Healthy Orange Chicken Recipe
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Skip takeout and try this Healthy Orange Chicken Recipe instead! Gluten free and high protein – it’s a delicious healthy chicken recipe! Made with just a few ingredients, it’s tasty and easy to make!
This post was originally shared in 2015 but has since been updated.
If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to orange chicken look no further! This Healthy Orange Chicken Recipe is one of our all time favorite meals and one of the most popular recipes on our site with close to 500 5 star reviews!
Made with only a few ingredients, it’s full of flavor, and easy to make. This dish is one I always turn to when I need something easy and healthy.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- Baked, not fried: Typically orange chicken is battered and fried, then tossed in sauce. This healthy orange chicken recipe is sautéed lightly in oil and then tossed in the sauce making it lower in fat and carbs.
- Lower in sugar: Orange chicken often comes tossed in a very sweet, thick sauce. This healthy sauce recipe tastes just as good with way less sugar and calories!
- Minimal Ingredients: This orange chicken recipe was made to be gluten free, dairy free, grain free, refined sugar free and paleo friendly so that anyone can enjoy it regardless of their diet.
This healthy chicken meal holds a close second to my Healthy Chicken Pad Thai for best ‘takeout fakeout’ recipe… (Chicken Fried Rice is up there too, and so is this Ground Turkey Stir Fry!)
Ingredients
Substitutions:
Toasted Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil is pretty essential for flavor. If you don’t have it, you can omit it from the sauce, but it will impact the flavor
Chicken: You can substitute chicken breasts with chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Veggies: Serve this healthy orange chicken with any vegetables you like. Our favorite veggies to serve it with are steamed green beans or broccoli. You could also serve it with our cauliflower fried rice.
Orange Juice: You can sub regular bottled orange juice with freshly squeezed orange juice but we don’t recommend it. We don’t recommend low calorie or low sugar orange juice in this recipe. It can make the sauce taste bitter. Do not try to cut back on the orange juice used!. The orange juice helps the sauce thicken and is necessary!
Coconut Aminos: Coconut aminos are a gluten free soy sauce alternative. You can sub coconut aminos with soy sauce or bragg’s liquid aminos. If using Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, use HALF the amount – bragg’s is much saltier!
Honey: You can sub honey with maple syrup. We have never tried making this with sweetener substitutes so we’re not sure how it would work. Coconut sugar will not work in place of honey. You need a liquid sweetener.
Vegan/Vegetarian: You can sub chicken with tofu, or try our Vegan Orange Chicken!
Ginger: You can substitute fresh ginger with 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.
How to make Orange Chicken
- Heat oil in pan and cook chicken until browned then set aside.
- While chicken is cooking, whisk together sauce ingredients.
- Add sauce ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil.
- The sauce should be bubbling and actively boiling for 15 minutes or so until it thickens. Make sure to constantly stir so that it doesn’t burn.
- You’ll know the sauce is thickened when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Once the sauce is thickened, add the chicken back to the pan and toss until coated.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this healthy orange chicken in so many different ways!
Over rice: Our favorite way to serve this recipe is with cooked white or brown rice. Quinoa or cooked farro is also a good option!
Low Carb/Grain Free: If you’re looking to eat lower carb, skip the rice. You can serve it over cauliflower fried rice, plain steamed cauliflower rice, or just with plained veggies.
Veggies: Broccoli, green beans, or steamed cauliflower are great for veggie side dishes.
Salad: You can also serve this alongside a salad. I love this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad!
Storage
Storing: Healthy Orange Chicken will stay in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Reheating: You can reheat this healthy orange chicken in a pan on the stove or in the microwave. If reheating in the pan I recommend adding a little bit of water to loosen up the sauce.
Freezing: We have not tried freezing this healthy orange chicken but I think it would work!
Tips for Making this Recipe in the Instant Pot:
- Make sure you pat the chicken breasts dry before you put it in the hot oil so they will brown.
- Brown the chicken breasts whole prior to dicing them. This ensures that maximum surface area makes contact with the pan and the chicken actually browns. Browning the chicken is an important step. This seals the juices in and ensures the chicken doesn’t release too much liquid while being pressure cooked. This additional liquid effects the consistency of the sauce.
- The sauce will seem thin until you add the corn starch slurry and reduce it down. This is normal!
What to do if your sauce doesn’t thicken:
If your sauce isn’t thickening first, make sure that the sauce is boiling. It should be bubbling the entire time it is cooking. Then, give it time! It will take at minimum 15 minutes of boiling for the liquid to evaporate and for the sauce to thicken.
It can take up to 20 minutes for the sauce to thicken. Be patient! Stir the sauce every few minutes to prevent it from burning. When the sauce starts to pull away from the pan as you scrape it back, you’ll know it’s ready!
Healthy Orange Chicken FAQs
Yes! This is totally fine! Your sauce might look a little dark then these photos simply due to the ingredients you use. The color won’t impact the flavor!
You can use honey in place of sugar for orange chicken! Maple syrup would also work well.
Love chicken? If so – here are some of our other favorite healthy chicken recipes! This Chicken Vegetable Soup is my favorite!
Healthy Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in 1 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 tablespoon orange zest
For serving:
- 4 cups steamed broccoli or green beans
- 2 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- Cook green beans and rice according to package directions.
- In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 10 minutes until the edges are brown and slightly crispy.
- While the chicken cooks, stir together all ingredients for the sauce in a bowl.
- Once the chicken is thoroughly cooked remove it from the pan and set aside in a clean bowl.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the same pan you cooked the chicken in.
- Bring the sauce mixture to a boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring every minute or so until it starts to thicken. You will know the sauce has thickened when you scrape the pan with a spatula and the sauce pulls away from the pan. The sauce should be bubbling the entire time.
- Once the sauce has thickened, add the cooked chicken back to the pot. Stir to coat the chicken in the sauce.
- Serve over steamed vegetables and rice.
Instant Pot Instructions
- IMPORTANT: If making this recipe in the instant pot you will need 3 teaspoons of cornstarch or arrowroot powder and 1/4 cup chicken stock. You also must use 1/2 the amount of ingredients in the sauce recipe, except for chicken stock. Ex: Orange Juice: 2 cups = 1 cup
- Cook green beans and rice according to package directions.
- Mix together 1/2 the amount called for in the recipe for the orange juice, coconut aminos, honey, garlic powder, ginger, orange zest and pepper. Set aside.
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté on the highest heat setting. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and allow it to heat up. The Instant Pot will display the word “hot” when it’s ready.
- Trim the chicken breasts and dry them off with paper towels. When the Instant Pot is hot place the chicken breasts in the oil. You’ll need to do 2 at a time so you do not crowd the pot. Sear them on each side for 2 minutes then flip just to get a golden color. You’re not trying to cook them through.
- Pull them out and set them on a cutting board. Dice them into 1 inch pieces.
- Put the diced chicken back into the Instant Pot and pour the sauce mixture over. Close the lid and put the vent to sealing. Set it to Manual High Pressure for 3 minutes. Note that pot will take 3-5 minutes to come to pressure before the display starts counting down the 3 minutes you’ve set.
- When it’s finished quick release the steam by setting the valve to venting. Be sure to use a towel or pot holder to do this so you don’t get burned.
- When the Instant Pot releases all the steam the button will lower down and you’ll be able to safely open the lid.
- Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Mix together the chicken broth and corn starch.
- Turn the Instant Pot back to sauté choosing the highest heat setting again. Your sauce should begin to bubble. Stream in the corn starch slurry and whisk. Allow the mixture to boil for 7-9 minutes until it’s nice and thick.
- Return the chicken to the sauce and select the “Keep Warm” setting on the Instant Pot. Serve over steamed broccoli or green beans for a paleo option, or rice/quinoa.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Important Note: This is not an authentic orange chicken recipe. My goal is always to share recipes that are a bit healthier and made with affordable, accessible ingredients so everyone can enjoy them regardless of their food allergies or dietary restrictions. Here’s a link to an authentic Orange Chicken Recipe.
If you’re looking to fill those takeout cravings through a homemade meal, this is the recipe! This dish was amazing – easy to make and delicious to eat! I paired mine with steamed broccoli (as suggested in the recipe) and it was perfect! I will definitely be making this again!
Thank you so much Emily!
So full of flavor without the added sugar and sodium!! I loved how mine turned out❤ I didn’t feel bloated after eating and was definitely happy with how it turned out!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Beka! Thank you so much!
This recipe has been on my list to try for a while now and I finally made it tonight and it was SO GOOD. My husband, who told me before I made it that he doesn’t like orange chicken, LOVED it. Highly recommend. This meal will be part of our regular rotation going forward for sure!
SO glad you enjoyed it, Brynna!! Thank you so much!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe, but I can’t EVER get the sauce to thicken. It doesn’t matter what I do, with chicken broth or without it. Ughhh
Hi Grace – I just re-tested this recipe yesterday and it took exactly 12 minutes for it to thicken. Give it time, I promise. The sauce needs to be boiling on high heat for it to thicken. It should be bubbling the entire time. Stir the sauce every few minutes, and once the sauce starts to pull away from the pan as you scrape it back, you’ll know it’s ready!
I’m going to give this a shot and report back! Looks fantastic.
Can’t wait to hear what you think, Candy!
Wow! This was delicious. Honestly, better than takeout not just because I knew what was in my food but it was tasty and I feel great after eating it.
So glad you liked it! Thank you so much!
This is seriously the best Orange Chicken I have ever had! The flavor is absolutely delicious and I was able to nail the recipe on my first try! Super simple and easy to follow. Will definitely be making this again as well as sharing it with family and friends!
Thank you so much, Luke! This makes me so happy to hear!
This recipe was delicious!! It was light but filling and of course tasted so flavourful. My entire family enjoyed this healthy meal, thank you!
Thank you so much, Kyra! I really appreciate it!
So good and so easy! Just like takeout but so much better for you!
So glad you liked it, Lacey! Thank you so much!
I am the biggest Panda Express fan there is; Chinese takeout is my absolute favorite but oh man. I’m not afraid to say it – this recipe is better than Panda Express orange chicken. It tastes delicious and fresh and guilt-free. It took exactly 25 minutes for my sauce to thicken up, and when it did it happened quickly (I was worried that I had not added enough honey.) I was unable to zest an orange (i.e. no zester or grater in my kitchen apparently) so I added a bit of extra orange juice. My sauce came out thick and very orange-y but not too much. Next time I’ll add some red pepper flakes for a bit more heat.
I gave this recipe to my family group chat because it is too good to keep hidden.
This comment made my day, Victoria!! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
This was so yummy!!! Everyone gobbled it up. I served it over steamed broccoli and cauliflower rice that already had lemon and garlic in it. What an easy one-ish pot meal!!!
So glad to hear this, Brandy! The cauliflower rice sounds like a yummy side dish 🙂
Loved this orange chicken recipe…It basically tasted like Asian take-out, but way more fresh and with true orange flavor. I’d definitely make this again!
So glad you liked it, Ela! Thank you so much!
I made this for dinner last night and it was so good! Very easy to make and awesome flavor! My picky 7 year old even ate it!
Thanks, Terri! So glad you and your family enjoyed it!
OMG! I almost gave up. I had a rollercoaster of emotions. PSA- DO NOT PUT A COVER ON THE SAUCE. I thought that it would help with the boiling but it defeats the purpose. I learned that the hard way. After 30 minutes I took the cover off and then it started to thicken up with some time. I couldn’t wait any longer after an additional 20 but I know that if I did it properly the sauce with the cup like it should. Regardless I got it a little bit thick and it taste amazing. Orange chick is my FAVE! Next Time no cover on the sauce… Thanks guys sooo much. Perfect for the quarantine mode we are in right now.
Thanks Jennifer!! You definitely need to keep the lid off. When the lid is on the pan, it keeps the moisture in rather than letting it evaporate. Soo glad you liked it though!!
I absolutely loved this! This will be my go to when I’m craving takeout! I loved it so much I shared it with 8 friends via text who also love to cook and on my insta & Facebook! Seriously going to be on rotation!
So glad you liked it, Kelly! Thanks so much for sharing it – I really appreciate it!!
Just made this tonight for my family and I. In all honesty, it does not taste like the orange chicken you get at a Chinese place but it was delicious! The difference was this orange chicken actually tastes like oranges but I loved it next time I make it I think I may double the sauce because it does reduce a bit in the pan. Also a side note I juiced fresh orange juice so this might have made it thinner I don’t know. I am new to cooking and this recipe was easy to follow and very quick I highly recommend.
So glad you liked it, Hailey! Fresh orange juice probably could’ve made it thinner!
My first attempt at orange chicken! didn’t have sesame oil or seeds on hand but tastes similar to the classic version. Also subbed clementines for regular oranges. Will try again with the original ingredients!😋🍊🐔🥡🍽
Also, this recipe is a healthier option than takeout which I love!!!
So glad you liked it, Kayla! and that all those substitutions worked for you!
This was so good.. it’s like Chinese take out with our the breadcrumbs and of course the guilt. We paired with rice, broccoli and asparagus. My children had it with rice and green beans. Over all a really delicious chicken
So glad you liked it, Randi! Sounds like it was a delicious meal!
This is a staple in our house! So easy to throw it in the instant pot and add some brown rice for a week’s worth of meals. I see a lot of comments about the sauce not thickening, you have to be patient, mine usually takes about 20 minutes before it as thick as I would like for it to be. So delicious and so simple!
So glad you like it, Nikki! You’re totally right about the sauce – it will work if you’re patient!! 🙂
Love this super easy recipe. I made this and froze it for meals to grab and go. When I heat it up in between classes I have had comments on how good it smells and how they can’t believe I made it because it looks and smells like it came from a restaurant. I highly recommend, it is so yummy and not full of sugar, sodium, and isn’t fried like it is from a restaurant.
Thank you Michaela! I’ve never tried freezing it so I’m so glad it worked for you! Love the idea of portioning it out for future meals 🙂
Very tasty and easy to make. I love how thorough the directions are. Very helpful!
Thanks Ren!! So glad you like it!
If I could give this more starts I would! This orange chicken is amazing and pretty easy but makes you feel like a bomb a** cook! This will be on regular rotation especially on weekends when you want something more fun! Also great as leftovers.
more *stars! I was too excited 😂
Thank you so much, Venice!! I really appreciate it 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
So good! My family loved it. Such a good balance of sweet and savory, the sauce was light and delicious. Will be making this again and again.
Thank you so much, Camille! So glad you liked it 🙂
Will definitely be making again!! Soo much flavor, even had my daughter going back for seconds!!
So glad you liked it, Melissa! It’s one of our favorites for dinner too 🙂
I made this dish and it was fantastic- thank you! I’d like to make it for a family member who is not consuming honey/sugar/maple syrup etc. Any ideas for a substitution? Thanks again!
Thank you so much, Sheila! So glad you liked it. You might be able to substitute date paste – although I haven’t tried it. Let me know if you do!
I am going to make this using dates this week (I’m doing a Whole 30.) Do you suggest paste or I have a date syrup I could try?
I haven’t tried making this with date syrup – but this is the one that I use and love!