Healthy Orange Chicken

Healthy Orange Chicken is a simple, low calorie version of your favorite takeout meal. This lighter meal is made with real food and gluten free.

I have so many favorite recipes on the website and when people ask me what my go to favorites are buffalo chicken tenders, kung pao chicken and Healthy Orange Chicken always make the top of the list!

Orange chicken is definitely not the healthiest option on a Chinese restaurant's menu.

When I started losing weight, I started by simply cutting back on the portion I'd eat. But after time I realized how horrible the ingredients in the restaurant versions made me feel.

Healthy Orange Chicken

This Healthy Orange Chicken will definitely have you feeling energized and proud that you're putting better nutrition in your body (more on this below)!

Made with a handful of real food ingredients, you can't beat this knock-off on a takeout favorite! It's gluten free, low calorie and so simple to make. You won't believe it!

What You Need

• Chicken Tenderloins (I get mine from ButcherBox)
• Orange Juice with no added sugar
• Gluten Free Rolled Oats
• Coconut Aminos
• Chicken Broth
• Garlic Powder
• Ginger Powder
• Broccoli
• Green Onions
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

How To Make Orange Chicken Lower Calorie

Swapping flour or bread based breading with gluten free oats is a healthier and lower calorie alternative. Oats are high fiber. A great carb that I talk about in my free weight loss training for women that should be incorporated more of in a weight loss diet.

This recipe also significantly less oil to brown the chicken and swaps high inflammatory oils like sesame or canola with extra virgin olive oil. Instead of frying, we are browning in a skillet. Much healthier option!

The sauce is made with coconut aminos, orange juice and chicken broth. No added sugar, MSG and it's completely gluten free.

How To Cook Healthy Orange Chicken

Cooking your orange chicken happens in one skillet! It starts by preheating a large skillet with the extra virgin olive oil then breading the pre-cubed chicken in gluten free oats that have been blended into oat flour.

Chicken is wet enough that it doesn't need an egg wash or anything to make the oat flour stick to the chicken. All you need to do is roll it around in the oat flour then brown in the skillet.

Once the chicken is brown (note, you may need to do this in a few batches depending on the size of your skillet), remove the chicken and place aside on a clean plate.

Then whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and bring to a boil in the skillet. Now this is where you have to be super patient! The sauce will be liquid-y at first, but after 15-20 minutes it will thicken up nicely. If it's not thick, you have to cook it longer at a higher temperature until it does.

Add the chicken back to the skillet and combine with the sauce then add green onions (sesame seeds too if you like) and serve with your favorite side!

How To Serve Healthy Orange Chicken

Steamed broccoli, easy cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, quinoa, brown rice or chickpea pasta are great ways to serve your lightened up orange chicken!

Healthy Orange Chicken

Megan Olson

Healthy Orange Chicken is a simple, low calorie version of your favorite takeout meal. This lighter meal is made with real food and gluten free.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 369 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb chicken tenderloins or chicken breast
• ▢ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup orange juice no sugar added
• ▢ 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 1/2 cup coconut aminos
• ▢ 2/3 cup gluten free rolled oats or gluten free oat flour or arrowroot flour for Paleo
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• ▢ 2 green onions diced
• ▢ 4 cups broccoli florets

Instructions

 

• Preheat a large skillet to medium heat and add the extra virgin olive oil.
• Chop the chicken into 1-inch cubes, set on a plate and pat dry.
• Place the oats in a blender and blender 1 minute or until it becomes a flour like consistency. Transfer the oats to a plate. Coat each chicken piece with the flour then place in the preheated skillet.
• Cook 3-4 minutes then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes or until browned on each side then remove and place on a clean plate. You may need to do this in batches depending on how large your skillet is.
• In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, chicken broth, coconut aminos, ginger powder and garlic powder then place in the skillet and bring to a boil fro 15 minutes.
• Stir the sauce every few minutes. It will start to thicken and you will know it is done when it's a syrup-like consistency. Add the chicken and sliced green onions to the skillet once the sauce is done and stir to combine.
• While the sauce cooks, cook the broccoli by steaming in a pot with water for 5 minutes or by cooking according to your desire.
• Serve the chicken with sauce and broccoli immediately or store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 369kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 29gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 843mgPotassium: 907mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 785IUVitamin C: 115mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 2mg

Tried this Recipe? Let me know!Let us know how it was!

About Megan

Megan is a certified nutrition practitioner, author, freelance food photographer and fitness instructor living in Phoenix, Arizona. On her blog, Skinny Fitalicious she shares EASY, gluten free recipes for weight loss. Follow Megan on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates.