Gluten-Free Orange Chicken (Soy-Free, Top-8 Allergy-Free)

Name: Gluten-Free Orange Chicken (Soy-Free, Top-8 Allergy-Free)
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 3-4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs Skinless Chicken Tenders (cubed); 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper; 1 TB Neutral Oil; 2 TB Corn Starch; Orange Sauce:; 3/4 Cup 100% Orange Juice; Zest of 1 Orange; 1/4 Cup Coconut Aminos; 2 TB Rice Vinegar; 1 TB Brown Sugar; 2 Tsp Sesame Oil; 1 Tsp Chili Paste; 1 Tsp Minced Garlic; 1/2 Tsp Pureed Ginger; 1/4 Cup Chopped Scallions; 1 TB Sesame Seeds

March 7, 2018 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 48 Comments

Easy Chinese take-out made right at home! This Gluten-Free Orange Chicken recipe is not only soy-free, but top-8 allergy-free, quick to make, & a whole lot healthier! With a sticky, sweet, & spicy homemade orange sauce, this remake on the classic take-out will be a new favorite dinner option (with killer leftovers!)

Why is orange chicken SO good? It will always rank as one of my top favorites, rivaling this one. There is something so delicious about that sweet sticky sauce with just a hint of spice that makes this orange chicken so good. The classic Chinese take-out orange chicken is typically deep-fried, loaded with sugar, salt, fat, gluten, soy, eggs, nuts…it needed to be remade, don’t you think?

When it comes to a good orange chicken, it is ALL about the sauce. It should be of such a caliber that you just want to bottle it up and pour it on any and everything! Anytime you have a sauce that requires some sort of fruit, PLEASE use real fruit. None of this “concentrate” or sugary fake substitutes. Grab some orange globes of sweet zesty wonder, slice them in half, and get squeezing! Okay, you can buy a 100% all natural straight-up orange juice, but buying some oranges is much cheaper.

Fresh is best and if we’re going with homemade take-out anyway, might as well use the best of the best! Pro tip: When it comes to squeezing citrus, I am SO glad I got a citrus squeezer a few years ago from Amazon. There are specific sized ones from limes, lemons, and oranges, but I just use my “regular sized” lemon one for everything. No more juice ALL over you hands (or rouge seeds falling into your sauce!)

The other perk, or benefit, or using real deal whole oranges is the zest! Another great Amazon buy for any cook. A microplane zester for all your citrus zesty needs! That’s where the deep skin oils of the fruit, with that deep “popping” zesty flavor get to shine. Plus, it’s kind of pretty to garnish a dish with the fruit zest! Presentation is key (and so is flavor!)

Now that I’ve convinced you to use real oranges for this gluten-free orange chicken, who’s ready for some healthy take-out that doesn’t sacrifice ANY of the flavor and deliciousness of your favorite local Chinese joint? Whip up some white rice, get out some chop sticks, and enjoy this meal on a Friday night with some good movies, a Chinese-food-loving friend, and the knowledge that you won’t get that post take-out bloat, sluggishness, or inevitable hunger that comes an hour after you eat!

Gluten-Free Orange Chicken