If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I love cooking with chicken. It's a great protein because it's affordable, and it pairs well with so many flavors.
I love making all kinds of delicious, bold chicken dishes like chicken piccata or spinach artichoke pasta. These recipes are so delicious and full of flavor, and they're always favorites when I make them. Now I have a new one that's going to be an instant classic - my gluten free orange chicken recipe.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Everything you need to make this recipe can be found in your kitchen or local grocery store.
- Easy: This recipe only requires a little frying and mixing, so there's nothing to it.
- Classic Flavor: Every bite is loaded with the classic sweet, savory, and tangy flavor of your favorite takeout recipe.
- Versatile: Serve this dish with rice as a main course or on its own as a delicious appetizer.
- Perfect for Any Diet: This is a gluten and dairy-free recipe, so anyone can eat it.
Ingredients
Chicken
- Chicken Thighs: I prefer Springer Mountain Farms boneless skinless chicken thighs for their high quality and commitment to raising their chickens without added antibiotics or hormones and feeding them with no animal by-products.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch gives the chicken coating extra crispness.
- Gluten Free Flour: I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour to keep things quick and easy.
- Tamari Sauce: Tamari sauce gives the dish a classic soy sauce flavor without the gluten.
- 14 Spice Seasoning: I love using 14 spice seasoning to give the dish plenty of flavor with no added salt.
- Sesame Oil: Sesame oil helps the coating ingredients stick to the chicken.
Sauce
- Orange Juice and Zest: Orange juice and zest gives every bite of this chicken bright citrus flavor.
- Tamari Sauce: Tamari sauce gives a deep, rich flavor to the sauce.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar adds tang to balance the sweetness in the sauce.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar balances the acidity of the vinegar.
- Minced Chili Garlic: A blend of minced garlic and red chili pepper gives the dish a kick of heat and earthiness.
- Sesame Oil: Sesame oil helps emulsify the sauce.
- Ground Ginger: Ground ginger adds earthy flavor and signature bite.
- Cornstarch: A blend of cornstarch and water thickens the sauce.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Flour: Traditional flour can be used if you don't have gluten issues.
- Tamari Sauce: Soy sauce can be used in the same amounts.
- Mild: Use minced garlic in place of minced chili garlic.
- Protein: You can use chicken breasts or even pork for this recipe.
Instructions
Chicken
1: Wash and dice the chicken into small cubes, then pat them dry. At the same time, preheat the oil in a large skillet or deep fryer to 340 degrees.
2: Combine all the chicken batter ingredients in a medium bowl until well-combined. Then, add the chicken and mix to coat well.
3: Fry the chicken in small batches until golden brown and cooked through, transferring them to a wire rack with paper towels underneath as you go.
4: Fry the chicken pieces once more until golden brown and place them on the wire rack again.
Orange Sauce
1: While the chicken is cooking, whisk all the sauce ingredients well in a measuring cup. Then, pour the sauce into a large wok or pan over medium heat and stir well.
2: Make the cornstarch slurry, add it to the sauce, and cook until it thickens. Then, turn of the heat and add the chicken to the pan, stirring to evenly coat.
Hint
Watch your chicken pieces closely when you double-fry them. It only takes a minute to do, and it can burn easily if you aren't careful.
Storage
Refrigerate this gluten free orange chicken for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, freeze the chicken for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
To reheat the chicken, defrost it overnight in the refrigerator. Then, microwave individual portions at 1-minute intervals until heated through.
Pairing Suggestions
Serve this orange chicken over rice or broccoli. You can also pair it with egg or spring rolls, or any of your other favorite vegetables. Fried rice is also a delicious, classic option, too!
Expert Tips
- Be sure to preheat your oil thoroughly and work in small batches to ensure the oil stays hot while you fry the chicken.
- Dip one piece of chicken into the oil when you think it's ready. If the oil sizzles, you're ready to fry!
- It's important to place the chicken on a rack and not on a plate. The rack allows all sides of the chicken's coating to crisp as it cools.
- Remove the wok from the heat before adding the chicken. This keeps the chicken from overcooking.
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📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon 1:1 gluten free flour
- 2 tbsp tamari sauce
- ½ tablespoon 14 spice seasoning
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ⅓ cup water
- canola oil for frying 2 to 3 cups
Sauce
- ¾ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 3 tablespoon tamari sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tbsp minced chili garlic
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
Chicken
- Rinse the chicken and dice it into small cubes. Then, pat dry. Preheat the oil to 340 degrees in a large skillet or deep fryer.
- Whisk the cornstarch, flour, tamari sauce, seasonings, egg, sesame oil, and water in a medium bowl.
- Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat well.
- Fry the chicken in small batches in the hot oil for 4 to 7 minutes until cooked through and golden, transferring the chicken to a wire rack with paper towels underneath it as you go.
- Place the chicken back into the oil and fry for another minute until you achieve a golden color and extra crispy coating.
Sauce
- While the chicken is cooking, whisk the orange juice and zest, tamari sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, minced chili garlic, sesame oil, and ground ginger in a large measuring cup.
- Add the mixture to a large wok or pan over medium heat. Then, mix the cornstarch and water and add it to the pan. Cook for a minute until thickened.
- When the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and mix in the chicken pieces until evenly coated.
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- For longer storage, freeze the chicken for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- To reheat, defrost the chicken overnight if frozen. Then, microwave at 1-minute intervals until heated through.
- The key to crispy fried food is oil temperature. Preheat your oil and dip a piece of coated chicken in it when you think it's ready. If the coating sizzles, it's ready to go.
- Work in small batches to keep the oil hot.
- When washing chicken, hold it as close to the bottom of the sink as possible and use a gentle stream of water to reduce or eliminate splashing.
Liz says
My family LOVED this chicken!!! A tasty change from lemon chicken...the flavor was terrific.
Amy says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Sonja says
Mmmmmh Orange Chicken! So addictive! I love anything savory sweet and was looking for a recipe I could make when a celiac impacted friend comes over. This was perfect and she absolutely loved it too.
Juyali says
So much flavor packed into this Chicken! Savory, tang and lightly sweet. Just perfect.
Genevieve says
I LOVE orange chicken. It's one of my favorites to make. It's so expensive to order from takeout, this recipe is a much better option!
Tisha says
Love that this is gluten free, absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Criss says
This gluten-free orange chicken is crispy, sticky, and packed with a sweet and tangy sauce. So good, you won’t miss the takeout version!
Swathi says
Gluten free orange chicken is so yummy. I loved this recipe,so perfect and tasty.
Lathiya says
Orange chicken is one of our family favorites. This gluten free orange chicken was spot on. WE loved the recipe.