Gluten-Free Orange Chicken
Published
If you love Chinese orange chicken, you’ll love this gluten-free orange chicken recipe. I’ve recreated that bold and flavorful takeout favorite using simple ingredients and a homemade orange sauce that’s sweet and tangy, perfectly coating gluten-free crispy chicken. Whether you’re craving a quick weeknight meal or a family-friendly, kid-approved dish, this easy orange chicken recipe delivers all the crunch and flavor without the gluten.
Gluten-Free Orange Chicken Recipe
I love recreating my favorite Asian recipes at home into gluten-free meals. This crispy citrus chicken is one of my go-to meals, with a simple homemade orange sauce that caramelizes beautifully over gluten-free crispy chicken, creating that irresistible crispy and crunchy texture with every bite.
Instead of deep-frying, I use a pan-fried orange chicken method that creates a lightly crispy coating while keeping the chicken tender and juicy. The sticky and glossy sauce, made with fresh orange juice, soy sauce, and a hint of honey, adds the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. This stovetop orange chicken comes together in just 30 minutes, making it an ideal choice for a healthy orange chicken dinner that’s quick, satisfying, and naturally gluten-free.
Gluten-Free Cooking Tips
- A cooking thermometer is essential for maintaining the correct oil temperature, ensuring the chicken is perfectly crispy without becoming greasy or overcooked. For the best results, heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) before adding the chicken. When frying, the temperature will naturally drop slightly as cold or room-temperature chicken is added. Allow the oil to return to 350°F (175°C) before adding the next batch.
- Cornstarch helps create a light, crispy crust on the chicken when frying or air frying. I used Argo cornstarch. Arrowroot powder, potato starch, and tapioca starch are great substitutes.
- Be sure to get a certified gluten-free soy sauce. My favorite is La Choy. Use tamari or coconut aminos as another gluten-free alternative.
- I used granulated and brown sugar to create a sticky sauce feel. You can also use honey or maple syrup.
- I used gluten-free Marukan rice vinegar to add brightness and tanginess. If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or lemon juice.
Gluten-Free Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 3 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts*, cut into 1-inch sized pieces
- 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying, I like peanut oil for frying
Dry Coating:
Chicken
- 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour, I used Pillsbury Gluten Free Flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch**, I used Argo
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 large eggs, whisked
Orange Sauce
- 4 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce, I used La Choy
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup gluten-free rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Combine the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, and ground ginger in a large plastic storage bag, (Think Shake and Bake). This is the easiest method, but you could also dredge the chicken pieces in a bowl.
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch size pieces. I find the best way to get the best size pieces is to cut the chicken in half and then cut them once more in half.
- Whisk the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Add chicken pieces to the egg and stir to fully coat the pieces.
- Place all of the chicken pieces in the plastic storage bag of the gluten-free flour mixture and seal the top of the bag. Keep turning over the bag until the chicken pieces are fully coated. Place in the refrigerator while the oil is heating up.
- Heat the vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok, until 350°F.
- Carefully add the chicken pieces to hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes, until light golden brown. You may need to cook the chicken in several batches depending on the size of your skillet. Make sure not to over crowd the skillet or overcook the chicken. The chicken pieces will be light golden brown. The chicken will continue to cook a little while it cools off.
- Remove the chicken pieces from hot oil to drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet or plate.
- Carefully pour the hot oil from the skillet into a heatproof bowl to cool off so you can dispose of it later (or save it for another frying recipe). Wipe the skillet out with a paper towel and return it to the stovetop.
- Either spray your skillet with a nonstick gluten-free cooking spray or put a little oil back into the skillet and set to it medium heat.
- Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, garlic powder, and, ground ginger to the skillet and stir to combine. Add in the orange juice, stirring occasionally, until the sugars dissolved.
- Add in the gluten-free rice vinegar and gluten-free soy sauce, and stir to combine.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl to make a slurry. Add the cornstarch slurry to the skillet and stir. Cook the sauce until it looks like maple syrup consistency, stirring occasionally.
- Return the fried chicken pieces to the skillet and stir to evenly coat the chicken with the sauce. Serve and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. Reheat leftovers in the microwave.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Gluten-Free Orange Chicken Step by Step
Gather all your ingredients together.
Make the batter: Grab a large plastic ziplock bag and add combine ½ cup gluten-free flour, ½ cup cornstarch, and 2 tsp ground ginger (Think Shake and Bake).
Cut 3 4oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk 2 large eggs together.
Add the 1-inch chicken pieces to the mixing bowl and stir to fully coat each piece.
Place the egg-coated chicken pieces into the plastic bag with the gluten-free flour mixture.
Seal and shake: Seal the bag, and “shake” by turning the bag over and over until all the chicken pieces are fully coated. Place the bag in the refrigerator while you heat up the oil.
Heat 4 cups of vegetable frying oil in a wok or high-sided pan. Cooking with a wok really makes this recipe easy. Use a thermometer to check that the temperature reaches 350°F.
Cook the chicken: Gently place the chicken pieces into the hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes or until they turn light golden brown. Make sure not to overcook the chicken. The chicken pieces will be light golden brown and will continue to cook a little while it cools off.
To ensure even cooking and crispiness, fry in batches if needed, depending on the size of your skillet. Avoid overcrowding, which can lower the oil temperature and result in soggy chicken. Use a splatter guard on top of the wok while the chicken is frying. Allow the oil to come back to 350°F before frying the next batch. Using a slotted spoon, take the chicken pieces out of the hot oil and place them on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
Start the sauce: Carefully transfer the hot oil from the skillet into a heatproof bowl and let it cool before disposing of it or saving it for future use. Once the skillet is empty, wipe it clean with a paper towel to remove any residue, then return it to the stovetop for the next step. Using the same pan, lightly coat it with gluten-free cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ tsp ground ginger, and 1 tsp garlic powder to the pan. Stir to combine.
Next, add ½ cup orange juice, stirring occasionally until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Pour in 4 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce and ½ cup rice vinegar. Stir to combine.
In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together 4 tbsp cornstarch and 4 tbsp water to create the cornstarch slurry. Slowly add the slurry to the saucepan while stirring.
Cook the sauce down until it reaches a sticky, thicker consistency, kind of like maple syrup.
Add the fried chicken pieces back to the skillet and toss them in the sauce until evenly coated.
Serve immediately over rice, and enjoy!
Make it in an Air Fryer
Make this recipe easily in the air fryer. Toss the chicken in cornstarch and lightly spray with oil before air frying at 375°F for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway.
Storage Instructions
To store leftover orange chicken, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. To maintain the crispy texture, store the chicken and sauce separately if possible. When ready to reheat, avoid using the microwave, as it can make the coating soggy.
If the sauce was stored separately, warm it in a saucepan over low heat before tossing it with the reheated chicken.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this crispy orange chicken over a bed of steamed jasmine rice or cauliflower rice for a lighter option. For extra crunch and color, I like to sprinkle it with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions just before serving. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll add a side of stir-fried vegetables like bell peppers, snap peas, or baby bok choy to round out the meal.
terrible sugary garbage
Hi Jon, we are sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you.
Just made this tonight and it’s a hit, I’ll definitely make it again. I love finding gluten free recipes that don’t make us feel like we’re missing out on something.
Next time I will reduce the sugar and vinegar, and add more orange juice. I think the orange was overwhelmed by the vinegar. I’ll also add the cornstarch 1Tbsp at a time since the amount I used made a very thick sauce.
So good! The sauce is perfectly balanced and the chicken came out so crispy. Served with veggies and jasmine rice. Kids loved it too!
I subbed coconut aminos for soy sauce, tapioca starch for cornstarch, and (accidentally) omitted the egg for the coating and it all came out perfectly!
Tasted very similar to take out orange chicken, very good! I did cut the sugar in half, still enough sweetness for us. Will make again!
This recipe came out really well! I doubled the amount of chicken, but with the price of eggs decided to see if one egg would do the trick for the dredge; it definitely did. I also used less of all of the other ingredients, both dry and wet. 3/4 cup of flour and corn starch was plenty. With the cost of some of these things, I hate using more than needed and throwing it away afterwards. Even after cutting down on ingredients for the sauce, it made about double what I needed, and I just had to throw it out because I won’t use it soon enough for it to do be good.
So, vet food recipe that I would definitely make again, but would decrease ingredients even more.
OMG AMAZING! This was bursting with flavor! 10 out of 10!
This is the best chicken recipe I’ve ever made. So yummy.
This recipe is great, but we add quite a bit more orange juice so you have more of a sauce to eat over rice!
Do you know what I can use to substitute the soy sauce? My husband can’t eat soy?
Thank you!!
Hi Susan, we recommend tamari or coconut aminos!
This is one of my families favorite meals! Simple to make and very delicious. I do make 2 substitutions, tapioca starch instead of corn and coconut oil instead of peanut oil. It turns out great if not better that way. Other commenters mentioned the tats of cornstarch and I agree, I don’t care for that taste, or the way it makes me feel. Tapioca starch solves that for me.
By the way, the batter recipe also makes amazing fried chicken nuggets/tenders if you swap the ginger for garlic, s&p, paprika and onion powder and fry in olive oil 😁