Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe with Paleo Option (2024)

Published by Sheena Strain, last updated

Recipe

My simple weeknight Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe that can rival Panda Express in terms of flavor, and you can make it at home easily!

Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe with Paleo Option (1)

How to Make Gluten Free Orange Chicken

This is a very easy recipe to make at home and I’m going to give you a couple of quick tips, it’s not cooked in batter so it’s low in calories too.

  1. Whist together the Orange Juice, Garlic, Soy Sauce, Ginger, and Dry Sherry and set aside.
  2. Next, simply chop the chicken breast into two inch pieces, they don’t need to be precise in terms of size and you can use skinless boneless chicken thighs if you prefer.
  3. Now add the chicken pieces to the marinade, mix them together, cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
  4. While the chicken is marinating, mix together the sauce ingredients together and then put it all in a pan and heat gently over a low/medium heat until the sauce thickens.
  5. I like to serve it over rice for my family, I usually have it with Cauliflower rice.

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Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe with Paleo Option (2)

How to Make Paleo Chinese Chicken

It’s very easy to adjust this recipe to make it Paleo, I have the substitutions listed in the recipe card but here’s how I would change it up to make it Paleo Compliant.

  • Soy Sauce – use coconut aminos for Paleo instead.
  • Sugar – you can use coconut sugar or honey instead, you will probably need a little less honey as it’s sweeter than sugar.
  • Cornstarch – you can use either arrowroot or tapioca starch to thicken your sauce and both are Paleo compliant. They do tend to be a little more sticky/gloopy than cornstarch is, but as long as you don’t use too much it will be ok.

Gluten Free Orange Chicken

Easy Gluten Free Orange Chicken recipe with Paleo Option

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Carbs: 41 g

Protein: 6 g

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2lbSkinless Chicken Breasts, about 2-3 chicken breasts
  • 2tbspcoconut oil

MARINADE

  • 1/3cuporange juice, 80mls - do not use frozen OJ
  • 2clovesgarlic, crushed
  • 1inchginger, peeled and grated
  • 1/3cupsoy sauce, coconut aminos for paleo
  • 1tbspdry sherry, optional

SAUCE

  • 1cuporange juice, Do not use frozen OJ
  • 1tbporange zest, from one orange
  • 4slicesfresh ginger, peeled
  • 3tbspwater
  • 3tbspbrown sugar, honey for paleo
  • 4tbspsoy sauce, coconut aminos for paleo
  • 2tbspcornstarch, arrowroot for paleo

GARNISH

Instructions

  1. Cut your chicken in to bite size pieces and place in a dish with all the marinade ingredients, put in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

  2. In a pan add the sauce ingredients and starch together. Put it on the stove over a low medium heat and stir until the sauce is thickened.

    If you want it thicker you can add a little more starch, mix it a small amount of cold water first if you are adding it to the hot sauce.

  3. Add the oil into a non stick skillet and cook the marinaded chicken over a medium high heat for 10 - 15 minutes, or until cooked.

  4. When the chicken is cooked use a slotted spoon to remove it from the cooked marinade and add it to the thickened sauce and mix well

  5. You can serve it over rice, or cauliflower rice for Paleo

Nutrition Facts

Gluten Free Orange Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 252Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Sodium 2102mg91%

Potassium 654mg19%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 18g20%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 180IU4%

Vitamin C 51.2mg62%

Calcium 43mg4%

Iron 1.7mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information on Noshtastic is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

Author: Sheena Strain

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:Chinese

Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe with Paleo Option (4)

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About Sheena Strain

Sheena Strain is the proud owner of Noshtastic, a gluten free website that specializes in easy family meals including Low Carb, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, and many pressure cooker recipes.

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  1. Liv says

    Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe with Paleo Option (5)
    I just made this and it’s SO delicious. I’m picky too. It is definitely worth all the effort

    Reply

  2. Meg @ With Salt and Wit says

    Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe with Paleo Option (6)
    This is one gorgeous dinner! And orange chicken is always our favorite so I need to make this at home and skip the take out!

    Reply

  3. Cailee says

    Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe with Paleo Option (7)
    WOW!! This looks amazing!! …and it’s easy to prepare?! Such a win!!! …no excuses for takeout!! Great recipe! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  4. Andi @ The Weary Chef says

    Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe with Paleo Option (8)
    I love easy to prepare dinners! This one might be my new favorite. Looks so good!

    Reply

  5. Beth says

    Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe with Paleo Option (9)
    One time I made orange chicken with OJ concentrate… that was a horrendous idea! Regular orange juice is a much better ingredient! This is definitely something we’d make time and time again 🙂

    Reply

  6. Annie @Maebells says

    Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe with Paleo Option (10)
    Yum!! Way better than take out!

    Reply

Gluten Free Orange Chicken Recipe with Paleo Option (2024)

FAQs

Is the orange chicken at Panda Express gluten free? ›

Q: Is the popular Panda Express orange chicken dish gluten-free? A: Unfortunately, Panda Express's iconic orange chicken is not gluten-free. However, Panda Express offers a range of other gluten-free dishes that are equally flavorful.

Is Trader Joe's orange chicken gluten free? ›

No, Trader Joe's orange chicken contains gluten. What can you use instead of cornstarch in orange chicken? Instead of cornstarch, use tapioca flour or arrowroot powder.

Does Panda Express have gluten free soy sauce? ›

It's probably best to avoid Panda Express if you have celiac disease or are super sensitive to gluten and cross-contamination. They use many products that contain gluten in their cooking, such as soy sauce, oyster sauce, and hoisin sauce.

What is Panda Express orange chicken made of? ›

Ingredients: dark meat chicken, water, sugar, distilled vinegar, modified food starch, corn starch, potato starch, contains less than 2% of: wheat, orange extract, caramel color, salt, garlic, phosphoric acid, rice wine, sesame oil.

What Chinese dishes are usually gluten-free? ›

  • Chinese Dining: Gluten-Free.
  • Steamed Chicken/Shrimp or Seafood: Chicken, shrimp, or seafood usually steamed with.
  • Egg Drop Soup: Beaten eggs in boiled chicken broth with condiments (pepper, scallions)
  • Fried Rice: White rice, egg, scallions, carrots, and usually meat, pork, or tofu.

Why does soy sauce have gluten? ›

Most soy sauces contain gluten

The sauce is typically made by combining soy and crushed wheat and allowing the two to ferment for several days in a salty brine containing mold cultures (2). Therefore, most soy sauces contain gluten from the wheat. However, one variety called tamari is often naturally gluten-free.

What items are gluten-free at Trader Joe's? ›

18 Underrated Gluten-Free Trader Joe's Items You Need to Try
  • Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips.
  • Gluten Free Organic Rolled Oats With Ancient Grains & Seeds.
  • Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli.
  • Gluten Free Everything Bagels.
  • Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread.
  • Grainless Tortilla Chips.
  • Gluten Free Mac & Cheese.
Jun 13, 2023

Is Costco can chicken gluten-free? ›

Based on the label, Kirkland canned chicken breast is gluten-free. However, we have had reports from users that they have contacted Costco to be told that their canned chicken contains wheat.

Is orange chicken from Costco gluten-free? ›

Is it Gluten Free? No.

What can celiacs eat from Chinese? ›

Know Which Dishes Are Most Likely to Be Safe

The best standby options in Chinese restaurants are chow fun (wide rice noodles) and mei fun (thin rice noodles) with vegetables or chicken, cooked with a white sauce.

What McDonald's items are gluten-free? ›

The only side that is gluten free is apple slices. Of the sauces offered at McDonald's, spicy buffalo, creamy ranch, honey mustard, honey, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise are all gluten free. The tangy BBQ and sweet 'n sour sauces are not.

Is Taco Bell gluten-free? ›

*Taco Bell® does not claim “gluten-free” for any of its food. Some Taco Bell® items are made without gluten-containing ingredients but are prepared in common kitchen areas, including common fryer oil, risking gluten exposure. Taco Bell® does not recommend products for customers with celiac disease.

What to use instead of orange juice for orange chicken? ›

Rather than using orange juice and orange zest, we use rehydrated dried aged tangerine peels to impart a distinctive zesty and citrus flavor to the dish. If you can find dried tangerine peels in your neighborhood Asian market, definitely grab a package. They stay good forever.

What type of rice does Panda Express use? ›

Long Grain Rice – If you're going for fluffy, not sticky, then long grain is the way to go for fried rice like Panda Express! Medium grain or jasmine are okay substitutes to use, but short grain should be avoided.

Why did Panda Express get rid of their Beyond orange chicken? ›

However, the idea was always to run the BTOOC as a limited-time item. “As part of Panda's menu innovation strategy, we offer different seasonal limited-time offerings a few times a year to excite our guests about new menu varieties and exclusive flavors,” a spokesperson for Panda Express tells VegNews.

Is orange chicken breaded Panda Express? ›

The dish begins with 1-inch pieces of chicken thighs that are coated with "just the right amount" of batter. Salt, white pepper, cornstarch, and flour make up the dry ingredients in the simple coating, and they're whisked together with oil, egg, and water until smooth.

Is Kung Pao sauce gluten-free at Panda Express? ›

This product has 1 ingredient with gluten and 3 ingredients that may have gluten.

How much gluten is in soy sauce? ›

The answer isn't cut and dry, as we have some research showing that even with wheat added to soy sauce, the gluten content of the ferment is <5ppm. Which would be considered celiac-safe. Some hypothesize that this is due to the hydrolysis (or breaking up of proteins) which removes the gluten.

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