Gluten-Free Orange Chicken Recipe (Dairy-Free)

This Gluten-Free Orange Chicken Recipe is a healthy spin on the Panda Express favorite!  Sweet and tangy orange sauce with crispy tender pieces of chicken. Naturally dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and comes together in about 40 minutes or less.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Gluten-Free Orange Chicken Recipe
• Gluten-Free Orange Chicken Ingredients
• Ingredient Notes
• How to Make Gluten-Free Orange Chicken: Step by Step
• Recipe Tips
• Storage
• Variations
• FAQ
• More Healthy Dinner Recipes You'll Love
• Recipe
• Reviews

Why You'll Love This Gluten-Free Orange Chicken Recipe

Gluten-Free Orange Chicken is a healthy comforting dish, perfect for busy weeknights. Pair it with my cauliflower fried rice for a complete meal. Similar to my Gluten-Free Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Orange Maple Glazed Salmon, it's packed full of flavor and can be made in under 40 minutes. Here are a few more reasons why you'll love this easy recipe:

• It's a healthy orange chicken recipe. Most orange chicken recipes tend to be a bit heavy with the addition of breading the chicken, cooking with high amounts of unhealthy oils, and adding processed sugars. To give our chicken recipe a crispy texture while still maintaining a healthier method of cooking, we coat the bite-sized pieces in a light dusting of arrowroot starch, then sear in a small amount of sesame oil. No deep frying or excess unhealthy vegetable oil is needed! To make the sweet orange sauce we use honey, which is a healthy unrefined sugar, as opposed to brown sugar or corn syrup.
• Delicious flavor and simple ingredients. This sweet citrus orange sauce is made of freshly squeezed orange juice, coconut aminos, honey, and spices. Simple yet flavorful.
• One pan meal. Who doesn't love a one-pan meal? It makes for easy cleanup!

Gluten-Free Orange Chicken Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Gluten-Free Orange Chicken Recipe:

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken: You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or skinless chicken thighs. We prefer thighs as they are more flavorful and juicy. 
• Seasonings: Chinese five-spice, salt, and black pepper help season the chicken.
• Arrowroot Starch: You can also use cornstarch or tapioca starch if you’re gluten-free. This will be mixed with the seasoning to give the chicken a delicious golden crust and help thicken the orange sauce.
• Sesame Oil: This helps sear the chicken and has a delicious nutty flavor, but feel free to use avocado oil or olive oil instead.
• Fresh Orange Juice and Orange Zest: The fresh citrus flavor of orange juice and orange zest are the key ingredients for the orange sauce. Our favorite oranges to use are navel oranges, and you will need around five for one cup of freshly squeezed orange juice.
• Coconut Aminos: This adds a great depth of flavor and sweetness to the orange sauce. Tamari, a gluten-free soy sauce can also be substituted to keep this recipe gluten-free.
• Honey: We add a touch of honey to bring forward some sweetness. Maple syrup is another great option.
• Aromatics: A combination of minced garlic, minced ginger, and red pepper flakes

How to Make Gluten-Free Orange Chicken: Step by Step

1. Dice and season the chicken. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes, then toss with the salt, black pepper, Chinese five spice, and arrowroot starch.
2. Sear the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to a large skillet and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a small bowl and set aside. Deglaze the pan, and wipe it clean for the orange sauce.
3. Make the orange chicken sauce. Add the minced ginger, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Sauté for 20-30 seconds, or until the garlic is fragrant. Pour the orange juice, orange zest, coconut aminos, and honey into the pan and whisk to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer until slightly thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pan. Once the sauce has reduced, return the chicken to the pan along with all its juices. Turn the heat up to high and using a rubber spatula, toss the chicken in the sauce until the sauce thickens and becomes sticky, about 3 minutes.

Find the printable recipe with full instructions and measurements below.

Recipe Tips

• Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. This will help the chicken to cook evenly and sear quickly.
• Do not overcrowd the pan. The chicken should be in a single layer when searing, not crowded. If your skillet is not large enough, sear the chicken pieces in batches, do not overcrowd the pan. 
• Deglaze the pan if needed. After transferring the chicken pieces to a bowl you may find that some of the pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan. Before making the orange glaze, you'll want to deglaze the pan. You can do this by adding a quarter cup of water to the hot skillet and letting it sizzle for a few seconds. Scrap the bottom of the pan with a spatula to remove any browned bits from the pan. Dump the liquid down the sink or in the trash, and wipe the pan clean, ready to make the orange glaze.
• Garnish and serve. We love sprinkling a handful of sesame seeds and diced green onions on top of the finished product for added texture and flavor.

Storage

Storage: You can store orange chicken in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheating: This recipe easily reheats in the microwave.

Variations

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly.

Whole30 Compliant: To make this recipe whole30 friendly, simply omit the honey.

Spicy: For a spicy orange sauce, increase the red pepper flakes or add red chili flakes.

Sweeter: If you'd like to make this recipe a tad bit sweeter, you can add an extra tablespoon of honey.

FAQ

More Healthy Dinner Recipes You'll Love

I hope you love this gluten-free orange chicken recipe as much as I do! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.

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