Perfect Sweet and Tangy Orange Chicken
Equipment
- 1 WOK
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Chicken thighs or Chicken Tenderloin
- 2 cups Jasmine Rice
- 3 Eggs
- 4.5 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp 16 Mesh Black Pepper
- 1.5 cup Cornstarch
- 3/4 cup Gluten-Free Flour
- 3 – 4 cups Oil for frying chicken
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil for Wet Mix
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil for Stir-Frying
- 4 tsp Minced Ginger Root
- 3 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 2.5 cups Chopped Green Onions
- 3 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 3 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
Orange Sauce
- 6 tbsp Gluten-Free Soy Sauce or Tamari Sauce
- 2 cup Orange Juice
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 3 Oranges, Zest of
- 1 Orange chopped
Instructions
Directions
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat until it reaches the ideal frying temperature, recommended between 375 °F and 400 °F. While the oil heats up, continue with the next steps.
- Trim and cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces, similar to nuggets.
- Dry Ingredients: Mix together Cornstarch and Flour.
- Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix together the egg, salt, pepper, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Dip chicken pieces into wet mix, then into the dry mix. Shake off excess.
- Carefully add the chicken in small batches to the hot oil in the wok and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Be careful not to overcook.
- When the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the oil and place it on a paper towel to drain. Set aside, continue till all chicken is fried.
For the Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, orange zest and chopped oranges. Set aside.
- After frying the chicken, clean the wok thoroughly and heat it over high heat for 15–30 seconds.
- Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the heated wok, followed by ginger root, crushed red pepper flakes, and green onions. Stir-fry for a few seconds until fragrant. Bring heat to medium-high.
- Add the toasted sesame oil to the wok, followed by the rice vinegar and the soy sauce mixture you prepared earlier. Heat up slightly, so the sauce isn't cold.
- Add the fried chicken back into the wok and stir until everything is well combined. The sauce will begin to thicken. Remove from heat once it reaches your desired consistency. If the sauce doesn’t thicken as expected, you can mix in a small mixture of cornstarch and water to help thicken it.
- This dish is best served with jasmine rice. Cook 2 cups of jasmine rice according to the package instructions.
Table of Contents
Here’s How We Did It!
Perfect Sweet and Tangy Orange Chicken
Heat frying oil
We added approximately 2.5 cups of oil to the bottom of the wok. The goal is to have the chicken pieces fully submerged in the oil, so adjust the quantity as needed based on the size of your wok.
This will help achieve an even, crispy coating as each piece cooks thoroughly.
Prepare the Chicken
Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces, we used chicken thighs for extra juicy nuggets, but tenderloins make a great option if you prefer a leaner meat.
Create the Dry Coating
Whisk together gluten-free flour with Corn Starch in one bowl.
Create the Wet Coating
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, salt, and pepper together until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Breading the Chicken
Dredge the chicken in the wet mixture, allowing any excess to drip off, then thoroughly coat it in the dry mixture. For a crispier, more breaded finish, repeat this process a second time. Make sure each piece is fully and evenly coated.
Cook Until Golden
Fry the chicken nuggets in hot oil, turning them until they’re crispy and golden brown. Ensure the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F, but avoid overcooking. Once done, place them on a paper towel to drain excess oil while you finish frying the rest.
Set Chicken aside.
Make the Sauce
In a small bowl, we mixed together the soy sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, orange zest, and chopped fresh oranges, stirring until well blended. Once combined, set the bowl aside for later use.
Make the Rice
We added 2 cups of Jasmine rice and 3 cups of water to the pot, brought it to a boil, then reduced the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
While cooking times may vary, following the package instructions is always a good idea, but this method works perfectly for us every time.
Clean the wok, stir-fry aromatics
We heated the wok over medium heat with 3 tablespoons of oil.
Next, we added ginger root, crushed red pepper flakes, and green onions, stir-frying them for a few seconds until their aroma filled the air. After that, we increased the heat to medium-high to prepare for the next ingredients.
Finish the Sauce and add Chicken
We added the toasted sesame oil to the wok, followed by the rice vinegar, heated slightly, then poured in the soy sauce mixture.
We allowed it to heat slightly to ensure the sauce wasn’t cold before incorporating the chicken.
Next, we began adding the fried chicken back into the wok, a little at a time, stirring well to coat each piece in the sauce. As it continued to heat, the sauce gradually thickened.
After about 5 minutes, we removed the wok from heat, though it’s best to keep an eye on the consistency and take it off the stove once it reaches your preferred thickness.
Tip: If your sauce doesn’t thicken as expected after a couple of minutes, you can mix a small amount of cornstarch with water and add it in to help. However, we typically find this unnecessary, as the sauce thickens beautifully on its own.
We hope you enjoy your Perfect Sweet and Tangy Orange Chicken! Don’t forget to share your thoughts with us—we’d love to hear how it turned out and see photos of your delicious creations!
This recipe follows the same steps as our Crispy Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets—be sure to check it out! If you’re craving a bit more heat, we also have a spicy version you might enjoy. Give them a try and find your favorite!
To dive deeper into FODMAPs and how they impact digestion, check out resources from Monash University, a leading authority on FODMAP research. They offer valuable insights and tools to help you better understand and manage a Low FODMAP lifestyle.
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