Gluten Free Orange Chicken will bring a smile to anybody's face with the tender, juicy bites of golden brown chicken. A little sweet and a little tangy.
Everything you loved about Chinese Orange Chicken, but now it's safe and gluten free!
A FAST DINNER RECIPE
If there is one thing that we know many people miss once going gluten free is the convenience of ordering takeout.
Specifically Chinese food takeout.
It's a convenient way to have dinner on the table and one that the majority of your dinner table won't grumble about, and that is something that we can get behind.
This Gluten Free Orange Chicken tastes just like the original.
The other thing we love about this recipe is we have made it dairy free as well.
If you're avoiding dairy for any reason, you can enjoy this Gluten and Dairy Free Orange Chicken recipe now too!
Simple Ingredients
Often times you'll find that using a specific brand of gluten or dairy free ingredients makes a big difference in the taste or texture of something.
That's why we have this ingredient section, to share a few notes about the ingredient and to tell you which brands we used of specific things if we feel that one brand is superior or inferior to another.
If you're just looking for quantities of these following ingredients, keep scrolling down to the recipe card where you'll find the recipe ingredients and instructions together nice and neat for you.
- chicken breast- we used boneless skinless chicken breasts
- cornstarch- cornstarch is naturally gluten free, but some brands process it in plants that have wheat as well. So, always check your brands to ensure it's either tested for gluten or certified gluten free. Bob's Red Mill is a solid brand for gluten free ingredients. On the back of their bag of corn starch (affiliate link), they specify that it has been tested to confirm that it's gluten free in their control lab. Another brand, Anthony's (affiliate link) has on their bag that it's gluten free corn starch and it is batch tested and confirmed gluten free. It's also organic if that is your preference.
- eggs- We must remind you that eggs are NOT dairy. We were surprised when we first started sharing recipes years ago the amount of people who think eggs are dairy. While they're oftentimes sold next to milk, or by the dairy section of a store, they are not dairy. Dairy comes from cows, chickens come from eggs. So before you go telling us that this recipe isn't dairy free because we used eggs, think again. This recipe is NOT egg free, but it is dairy free when you select the correct ingredients.
- avocado oil- can be swapped out for a different cooking oil like olive oil
- fresh orange juice- helps give that tang. You can swap this out for pineapple juice, or use a pineapple orange juice combo.
- gluten free soy sauce- make sure to grab a safe gluten free soy sauce options. There are a couple. Typically, we use Kikkoman Gluten Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link) as it's certified gluten free with no additives or preservatives. It's made from rice instead of wheat. We had a hard time finding it in stores local to us for a while, so we stocked up online. We've also used Coconut Aminos over time and have decent results as well with that. We've used BetterBody Foods (affiliate link) and it's made from Coconut Blossom Nectar and sea salt. And if we really want a bold soy sauce flavor, we go for San-J Gluten Free Tamari Soy Sauce (affiliate link). It's made with soybeans and not wheat.
- vinegar- distilled white vinegar or rice vinegar. Always check that you're using a safe brand.
- pure maple syrup- use your favorite brand. We love to use Maple Groves Farm Pure Maple Syrup (affiliate link).
- ketchup
- salt- You can use table sat or most recently after we photographed this recipe, we tried this with Redmond Real Salt and it was phenomenal. That's definitely going to be our go to brand of real salt now.
Recipe Instructions
Grab the full recipe on how to make Gluten Free Orange Chicken in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Prep chicken. Dice chicken breasts into chicken pieces and set aside.
Make dredging bowls. In a shallow bowl, add cornstarch. In another small bowl, beat the eggs for an egg wash.
Dredge chicken. Dredge each bite sized chicken piece through the cornstarch then dip it in the eggs.
Get the skillet ready and cook chicken. Heat avocado oil. Add chicken to the large skillet with the hot oil and cook until all sides are browned.
Place chicken on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Make sauce. Combine orange juice, gluten free soy sauce of choice, vinegar, maple syrup, ketchup, salt and stir to combine sauce ingredients.
Coat chicken. Put crispy chicken back in skillet and pour orange chicken sauce mixture over chicken.
Let chicken simmer in sauce and stir regularly so it doesn't stick and the sauce can thicken.
Serve. Serve chicken with your favorite rice and enjoy.
Storage
Once your chicken has cooled, transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Extra sauce on the chicken may start to break down the coating on the chicken over time.
You can freeze leftovers in a freezer safe container or freezer safe bag or up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you're looking for a cheaper dinner alternative, you can make this with juicy chicken thighs. You'll dice up the meat just as you would the breasts, bread, and cook the same way.
Serve this dish with some white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or Fried Rice.
If you haven't tried our gluten and dairy free fried rice, go run now and see why it's so many families new favorite recipe!
This recipe would also be good with broccoli and carrots and peas.
Yes. I would make sure to either work in batches, or make sure to have a large skillet, or two to work with.
The sweet orange sauce is good as it is, but you can bring even more flavor by adding some fresh garlic, fresh ginger, and some orange zest.
Add a bit of heat with some red chili flakes.
Easy Gluten Free Recipe Tips
- Make sure your oil is hot before adding the coated chicken to the pan.
- Garnish your chicken with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired. You'll see we enjoyed this gluten-free Orange Chicken with both when these photos were taken.
- Be sure to cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces when cutting it up to make it easier to eat.
- Leave the tangy orange sauce out so guests can add more sauce to their crispy orange chicken if wanted.
- If you like a little heat, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes to your sauce.
- When cooking the chicken in the large pan, be sure to lay them out in a single layer so they cook evenly on all sides.
More Easy Recipes for Dinner
Chicken Teriyaki is another fun and flavorful dinner recipe.
Chicken Noodles is a family favorite.
Lemon Pepper Chicken is a dinner dish that exudes tons of flavor.
Gluten Free Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 2 eggs beaten
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ⅓ cup vinegar
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prep chicken. Dice chicken breasts into chicken pieces and set aside.
- In a shallow bowl, add cornstarch. In another small bowl, beat the eggs for an egg wash.
- Dredge each bite sized chicken piece through the cornstarch then dip it in the eggs.
- Add about a quarter cup of avocado oil, or just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet, to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add chicken to the large skillet with the hot oil and cook until all sides are browned.
- Mix all sauce ingredients together and pour sauce over chicken.
- Let chicken simmer in sauce for 20-30 minutes. Stir sauce regularly to thicken and prevent it from sticking to the pan.
- Garnish if desired and serve.
Notes
- Check out FAQ section and the rest of the post for the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
These Nutritional Facts are ESTIMATED. Your actual nutritional info with this recipe may vary depending on the brands you choose. “Eating Gluten and Dairy Free” is not a registered dietician or nutritionist. The provided nutritional info above is based on a generic calculator, if you want more accurate info, use your nutritional calculator of choice where you can choose brands and get more info that way.
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