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Paleo and Whole30 Orange Chicken
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5 from 4 votes

Paleo & Whole30 Orange Chicken

Delicious & easy crispy orange chicken recipe made without refined sugars! The thick sauce is so wonderful and the dish is seriously better than takeout.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time26 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Keyword: chinese orange chicken recipe, gluten free orange chicken recipe, healthy orange chicken sauce, homemade orange chicken recipe, orange chicken from scratch, paleo Chinese food, whole30 Chinese food
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Orange Sauce

Crispy Chicken

  • lb chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 eggs whisked
  • 3/4 cup arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • Avocado oil or your favorite cooking oil, for frying
  • Chopped green onions & toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

For the orange sauce:

  • In a bowl, whisk together orange zest, orange juice, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and arrowroot starch. Set aside.
    Juice of 2 oranges, Zest from 1 orange, 1/4 cup coconut aminos, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1½ tbsp arrowroot starch
  • Heat avocado oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and chili flakes, and stir together for 1 minute until fragrant.
    1 tsp avocado oil, 2 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger, 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • Pour in the orange juice mixture and heat to simmer, stirring occasionally. Once it becomes thick to your liking, about 3-4 minutes, remove from heat and set aside. If you like sweeter orange chicken, you can taste and add some sweetener (won't be Whole30) until sweetened to your liking.

For the chicken:

  • In a large bowl, whisk together 2 eggs. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat.
    2 eggs, 1½ lb chicken thighs
  • In another large shallow bowl, stir together arrowroot starch, salt, and pepper.
    3/4 cup arrowroot starch, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • Remove each chicken from the egg wash, shake off excess dripping, then coat in the starch mixture.
  • In a wide skillet, heat 1/2 inch of avocado oil over medium high heat.
    Avocado oil
  • Once sizzling hot, add coated chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the bottom, then flip to cook for 2-3 more minutes. You may need to do this in 2-3 batches. Place the cooked chicken in a large bowl.
  • Pour the orange sauce over the chicken and toss to coat evenly.
  • Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds, and serve immediately over warm rice or cauliflower rice.
    Chopped green onions & toasted sesame seeds

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving - makes 4 | Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 179mg | Sodium: 757mg | Potassium: 398mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 311IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg