This healthy paleo orange chicken recipe is gluten free, made with Whole30 approved ingredients and free of added sugar. It's a great paleo dinner recipe the entire family will love!
Guys, this is one of those easy paleo weeknight dinner recipes that you'll want to make over and over again - my whole family loves it!
Think juicy, tender chicken breast cut into small pieces, cooked in a bit of avocado oil, then drenched in an easy sauce made with fresh orange juice and coconut aminos.
The chicken cooks quickly, the sauce is flavorful and thickened with a bit of tapioca starch (arrowroot starch works too). You can have dinner ready to go in just 30 minutes from start to finish.
This is seriously the best paleo orange chicken recipe!
Paleo Orange Chicken
- gluten free and grain free - sauce is thicken with tapioca starch
- whole30 approved - made with whole30 ingredients
- dairy free - no milk, butter or ghee
- free from added sugar - the sauce is sweetened with orange juice and nothing else
- easy to make - this paleo orange chicken is easy to make. Just cook the chicken on the stovetop, drizzle it in a homemade sauce and enjoy!
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make this recipe for paleo orange chicken:
- chicken breast (thighs will work too)
- avocado oil (or olive oil)
- garlic cloves
- oranges
- coconut aminos
- fresh ginger
- tapioca starch (or arrowroot starch)
- salt
- turmeric (optional for color)
- sesame seeds (optional garnish)
That's it! I like to keep my recipes simple, but still flavorful and these ingredients make the magic happen.
I used chicken breast to make this orange chicken recipe, but thighs would work too. For a more orange color I included turmeric, but this ingredient is optional.
How to Make Paleo Orange Chicken
This healthy orange chicken is cooked on a frying pan for simple cooking and cleanup!
First, heat the avocado oil in a large frying pan.
Once hot, add the chicken and garlic. Cook on medium-high heat until the chicken is cooked through.
While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice, orange zest, coconut aminos, ginger, tapioca, salt and turmeric. Whisk until the tapioca starch has completely dissolved.
Once the chicken is cooked through, pour the sauce over the chicken. Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring the chicken every so often, until the sauce thickens.
Storage
Store leftover orange chicken in the fridge, in a sealed, air-tight container. It's best eaten within 5 days.
You can warm leftovers up on the stove top at a low temperature or in the microwave.
More Paleo Chicken Recipes
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Paleo Orange Chicken (Whole30)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 2-4 1x
Description
This healthy paleo orange chicken recipe is cooked on the stovetop and covered in a homemade orange sauce. It's paleo, whole30 and free from added sugar.
Ingredients
- 1.5 - 2 lb chicken breast, cubed
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice*
- zest from one orange (about 1 Tbsp)
- 2 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp grated raw ginger
- ½ tsp tapioca starch (or arrowroot)
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ - ½ tsp ground turmeric (optional for color)
- sesame seeds (optional garnish)
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, heat avocado oil.
- Once hot, add the chicken and garlic. Cook on medium-high heat until the chicken is cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice, orange zest, coconut aminos, ginger, tapioca, salt and turmeric. Whisk until the tapioca starch has completely dissolved.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, pour the sauce over the chicken. Lower the stovetop heat to medium and continue cooking the chicken, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens.
- Top with sesame seeds (optional).
- Best served immediately.
Notes
*You'll need 1-2 large oranges, so get 2 just in case. I used Navel oranges for this recipe.
Katie
My family loves the Paleo Orange Chicken recipe and I hope you will too!