Gluten Free Chinese Orange Chicken recipe that tastes as good as takeout!  The chicken is extra crispy and is tossed in a super yummy orange juice and soy sauce glaze.

A pair of chopsticks attempting to pick up a piece of gluten-free Chinese orange chicken in a bowl.

Tired of having to deny yourself Chinese takeout?  I’m with ya’.  Since going gluten free almost 4 years ago Chinese food is an automatic no-no on my list of restaurant choices.  Everything is either fried or covered in a soy sauce glaze.

While yes, this chicken IS both fried AND covered in a soy sauce containing glaze… but also happens to be gluten free!  How exactly is that?!  This recipe calls for cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour and gluten free soy sauce instead of the gluten-containing kind.  And guess what?!  I bet your family won’t be able to tell the difference!!

An overhead picture of gluten-free orange chicken in a bowl with orange slices and chopsticks for dinner.

When preparing this Gluten Free Chinese Orange Chicken you have a few options:

  • For the starch:  If you have tapioca starch on hand to bread the chicken I would use that instead of cornstarch.  It will give it a slightly crunchier texture.  However, cornstarch will still give you great results,too!
  • For the orange juice and soy sauce glaze:  You can choose to use fresh orange juice or already prepared, not from concentrate, orange juice.  When making it in my own kitchen I used what we had on hand… Simply Orange orange juice, pulp free.
  • For the spice level:  The choice is totally up to you!!  Add anywhere from zero to an entire teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce to achieve your desired level of spice.

A healthy orange chicken recipe in a bowl with rice for a quick dinner.

This gluten free chinese orange chicken actually tastes great for leftovers, too!  If you are planning to pack up lunches or save some for tomorrow night’s dinner I would store the chicken and the glaze separately.  Toss the chicken in a skillet with a little oil to reheat it and then add the orange juice glaze.  This will help keep the chicken nice and crispy!

-FOR LEFTOVERS-
STORE THE CHICKEN & GLAZE SEPARATELY

What’s your favorite classic Chinese restaurant dish?  Are there any you haven’t had since going gluten-free?  I would love to hear in the comments section below.

Hope you enjoy this Crispy Chinese Orange Chicken!

Healthy, gluten-free orange chicken in a bowl with rice for a healthy dinner.

PIN THIS GLUTEN FREE CHINESE ORANGE CHICKEN

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4.50 from 2 votes

Crispy Chinese Orange Chicken

Gluten Free Chinese Orange Chicken recipe that tastes as good as takeout!  The chicken is extra crispy and is tossed in a super yummy orange juice and soy sauce glaze.
Yield 4 servings
Prep 25 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Total 50 minutes
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Ingredients 

Crispy Chicken:

  • 1 ½ lb. chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
  • ¾ c. cornstarch divided
  • 1 egg whisked
  • ½ c. olive or vegetable oil divided

Orange Sauce:

  • 1 T. olive or vegetable oil
  • 2 t. cornstarch
  • 2 T. soy sauce gluten free
  • 2 T. brown sugar
  • 1 T. rice wine vinegar
  • ½ - ½ t. red pepper flakes
  • 1 c. orange juice

Extras:

Instructions 

For the Crispy Chicken:

  • In a medium-sized shallow bowl place ¼ c. cornstarch.
  • In a second, medium-sized shallow bowl place 1 whisked egg.
  • In a 1-gallon ziptop bag place ¼ c. cornstarch.
  • Take chicken cubes and dip in bowl of cornstarch, egg wash and then place in gallon bag. Once all chicken is in the bag pour remaining ¼ c. cornstarch over chicken cubes and toss to coat.
  • In a large skillet over medium-low heat pour 3-4 T. oil and completely coat the bottom of the pan.
  • Place half of the chicken cubes in the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, cooking chicken thoroughly.
  • Remove chicken from pan and place on paper towels to let the excess oil drain. Repeat with second half of chicken cubes.

For the Orange Sauce:

  • In a medium-sized saucepan combine 1 T. oil and 2 t. cornstarch. Whisk for 30 seconds over medium heat.
  • Add soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and ½ c. orange juice. Whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add ¼ c. orange juice and continue to whisk until sauce begins to thicken.
  • Add remaining orange juice, stir and let simmer for 3-5 minutes or until sauce begins to stick to the back of your spoon.
  • Place drained chicken into the sauce and toss to combine. Serve chicken with green onions, rice and vegetables of choice. Enjoy!
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Tap stars to rate!

4.50 from 2 votes

Nutrition

Calories: 667kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 25g, Cholesterol: 149mg, Sodium: 249mg, Potassium: 762mg, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 305IU, Vitamin C: 31.6mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 1.2mg

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

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Comments

  1. This looks so yummy! I have definitely been missing Chinese food, and orange chicken has always been one of my favorites. I can’t wait to try this one!

    1. Thanks so much Heidi!! Chinese food is impossible to find gluten-free in a restaurant so why not just make your own at home 🙂 Hope you like it!