Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe (2024)

Orange Chicken makes a favorite Chinese dish. Get this lightened up Skinny Orange Chicken recipe which is Paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and grain-free, but definitely not free of flavor!

Orange Chicken has to be one of my favorite Chinese dishes to order when we order takeout or visit a favorite Chinese restaurant. I’ve made it a few times at home, but decided that I wanted to make a skinny orange chicken recipe.

Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe (1)

You know, around the first of the year, that’s what seems to be on our minds. This lighter orange chicken recipe, or my Skinny Orange Chicken, is exactly what I had in mind! It’s so full of flavor and a favorite in my family!

Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe (2)

Skinny Orange Chicken

How to Make Skinny Orange Chicken

I begin with four skinless, boneless chicken breasts that I slice in half horizontally. You’ll definitely want to make sure you are using a very sharp knife held parallel to the cutting board when slicing the chicken in half. I then cut the halves into bite-sized pieces. I find that they cook a lot more evenly that way and it saves a ton of time when cooking chicken in recipes like this. and I like to pop my chicken into the freezer for about 15 minutes as it makes them perfect for cutting, in my opinion.

I toss my chicken into a skillet with a bit of oil. I use coconut oil as I want to make this recipe as Paleo-friendly as possible, but you can use olive oil, butter, or a combination of the two for a delicious flavor.

While the chicken is browning, I mix together the sauce for the chicken. While traditional orange chicken always calls for frying the chicken bites in a cornstarch batter, I omit that part to reduce a few calories. Believe me, you won’t miss it once you taste the sauce on this chicken!

Once the chicken is browned, I remove it from the skillet as I cook the sauce to reduce it for the dressing. You are going to love the substitutions I made. It tastes so fresh and delicious!

Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe (3)

Here’s my Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe. I think you are going to love it. I know we sure do!

Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe (4)

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Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe

Orange Chicken makes a favorite Chinese dish. Get this lightened up Skinny Orange Chicken recipe which is Paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and grain-free, but definitely not free of flavor!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
  • 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish, optional
  • Broccoli recipe

Instructions

  • Melt coconut oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add in chicken pieces and cook until cooked through and browned, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

  • While chicken is cooking, stir together chicken stock, honey or maple syrup, garlic, orange zest, orange juice, coconut aminos, Sriracha sauce, ginger and red pepper flakes. Pour into heated skillet once chicken has been removed and reduce to low heat. Cook, stirring often, until sauce has been reduced and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and pour over chicken.

  • To serve, spoon chicken over a bed of broccoli and then spoon on additional sauce. Top with sesame seeds, if desired.

Notes

If not concerned with making this recipe Paleo-friendly, use the following substitutions:
For 1 tablespoon coconut oil, use butter or olive oil or a combination of the two
For 1/4 cup coconut aminos, use 1/4 soy sauce

If your sauce does not thicken as desired, you may add the following to assist in the thickening:
Mix 1 – 2 teaspoons of tapioca flour or arrowroot powder, if Paleo OR cornstarch, if non-Paleo, with the same amount of water to form a paste. Stir into the sauce well to thicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 448mg | Potassium: 464mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 12.7mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe (5)

Categorized as:30 Minutes or Less Recipes, All Recipes, By Cooking Style, By Special Diets, Chicken Recipes, Cooking, Dinner Recipes, Egg-Free Recipes, Freezer Friendly Recipes, Gluten-Free Recipes, Grain-Free Recipes, Lighter Fare, One Dish Meal Recipes, Paleo Recipes, Recipes, Simple Recipes, Skillet Recipes

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Skinny Orange Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to thicken orange chicken sauce without cornstarch? ›

Mix 2 tablespoons (16 g) of flour with 1/4 cup (60 mL) of cold water, then add to your sauce and stir over medium heat until it thickens. Alternatively, create a sauce-thickening roux by whisking 1 tbsp (15 g) of butter and 1 tbsp (9 g) of salt together, then adding the mixture to your sauce.

What is the orange sauce made of in orange chicken? ›

How to make the orange chicken sauce. The orange sauce is made from a mixture of the orange juice and zest, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar. This is bubbled up in the wok until slightly thickened. The chicken is then added back in, and tossed in the sauce until fully coated.

Does orange chicken have a lot of sugar? ›

Can you believe traditional Orange Chicken has 20g of sugar per serving…which means most of us are eating 60+g of sugar when we devour the whole box⁉️ ☠️ That's why we're proud to have invented the first Orange Chicken with only 2g sugar for the entire box. 😎 But the same classic flavors you crave!

How do you make a super thin chicken breast? ›

Cut the chicken breasts in half crosswise. On a sturdy cutting board, place a piece of chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using a mallet or other blunt object, pound the chicken into a flat piece about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

What is a healthy substitute for cornstarch? ›

Easy-to-access alternatives are wheat flour, arrowroot flour, and rice flour. These are good alternatives to cornstarch because they are more nutritious and contain fewer carbohydrates and calories. Xanthan and guar gum are much stronger thickeners than cornstarch, but they can be harder to obtain and use.

What is a substitute for cornstarch in Chinese food? ›

If you don't have cornstarch, you can substitute all-purpose flour in favor for a more routine breading and frying procedure. You can also use rice flour or potato flour, which are commonly used for tempura, and this will create a similar lacy, crunchy texture.

What is Panda Express orange chicken made of? ›

Ingredients: dark meat chicken, water, sugar, distilled vinegar, modified food starch, corn starch, potato starch, contains less than 2% of: wheat, orange extract, caramel color, salt, garlic, phosphoric acid, rice wine, sesame oil. *The dish uses a proprietary batter and sauce.

What is the Chinese version of orange chicken? ›

In Chinese, this dish is known as "陳皮雞", literally "dried citrus peel chicken", referring to dried orange or tangerine peel. However, the taste and recipes of this dish differ due to cultural and geographical factors.

What is the difference between TSO and orange chicken? ›

Compared to General Tso's, orange chicken usually has a lighter-colored sweet, sour, savory glaze. It's not as spicy-hot because dried red chiles aren't as common or used as heavily in this dish. All recipes ask for orange in some form — juice, zest, dried peel, or a combination thereof.

Is teriyaki or orange chicken healthier? ›

Their Teriyaki Chicken is a great alternative for when you're craving that sweet and savory flavor you'd get from an Orange Chicken but want something with fewer calories and a lower sodium content.

Why is orange chicken so high in calories? ›

Orange Chicken is traditionally coated in batter and deep fried. This increases fat content and increases the caloric density of the dish.

How to thicken up orange chicken sauce? ›

To thicken the sauce, pour it into a small saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water to make a cornstarch slurry. Once the sauce starts to bubble in the pan on the stovetop, add the cornstarch slurry and stir to combine.

How do you thicken teriyaki sauce without cornstarch? ›

To thicken your sauce without cornstarch, use all-purpose flour or arrowroot powder instead of the cornstarch. Follow the same method by mixing with cold water to create a slurry before whisking into the simmering sauce.

What is the thickening agent in Chinese food? ›

Though it's virtually flavorless, cornstarch is easily one of the most vital ingredients in a Chinese kitchen, with multiple uses, including thickening sauces, gravies, and soups.

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