Go Back
–+ servings
Gluten Free Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken | Best Gluten Free Recipes

5 from 1 vote

Your rating helps support the making of more tested, delicious gluten-free recipes.

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 6 servings
Chopped chicken thighs are coated in gluten-free flour (use regular all purpose if not GF), fried golden and crispy, tossed in the best ever homemade Orange Chicken Sauce, and then baked to a sticky, shiny bliss. If you didn't think it was possible to ever have gluten free orange chicken, think again.
Print Pin Share Save

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Orange Chicken:

  • 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour* or sub regular if not GF, I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag)
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 3 to 4 cups neutral oil for frying about 2 to 3-inches deep
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds optional topping

For the Orange Sauce:

  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon chili flakes
  • 4 tablespoon Sherry replaces Japanese sake
  • 6 tablespoon water
  • 2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 5 ½ tablespoon soy sauce or gluten-free tamari I use San-J tamari
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 4 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
  • the zest and freshly-squeezed juice of 2 Navel oranges
  • cornstarch slurry (4 tablespoon water + 4 tablespoon cornstarch)

Instructions

For the Homemade Orange Chicken Sauce:

  • To a medium-sized pot, add the minced ginger and the zest and juice of the oranges. Leave whatever pulp falls in for a delicious texture.
  • Add all of the remaining ingredients (except for the cornstarch slurry) to the same pot. Don't judge the consistency of the sauce at this stage. All of the pieces will break down while simmering.
  • Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, add in the cornstarch slurry while constantly stirring, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. The mixture will thicken some more as it cools.
  • Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool for 10 minutes before pouring into a glass jar. Allow it to cool completely before covering and refrigerating.

For the Gluten Free Orange Chicken:

  • Prep your battering station: Set out a cutting board piled with chopped chicken thighs (fat left intact - this fries up nicely and gives it an authentic taste and texture), a bowl of cold water, and a seal-able container of flour.
  • Heat the frying oil to a steady 350 F. You want the oil to be at-least two to three inches deep. I use a Dutch oven.
  • Dip the chopped chicken thighs in the water and then lay spaced out in the flour. Seal the container, and shake to coat. Set aside. Repeat in batches as necessary.
  • Fry the chicken in batches, being sure to not overcrowd the pan. Fry on one side until golden, about 5 minutes, flip, and then fry the other side until golden, an additional 4-5 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the oil with a slotted spoon, and place onto a wire cooling rack to drain. Tip: Place a cookie sheet with parchment paper underneath the wire rack for easy clean-up. Cover the chicken with foil to keep warm as you fry the remaining batches.
  • Once halfway through frying the chicken, preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • After all the chicken has been fried and drained, place it in a nonstick or greased 9x13 pan. Pour the orange sauce over-top of the chicken, and use a spatula to spread it around to really coat all sides.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce is hot and glaze-y.
  • Top with sesame seeds (optional) and serve with rice. Enjoy!

Notes

*You can also use a mix of cornstarch and flour for frying the chicken.
To reheat: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the desired amount of orange chicken in a nonstick baking dish (and/or greased with nonstick spray). Bake for 10-15 minutes until hot. You can also broil on Low for 1-2 minutes. Just be careful that the sauce doesn't burn. Since it contains sugars, it won't be able to be reheated for long.
(Optional) Serve with Easy Fried Rice | Best Gluten Free Dinner Side
Click here to add your own private notes.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @wondersofcooking or tag #wondersofcooking!