Gluten Free Orange Chicken
This gluten free orange chicken tastes even better than Panda Express, and it's much healthier, too. Get those oranges ready!
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the sauce
- ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) freshly squeezed orange juice strained of pulp (from about 4 medium oranges)
- ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) basic gum-free gluten free flour blend (or try an equal amount sweet white rice flour)
- ¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) tamari or gluten free soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) unseasoned rice vinegar (or white balsamic or white wine vinegar)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons (63 g) honey
For the chicken
- 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 ½ cups gluten free Panko-style bread crumbs or gluten free corn flakes coarsely ground in a blender or food processor
For serving (optional)
- Cooked white or brown rice
- Chopped scallions
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Make the sauce.
- In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the orange juice, chicken stock and flour, and whisk vigorously to combine, making sure the flour doesn’t clump at all.
- Add the tamari, rice vinegar, garlic powder, chili powder, ground ginger and honey, whisking to combine after each addition.
- Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture begins to simmer. Continue to cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture is reduced by about 1/4 and has begun to thicken (about 6 minutes).
- Remove the sauce from the heat and transfer it to a large heat-safe bowl. Allow the sauce to cool, whisking occasionally, until no longer hot to the touch.
- The sauce can also be made, cooled, sealed tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before proceeding with the recipe.
Prepare the chicken.
- Place about 1/2 of the cooled sauce in a separate, medium-size bowl. Place the raw, cubed chicken next to it, and a bowl with the bread crumbs next to that.
- Dip the chicken pieces, one at a time, in the sauce on all sides, then in the bread crumbs on all sides, and place about 1/2-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown all over and opaque throughout.
- Remove from the oven and toss the cooked chicken pieces in the remaining sauce.
- Serve over rice, garnished with scallions.