Better than takeout (including Panda Express!) gluten-free orange chicken recipe comes together effortlessly. Crispy chicken bites in a sweet and spicy orange sauce can be made as a stir-fry or baked for hands-off, healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free dinner!
optional garnish:sesame seeds, sliced green onions
Instructions
Begin by making the sauce. In a small sauce pan combine the orange juice, both sugars, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, red chili flakes, and orange zest. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes.
1 cup orange juice, ¼ cup white sugar, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons gluten-free rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger, 2 garlic cloves, ¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, zest of 1 orange
Whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Add to the orange sauce and stir to combine. Cook until thickened, about 3-5 minutes and set aside.
1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
Before breading the chicken begin to heat the oil. Place about 1-2 inches oil in a heavy, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. It will take about 10-15 minutes to reach the ideal frying temperature, 350ºF. Check the temperature occasionally using an instant read thermometer (my absolute fave!) or candy thermometer.
While the oven is heating, in a large bowl whisk an egg. Add the chicken pieces and toss to combine. In a separate bowl stir together the cornstarch, flour, salt, and pepper. Toss a few pieces of chicken in the flour mixture at a time, coating all sides. Transfer coated pieces to a baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken.
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, 1 large egg, ½ cup cornstarch, ¼ cup gluten free all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Once the oil reaches the proper temperature, cook the chicken in 3 batches. Be careful to not crowd the pan, or the oil temperature will reduce, leading to longer cooking times and greasy chicken.
Flip the chicken in the hot oil occasionally to cook all sides until it starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken.
Toss the cooked chicken with the orange sauce and serve immediately over rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
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Notes
oven Baked Method
Drizzle 3 tbsp canola oil in a 9X13-inch baking dish. Place the dish with the oil in the oven and preheat to 425ºF.
While the oven preheats, bread the chicken as described above. Lay in a single layer in the hot oil. Bake for 5 minutes, toss and flip, then bake again for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the orange sauce ingredients with only ½ tablespoon cornstarch and no additional water.
Reduce the oven to 325ºF. Add the orange sauce to the chicken and toss to combine. Bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until sauce has thickened and chicken is cooked through.