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)

PinPrintSave

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.

Join today & start saving your favorite recipes

Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes.

Save recipe

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

Welcome to Add A Pinch

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.

Read more about Robyn

Best Swedish Meatballs Recipe

30 mins

Best Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

25 mins

Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe

30 mins

The Best Pizza Dough

35 mins

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.

How do you make a super thin chicken breast? ›

If you prefer using a mallet to pound the chicken until your desired thickness is reached, pound chicken until the breasts reach about ¼ inch thick. You may also purchase pre-sliced thin chicken cutlets.

Can I eat orange chicken after gastric bypass? ›

Orange Chicken is a Chinese Restaurant Favorite that does not work after bariatric surgery as its both deep fried and loaded with sugar. My Skinny Orange Chicken has the flavors of the original, cooked in a way that makes it a both a great food choice and easy to eat.

How to level up Trader Joe's orange chicken? ›

Simmer Down the Sauce

But even Trader Joe's blog suggests actually cooking the sauce for more flavor. The idea is simple: While the chicken is cooking in the oven or air fryer, heat a skillet or wok on the stove, add the sauce, bring it to a simmer, and cook until reduced.

What is the best way to make chicken thinner? ›

Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, place inside a gallon zip-top bag and seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Pound the chicken thin. Pound with the flat side of a meat mallet, rolling pin, or small skillet to an even 1/4-inch thickness.

How do you not overcook a thin chicken breast? ›

And while this might sound obvious, the best way to avoid overcooking a chicken breast is to cook it for as short a time as possible. When you start with cold chicken breast straight from the fridge, it's going to take longer for the middle to heat all the way through.

What is the best Chinese food for bariatric patients? ›

Chinese Cuisine – Egg drop soup, hot and sour soup, egg foo young, mixed vegetables with tofu, chicken or shrimp, chicken and broccoli, chicken with snow peas, moo goo gai pan (chicken and vegetable stir fry), steamed vegetables.

Is orange chicken good for weight loss? ›

No, it is not. Traditional orange chicken is full of fats, carbohydrates, added sugars and a lot of salt, all things that are not good for your body, weight management, or overall health.

Are there foods you can never eat after gastric bypass? ›

Red meat that's tough or dry. Greasy, high fat foods. Heavily seasoned or spicy foods. Sugar alcohols, such as erythritol, glycerol, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol.

How to upgrade frozen orange chicken? ›

microwave those frozen packages and then add some orange zest. the juice of an orange and half a cup of soy sauce. this is just a way to elevate the orange flavor in the orange chicken. mix it all together and bring it over to the cooking chicken & vegetables and mix that in.

Is Trader Joe's Orange Chicken fully cooked already? ›

Trader Joe's Orange Chicken comes pre-cooked, which makes it even more convenient for cooking in an air fryer. You simply need to follow the cooking instructions provided in the simple recipe to reheat and achieve crispy perfection.

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.

What can I use instead of cornstarch for orange chicken? ›

Use arrowroot starch in place of cornstarch. Use coconut aminos in place of GF tamari/soy sauce.

What can I use to thicken a sauce if I don't have cornstarch? ›

Kuzu starch can be used as a 1:1 substitute for cornstarch to thicken sauces, soups, and desserts. Arrowroot powder (a.k.a. arrowroot flour and arrowroot starch) delivers thickening results that are very similar to what cornstarch offers.

How can I thicken sauce without cornstarch? ›

Use Flour and Water

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Neely Ledner

Last Updated:

Views: 5878

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Neely Ledner

Birthday: 1998-06-09

Address: 443 Barrows Terrace, New Jodyberg, CO 57462-5329

Phone: +2433516856029

Job: Central Legal Facilitator

Hobby: Backpacking, Jogging, Magic, Driving, Macrame, Embroidery, Foraging

Introduction: My name is Neely Ledner, I am a bright, determined, beautiful, adventurous, adventurous, spotless, calm person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.