Description
This high protein homemade orange chicken is made from nourishing ingredients and done in 30 minutes, making it the perfect healthy weeknight dinner for a busy night. You’ll love the combination of crispy chicken and sweet, tangy orange sauce–no deep frying required!
Ingredients
Scale
For the chicken:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ pieces
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
- 2 Tablespoons low sodium gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce/coconut aminos)
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil (or other high-heat oil)
For the sauce:
- 1/3 cup orange juice (use best quality)
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar (or cider vinegar)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or honey if needed)
- 2 Tablespoons low sodium gluten free tamari (or soy sauce/coconut aminos)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch (or arrowroot)
- 1 Tablespoon water
Optional Garnish:
- Sesame seeds
- Orange zest
- Sliced green onion
- Minced cilantro
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare The Chicken. In a large zip-top bag or a small bowl, combine chicken, 3 Tablespoons cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons tamari/soy sauce). Stir or mix until chicken is well coated.
- Cook The Chicken In Batches. Heat 1 Tablespoon avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook chicken in batches, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook chicken 4-5 minutes on one side, then another 3-4 minutes on the second side, or until crisped and cooked through. (The interior temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees F.) Remove cooked chicken to a clean plate and repeat until all chicken is cooked, adding more oil, as needed.
- While The Chicken Cooks, Start The Sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, syrup, tamari, garlic, and ginger.
- Make The Slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tablespoon cornstarch with 1 Tablespoon water. Set cornstarch mixture aside.
- Cook The Sauce. When the chicken is done cooking, pour the sauce mixture into your pan. Add cornstarch mixture. Whisk over medium heat until sauce thickens.
- Add Chicken To Sauce. Turn off heat and stir in cooked chicken to coat with sauce.
- Serve & Store. Garnish with your favorites and enjoy warm with veggies, rice, or cauliflower rice! Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days. Keep in mind the sauce will thicken when cooled.
Notes
- Paleo Swaps: Use arrowroot starch in place of cornstarch, use coconut aminos in place of GF tamari/soy sauce, and use cider vinegar in place of rice vinegar
- Working With Arrowroot. I’ve been able to get a good crispy coating using arrowroot (a grain free/paleo-friendly) thickener, but I do find that I REALLY need to keep the pieces of chicken from touching in the pan so they can get a good crispy sear. Arrowroot is also a little more finicky when it comes to thickening sauces. If it boils too long, it can actually lose it’s thinking powers, so as soon as your sauce starts to thicken, be sure to take it off the heat and mix in your chicken. If it’s just not thickening, you can sometimes get away with adding a second round of arrowroot mixed with water.
- IF NOT GLUTEN FREE/PALEO: You can absolutely use soy sauce. I recommend low-sodium.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 305
- Sugar: 13.7 g
- Sodium: 545.7 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.4 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 26.8 g
- Cholesterol: 82.7 mg