This better than Chinese Food Takeout Paleo Orange Chicken recipe is healthy, delicious, and so easy to make. It makes the perfect dinner served over rice and steamed broccoli.
Coated with sweet and citrusy sticky orange sauce, this paleo Orange Chicken is made with all clean ingredients. It is so easy and yet packed with flavors. Perfect Whole30 Friendly recipe to meal prep for the week.
Growing up in China, Orange Chicken was one of our family go-to orders when we dined out. The fried to crispy chicken smothered in sweet and tangy sticky sauce, this dish was my guilty pleasure.
Similar to Orange Chicken, I also love:
Since I’ve been on a roll healthyif-ing my favorite dishes lately, I couldn’t help but testing a Whole30 Friendly version of Orange Chicken.
I am super excited to share this recipe with you. It’s bursting in all of the traditional orange chicken flavors you love but much healthier.
My goal is always to make these dishes healthy but still delicious and flavorful, and let me tell you this recipe does NOT disappoint.
Why I Love This Paleo Orange Chicken
This paleo orange chicken recipe really nails the flavor of the takeout orange chicken we all know and love so much!
It’s so easy to make and doesn’t require a lot of time or fancy ingredients.
The perfect recipe for meal prep, this orange chicken recipe saves well. Therefore you can make a big batch of it, and then serve it with a variety of sides.
It’s also an affordable recipe to make, so it’s great for feeding large crowds of people.
Last but not least, this wholesome orange chicken recipe makes a nutrient-dense meal. Besides being paleo-friendly, this delicious Chinese food recipe is also gluten-free, Whole30 friendly and Keto as well.
How to Make this Healthy Orange Chicken Recipe
At first glance it may look like a lot but you’re only going to need 8 ingredients for this amazing paleo chicken recipe.
Many of these ingredients will be used for both the chicken and the sauce so it’s a lot less work than it seems.
For the Chicken:
In order to marinate the chicken, you will need chicken breast or thighs (chicken breast will have less fat), coconut aminos, which is a soy sauce replacement, orange juice- from freshly squeezed oranges!
Note: Some store-bought orange juice can have added ingredients that will NOT be paleo or Whole30 approved. Make sure you purchase the orange juice only has ONE ingredient – Orange.
You will also need ground ginger, red chili pepper (to taste)- you can add more or less depending on how spicy you like it, and arrowroot flour.
Allow the chicken to marinate in the coconut aminos, orange juice, and arrowroot flour.
For the Orange Sauce:
To make the sauce you will need:
- Fresh oranges; both zest and juice
- Coconut aminos
- Fresh Ginger
- Arrowroot flour
- Sesame oil
- Rice vinegar
The arrowroot flour is the secret to making any healthy sticky sauce. I’ve used it in so many of my favorite healthy dishes, like my Chicken Pad Thai, Italian Meatballs, and Sticky Asian Meatball recipes.
Note: Be patient, the sauce will thicken up over time.
Ways to Serve this Paleo Orange Chicken
The chicken is the star of this recipe (obviously), but it just serves as the base of a balanced meal. You can pair it with rice, cauliflower rice for Whole30, Keto and Paleo Friendly.
Additionally, try roasted veggies, zoodles, or a combination of all of the above!
This recipe is best served fresh to fully experience the perfectly sticky orange sauce, but it still makes great leftovers and reheats well.
To reheat, gently warm on the stovetop in a saute pan. Add a little bit of fresh-squeezed orange juice or sesame oil if the chicken has absorbed too much sauce or has become dry.
Serve with your desired side and you have a perfectly healthy better-than-takeout Paleo Orange Chicken!
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!
What’s your favorite Chinese takeout dish? Leave a comment below!
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS
You may also like these Whole30 dinner recipes:
1. Easy Crockpot Carnitas (Whole30)
2. Healthy Bolognese Sauce (Whole30, Keto)
3. Healthy Chicken Salad (Whole30)
Paleo Orange Chicken (Whole30)
This better-than-takeout Paleo Orange Chicken recipe is healthy, delicious, and so easy to make. It makes the perfect whole30 and keto-friendly dinner.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast or thighs
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp arrowroot starch
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp orange juice
Orange Sauce
- 1/2 cup orange juice (no pulp or freshly squeezed)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- Zest of 1/2 an orange
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 inch of fresh ginger sliced
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch ***
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into cubes. In a big Ziploc bag or medium bowl, marinate the chicken with coconut amino, orange juice, salt * and arrowroot flour. Make sure the chicken is completely coated.
- In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, arrowroot flour, coconut amino, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- In a frying pan, heat up 1 – 2 tbsp avocado oil until shimmering (about 1 minute), Add chicken cubes in the hot oil. Make sure not to crowd the chicken. Cook about 3 minutes each side **until crispy and golden brown on all sides.
- Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Return to pan, add ½ tbsp avocado oil, sauté minced garlic and ginger for about 15 seconds without burning the garlic. Turn the heat to low, add the orange sauce. Gently stir it until it thickens and becomes sticky.
- Add the chicken into the pan and combine thoroughly with the sauce. Stir in orange zest.
- Serve with rice or cauliflower rice for Whole30 option, steamed broccoli, a sprinkle of chopped scallion.
Notes
- *Coconut amino itself is salty, so take that into consideration when you salt the chicken.
- ** The smaller you cut the chicken, the faster they cook.
- *** Add more, 1/2 tsp at a time if you are making a bigger batch that needs more sauce.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 227Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 231mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 31g
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.
Absolutely loved this recipe!!! Will definitely make again! For the orange sauce, how much arrowroot flour and coconut amino go in (it’s not specified in the ingredients)?
Hi there!
So glad you love it! I just updated the recipe! Can’t wait for you to make it again 🙂
Shuang