This is a recipe I’ve been working on for a while and I am so excited to share it with you today. I am a huge fan of Asian cuisine and flavors. I that with just a few ingredients, you can make something incredible. Trust me, you are not going to believe this is Whole30. Without further ado, ladies and gents, Whole30 Orange Chicken.
Now, what makes this recipe is the sauce and you only need a few ingredients to make it. Now because this dish is Whole30, we aren’t using any added sweeteners which is very common in most Orange Chicken recipes. For this Whole30 compliant recipe, we are simply using fresh orange juice and coconut aminos.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
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The coconut aminos adds great depth of flavor and sweetness. The orange juice also adds a little sweetness as well as a fresh citrus flavor. We will also be utilizing the zest of the orange to add more citrus flavor and color to the dish.
OTHER ADDITIONS TO ORANGE CHICKEN
Now, if you want to make this dish a little heartier, you could definitely add some vegetables. Once you are done making the entire dish, transfer the chicken to a serving dish and leave some of the sauce in the skillet. To that skillet, you can add a little more fat (ghee or whatever fat you choose), and then add peppers, onions, broccoli, zucchini…etc to the pan and sauté for a few minutes until they are fork tender. Then serve those vegetables alongside the chicken with the cauliflower rice for a heartier dinner.
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The Best Whole30 Orange Chicken
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Forget takeout, this Whole30 compliant orange chicken is naturally sweet and tangy with bold Asian flavors. Serve over cauliflower rice and steamed bok choy.
Ingredients
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp chinese five spice
1/2 a tsp orange zest, plus more to garnish
1 tbsp arrowroot flour/starch *SEE NOTES
3 tbsp grass fed ghee, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp freshly minced ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup freshly squeezed Orange juice (about 4–5 large oranges)
1/4 cup coconut aminos
2 scallions, chopped with whites and greens separated
sesame seeds
Instructions
To begin, toss the chicken thigh pieces with the salt, black pepper, Chinese five spice, 1/2 a teaspoon of orange zest and the arrowroot starch.
Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken pieces for 3-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. If your pan isn’t big enough, make sure you sear the chicken in batches.
Now, add the remaining tablespoon of ghee to the same pan and sauté the garlic, garlic and pepper flakes for a couple minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Pour the orange juice and coconut aminos into the pan, stir and simmer until the sauce has reduced to about half, this will take about 10-15 minutes.
Once the sauce has reduced, return the chicken to the pan along with all its juices. Turn the heat up to high and continue to cook the chicken in the sauce, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and becomes sticky, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the heat and stir in the whites of the scallions.
Transfer the chicken to a serving dish, garnish with the greens of the scallions, sesame seeds and Orange zest and serve immediately.
Notes
*If you are following a low carb diet, I would suggest using coconut flour here instead of arrowroot.
Keywords: Whole30 orange chicken, orange chicken
can i use chicken breasts?
Yes you can use chicken breasts! 👍🏾
so easy and so delicious !!!
★★★★★
Thank you for sharing Sarah! Glad you enjoyed it!
This was simply glorious! I just made it for dinner with my husband and we’ll be making this yummy easy weeknight dinner again in the near future. We had it with some rice and broccoli 🙂
★★★★★
Yes!!! Thank you Jess! I love the addition of broccoli and rice. That’s the perfect way to finish things off 😘
Really really incredible. Much better than takeout.
★★★★★
Thank you Erin! So happy you enjoyed it!
Charlotte, this was SO GOOD!!!! A staple in our household now!!!
★★★★★
I love to hear it Devon! Thank you for sharing
I have made this 4 times now. It is definitely in our rotation and no one minds that it is on repeat!!
I used ground chicken this past time and served it inside lettuce wraps! Thank you!!
GET IT!! I love that ground chicken idea! I definitely need to try that
This recipe is definitely in our rotation and no one minds that it is on repeat!!
I used ground chicken this past time and served it inside lettuce wraps! Thank you!!
This is a very good recipe! The reason for not being 5 star is because of a mistake in the instructions, the need to basically double the coating ingredients, and because it will not look like deep fried orange sesame, which the picture shows. But then again, this is not a deep fried item, so I should of know.
Is it worth trying? Definitely!
★★★★
Thanks for your comment Steve. I appreciate it and I do see in the instructions I should have written sear the chicken for 3-5 minutes per side I can see how that may be confusing. However, I don’t really understand what your other problems were. Are you saying the photos I shot, styled and edited are manufactured? Or are you saying you didn’t sear the chicken long enough to get it crispy? Or are you saying you didn’t let the sauce thicken enough for it to deepen in color? I don’t understand? There is no need to double the coating if you’re searing the chicken correctly and not overcrowding the pan which I made very clear. Obviously no ones recreation of a recipe is ever going to look exactly like the photo. We (bloggers) put in hours of hard work cooking, styling, shooting, making sure the lighting is right so we can catch every detail of a dish. The colors may be slightly richer in the photos because the light is more pronounced. I can completely understand if the recipe just didn’t work for you I’m cool with that it doesn’t have to work for everyone. But you’re basically implying I deep fried the chicken and am passing it off as seared which is not only insulting but it’s ridiculous. Again, typos or mistakes in the instructions you can call me out on all day because I’m human. But please don’t imply my work is not authentic that is not ok.