







