Description
This Crispy Paleo Orange Chicken recipe is bright, sweet, tangy and so flavorful. Crispy fried chicken is coated with a gluten-free sticky orange sauce for a delicious meal that’s ready in under an hour. It’s AIP-friendly, grain-free, egg-free, and soy-free.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Crispy Paleo Orange Chicken
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3/4 tsp sea salt (divided)
- 1 TBSP orange zest
- 1/2 cup cassava flour
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup freshly carbonated water
- 1 cup arrowroot starch
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or coconut oil
Gluten Free Sticky Orange Sauce
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1 TBSP orange zest
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 2 TBSP honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes (omit for AIP)
- chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds, for garnish (optional) (omit sesame seeds for AIP)
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, and orange zest. Toss well to coat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the cassava flour, remaining 1/4 tsp sea salt, garlic powder, and carbonated water, and whisk well to combine into a batter. In a separate bowl, add arrowroot starch.
- Spoon the chicken into the liquid batter and mix well.
- Mix the chicken into the arrowroot starch. *Work in batches.
- To a medium sized bowl, add orange juice, orange zest, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Whisk to combine.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken in batches and fry until golden (approx 5-7 minutes). Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- To the same skillet, add the garlic, ginger, and chili flakes if using, and stir together until fragrant (approx 1-2 minutes). Add in the orange juice mixture and bring to a boil. Keep boiling until it thickens.
- Return chicken to skillet and cook until the sauce thickens around the chicken, about 5 minutes.
- Serve chicken and sauce over sides of choice with green onions and sesame seeds (optional).
Notes
*Work in batches to dredge chicken pieces in arrowroot starch, so that pieces are fully coated. You may need to add more arrowroot starch.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese-American