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Healthy Orange Chicken
4.6 from 30 votes

Healthy Orange Chicken

Grain-free, soy-free paleo healthy orange chicken made with just a few basic ingredients in 30 minutes! Enjoy this flavorful, fun meal the next time you're craving takeout!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 363 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

For the Orange Sauce:
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 2 tsp orange zest
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos or liquid aminos or soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp ginger peeled and grated, fresh
  • 3 cloves garlic minced**
  • 2 tsp sriracha optional
For the Chicken:
  • 1 to ½ lbs chicken thigh chopped into bite-sized pieces, or breasts
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup tapioca flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil for cooking
For serving:
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 green onion chopped, bunch

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the ingredients for the sauce to a small blender and blend until completely combined (I use my Magic Bullet). If you don’t have a small blender, you can simply stir everything well in a bowl - just be sure to mince the garlic and grate the ginger. Set the sauce aside until ready to use.
  2. Whisk the egg until well-beaten in a mixing bowl. Chop the chicken and transfer it to the bowl with the egg. Stir well until the chicken is well-coated in egg. Add the flour and stir everything around until the chicken is coated in flour as well.
  3. Heat the avocado oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken and spread it into an even layer. The chicken pieces will want to stick together - don’t worry about it, they’ll come apart as you continue cooking.
  4. Allow the chicken to brown, stirring every couple of minutes, until the pieces have a nice golden-brown crust to them (you don’t need to cook the chicken through just yet).
  5. Pour in the sauce and stir well. Bring the mixture to a full boil, then cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Allow the chicken to cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and sticky, about 5 to 8 minutes.
  6. Serve orange chicken with choice of steamed or fried rice and enjoy!

Notes

  • *If using coconut aminos, add ¼ teaspoon of sea salt to the sauce then add more to taste once you’re finished cooking the chicken. If you are using liquid aminos or soy sauce, hold off on adding salt until you’re done cooking, as both contain a decent amount already.
  • In addition, if using liquid aminos or soy sauce, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup to the sauce for sweetness. Coconut aminos is already naturally sweet so no added sweetener is necessary.
  • **Omit the garlic for Low-FODMAP.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1of 4 Calories 363kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Protein 36g (72%) Fat 15g (23%) Sugar 8g (16%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 363

% Daily Value*

Serving 1of 4
Calories 363kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Protein 36g 72%
Fat 15g 23%
Sugar 8g 16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.