This tangy-sweet Orange Chicken will become your next favourite fakeaway recipe!! Make it on the stove top or in the slow cooker. Suitable for Gluten-Free and Keto diets. Post includes Weight Watchers Points.
Folks, this Orange Chicken recipe is goooood. It’s good as in ‘I want to eat this every night of the week’ good. Citrusy sweet, easy to make, can be whipped up in a jiffy two different ways (Instant Pot Orange Chicken or Crockpot Orange Chicken), packed with protein… what’s not to love?
Much like my Chinese Chicken Salad (in which you can use this Orange Chicken if you’d like), this recipe is bound to become one of your favourite fakeaways. By making it at home, you know exactly what is in it – no wondering if your favourite restaurant added an ingredient you wouldn’t typically stock in your pantry.
Making it at home also means this is a 100% gluten-free recipe thanks to the use of gluten-free tamari soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce. (Non-gluten-free folks, feel free to use regular soy sauce if you would like.) It’s also a keto recipe with only 6g net carbs/serving.
This easy Orange Chicken will likely make you the family hero. When everyone is tired and doesn’t want to go out to eat (even to get a takeaway meal), you can save the day by whipping this up from pantry staples.
You probably won’t be able to hide your ‘secret food project’ from them for long……. because the intoxicating smells of this fab Orange Chicken will give away your secret long before it’s done cooking. That’s okay – you’ll still be the hero when they finally dig into the tangy, sweet flavour of Orange Chicken.
Why This is the Best Orange Chicken Recipe
- It is a healthier Orange Chicken recipe. A lot of Orange Chicken recipes require deep frying. Yes this gives you a very crispy chicken (and it is what you often get when ordering takeaway) but this version is just as good without the need to use lots of oils. (No deep frying = an easier recipe too.)
- It can be made three ways. I’ve provided instructions for the Instant Pot, stove top and slow cooker. You have no excuses not to try this easy peasy Orange Chicken.
- It is gluten-free. Yeap, no need to worry about a restaurant sneaking in gluten. Use a gluten-free tamari soy sauce and you are good to go.
- It is low in carbs. With only only 6g net carbs per serving, low carb and keto dieters alike will be happy with this recipe.
- It can be made in 30 mins or less. If you use the Instant Pot or stove top version, dinner will be served in a jiffy.
- Just look at it. Could a chicken recipe that looks this good be anything other than the best???
How to Make Stove Top Orange Chicken
Step 1. Mix together the orange juice, tamari soy sauce, cider vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Step 2. Add the chicken and the cornflour into a Ziploc bag and mix until the chicken is coated.
Step 3. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken pieces in 2 batches till cooked through and set aside somewhere warm (might take 8-10 mins).
Step 4. Put the orange sauce in a separate pot over medium and bubble away for about 5 mins until thickened and reduced by about a third.
Step 5. Switch off the heat, add the cooked chicken to reduce the sauce and mix well.
Step 6. Garnish with spring onion and toasted sesame seeds before serving.
How to Make Crockpot Orange Chicken
- Step 1. Mix together the orange juice, tamari soy sauce, cider vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Step 2. Add the chicken and the cornflour into a Ziploc bag and mix until the chicken is coated.
- Step 3. Add the chicken pieces into the slow cooker insert followed by the sauce and mix.
Step 4. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5.
Step 5. If you want a thicker sauce then decant sauce in a small pot over medium heat and bubble away for about 5-7 mins until thickened and return to the chicken.
Step 6. Garnish with spring onion and toasted sesame seeds before serving.
Orange Sauce Recipe
The Orange Sauce used in this recipe consists of orange juice, tamari soy sauce, cider vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes and salt.
If you would like, the Orange Sauce recipe can be made ahead of time and placed in the refrigerator for up 2 days. To freeze the Orange Sauce, you can place it in an airtight Ziploc freezer bag and store it for up to 2 months. (Make sure you remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing it.)
Serving Suggestions
- Instant Pot White Rice
- Herbed Cauliflower ‘Rice’ for a low carb option
- Grilled Broccoli
- For an extra orangey boost, serve your Orange Chicken with mandarin orange slices.
You can also use Orange Chicken in my Chinese Chicken Salad recipe.
Weight Watchers Points
If you replace the 1 tsp coconut sugar/dark brown sugar with a calorie-free sugar alternative, there are:
- 1 Blue Plan SmartPoint per serving
- 5 PointsPlus points per serving
More Must-Try Chicken Recipes
I like to view chicken breast as a ‘blank canvas’ that can be infused with sooo many lovely flavours. If you this easy Orange Chicken recipe, you MUST try my 7 Chicken Marinades for Chicken Breast – so many flavourful chicken breast ideas at that post. And if you have an Instant Pot, do try my Perfect Instant Pot Chicken Breast.
Thank you for reading my easy Orange Chicken recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.
Get The Crockpot Orange Chicken Recipe:
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Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 175 ml (0.75 cup) orange juice (sugar-free and bit-free juice)
- 3 tbsp tamari soy sauce or regular if not gluten-free
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp coconut sugar or dark brown sugar (use a calorie-free sugar alternative if on Weight Watchers or keto)
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp ginger puree
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
- Salt
- 900 g (2 lb) skinless chicken breasts cut into 1.5-2 cm pieces and patted dry
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornflour
Extras
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (use a calorie-controlled cooking spray if on Weight Watchers for stovetop version for frying)
- 1/2-1 tbsp tamari soy sauce (optional; for IP version)
Instructions
Instant Pot Version
- Mix together the orange juice, tamari soy sauce, cider vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the chicken and the sauce into the Instant Pot insert.
- Cover your Instant Pot, set the vent to ‘sealing,’ select the manual or pressure cook button (dependent upon IP model), select high pressure and set the timer to 5 mins.
- When done allow to NPR for 10 mins then QPR and open the lid.
- Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp of water and make a lump free paste.
- Select the sauté function and add the cornflour paste, mix and sauté for about 3 mins until thickened and switch off the heat.
- Garnish with spring onion and toasted sesame seeds before serving.
Stove Top Version
- Mix together the orange juice, tamari soy sauce, cider vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the chicken and the cornflour into a Ziploc bag and mix until the chicken is coated.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken pieces in 2 batches till cooked through and set aside somewhere warm (might take 8-10 mins).
- Put the orange sauce in a separate pot over medium and bubble away for about 5 mins until thickened and reduced by about a third.
- Switch off the heat, add the cooked chicken to reduce the sauce and mix well.
- Garnish with spring onion and toasted sesame seeds before serving.
Slow Cooker Version
- Mix together the orange juice, tamari soy sauce, cider vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the chicken and the cornflour into a Ziploc bag and mix until the chicken is coated.
- Add the chicken pieces into the slow cooker insert followed by the sauce and mix.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5.
- If you want a thicker sauce then decant sauce in a small pot over medium heat and bubble away for about 5-7 mins until thickened and return to the chicken.
- Garnish with spring onion and toasted sesame seeds before serving.
Notes
- The cook and total time are for the Instant Pot version only.
- The total cook time does not include the time it takes for the Instant Pot to get to pressure and the time for the natural pressure release. Plan for additional time.
- For fewer calories and carbs, substitute the coconut sugar/dark brown sugar with a calorie-free sugar substitute.
- 1 Freestyle points per serving
- 5 PointsPlus points per serving
- Instant Pot White Rice
- Herbed Cauliflower ‘Rice’ for a low carb option
- Grilled Broccoli
- For an extra orangey boost, serve your Orange Chicken with mandarin orange slices.
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I’m smiling right now looking at that bowl of orange chicken. Oh and that Chinese chicken salad looks killer. This is happy food and boy I got serious craving for orange chicken right now
I love citrus flavours with chicken. This recipe has such wonderful flavors I love that it can be used in different ways too – that chicen salad has my name all over it.
Such a good idea! I’ve been loving crockpot recipes lately because I don’t want to heat up the oven lol. This is perfect!
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