East meets west with this delicious Paleo orange chicken recipe. If you’re looking for a dish that’s full of zest and flavor, then this recipe is for you.
I came up with this recipe after making my Paleo cashew recipe a bunch of times and wanting something similar yet different and realized I hadn't made a Paleo version of orange chicken. I'm not sure what took me so long to get around to figuring it out because I used to eat orange chicken all the time before I switched to the Paleo diet.
And I know I'm not the only person that loves it. I'm pretty sure it is heavily Americanized but who cares? It's so good! I especially love making this version because it isn't full of all the questionable ingredients in the restaurant versions.
The mix of spices that are incorporated into my version gives this meal a flavorful yet subtle kick. I never like overdoing it with spices - especially chili flakes. Since this only requires ¼ of a teaspoon of it, the dish is very well-rounded in terms of taste. You get the perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness - it’s absolute perfection!
Have you ever had orange chicken before? What’s your favorite Paleo side dish to have with Asian-inspired meals?
Recipe
Paleo Orange Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 50 Minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
East meets west with this delicious recipe. If you’re looking for a dish that’s full of zest and flavor, then this recipe is for you.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 4 tbsp coconut oil, divided
- 5 chicken thighs, boneless, no skin, cut into large, bite-sized pieces
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup Arrowroot starch * + 2 tbsp, divided
For the sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup freshly * squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup raw honey
- ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup coconut aminos *
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon Real Salt *
- 2 tbsp water
To top
- 3-4 green onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Begin by making the sauce: whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, raw honey, vinegar and coconut aminos.
- Add garlic, orange zest, red pepper, ground ginger, white pepper and salt. Mix well.
- Pour ⅔ of the sauce in a separate bowl and marinate chicken pieces for at least 30 minutes.
- Strain the chicken and for each chicken piece, bread it by dipping in egg and then coating with 1 cup Arrowroot starch.
- Melt coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook.
- Once chicken is cooked through, remove from heat.
- Pour the remaining sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Mix remaining Arrowroot starch with water and add into sauce. Stir until thick, about 2 minutes.
- Pour thickened orange sauce over cooked chicken. Serve on a plate, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over cauliflower rice, if desired.
Raegan
I love orange chicken! I'm going to try this real soon. My husband is really picky but I think this is something he might like so I'm definitely going to try it.
Scarlet | Family Focus Blog
I can't wait to try this paleo orange chicken. It sounds so delicious and not too hard to make:)
Rebecca Baron
I would love to know if you try it and what you think!