Gluten-Free Orange Chicken with Coconut Rice

Make this gluten-free orange chicken recipe in under 35 minutes and serve it with coconut rice or your favorite vegetables. It’s a healthier and quicker version of orange chicken.

This delicious gluten-free chicken tastes like your takeout favorite chicken but it’s made at home! The sticky sauce on this chicken tastes amazing served with our instant pot jasmine rice, white rice, coconut rice, brown rice, our gluten-free ramen or even cauliflower rice.

It can be so hard to find gluten free Chinese food and even harder to find a good gluten free orange chicken option. Whether you are looking at traditional Chinese restaurants or even chains like Panda Express or PF changs it’s rare to find. This homemade orange chicken is a great option for those who eat gluten-free! Feel free to serve egg rolls in the air fryer.

Another one of my favorite recipes is my Chick-Fil-A gluten-free chicken sandwich as well as this Mississippi chicken instant pot style. I love recipes that get dinner on the table fast because they come in especially handy during busy weeknights.

Also, this chicken is super easy to pair with vegetables like these instant pot carrots or air fryer sweet potato fries. The perfect combination makes for a quick, easy, and healthy dinner.

Is orange sauce gluten-free?

Sometimes store bought orange chicken sauce contains regular soy sauce which is not gluten-free. I like to make my own sauce with coconut aminos or ginger soda! This way you can add more orange flavor with fresh oranges or orange zest.

Ingredients for gluten-free orange chicken

This easy recipe calls for simple ingredients and can be made in under 35 minutes!

Chicken

Chicken breasts cut into small chicken pieces taste best in this recipe. You want to make sure your cooked chicken is fully done to golden brown before serving just like with this sweet and sour chicken stir fry.

Cornstarch

Cornstarch helps coat the chicken but feel free to use gluten-free flour, all purpose flour, or arrowroot starch to thicken the sauce as well.

Brown sugar

Brown sugar helps sweeten the sauce and you can sub for coconut sugar.

Ginger soda

I love Dry Sparkling ginger soda but any ginger soda will work.

Orange Juice

Fresh orange juice from 1/2 an orange is the best way to get the most flavor. You can use store bought orange juice if you’re in a pinch. If you like lots of orange flavor you’ll love this chocolate orange cake.

Spices

I like to use onion salt and ground ginger but you can add other spices if you’d like. Green onions, sesame seeds, garlic powder, or fresh garlic are all great additional spices/toppings.

How to make gluten-free orange chicken

Step 1: Cook rice as instructed

Step 2: In a large sauce pan, heat butter or olive oil until melted

Step 3: Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink

Step 4: Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine all remaining ingredients and simmer over medium heat 15 minutes making sure to whisk often

Step 5: Sprinkle 2 T corn starch over cooked chicken and toss to coat

Step 6: Pour the orange ginger sauce over chicken and continue cooking for 5 minutes on low heat until evenly coated

Step 7: Serve with rice

Pro tip: You can thicken the sauce with a small amount of xanthan gum if desired.

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Gluten-Free Orange Chicken with Coconut Rice

5 from 2 votes

Make this gluten-free orange chicken recipe in under 35 minutes and serve with coconut rice or your favorite vegetables. A healthier and quicker version of orange chicken.

This delicious gluten-free chicken tastes like your takeout favorite chicken but it's made at home! The sticky sauce on this chicken tastes amazing served with our instant pot jasmine rice, white rice, coconut rice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice. 

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Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, asian

Keyword: chicken, gluten-free, orange

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Chandice

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound chicken breast cut into chunks
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 1/4 cup ginger soda I like Dry Sparkling
• ▢ 1/2 cup brown sugar
• ▢ Juice of 1 medium size orange
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon onion salt
• ▢ 1 cup rice any variety is fine
• ▢ 13.66 can full-fat coconut milk

Instructions

• In a rice cooker, add the rice and coconut milk and start cooking
• In a large sauce pan, heat 1 T butter until melted
• Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink
• Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine all remaining ingredients except cornstarch and simmer over low heat 15 minutes making sure to whisk often
• Once the chicken is cooked through, sprinkle 2 T corn starch over chicken and toss to coat
• Pour the orange ginger sauce over chicken and continue cooking for 5 minutes on low heat until evenly coated
• Once the rice is done, place on plates and top with sticky orange ginger chicken
• Garnish with more fresh orange zest and lots of pickled ginger

Notes

How do you reheat orange chicken? 

You can store orange chicken in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave or air fryer. I recommend making fresh rice as rice does not reheat well.

Pro tip: You can thicken the sauce with a small amount of xanthan gum if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 190mg | Potassium: 346mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 81IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

*This post was originally published in April 2017 and was updated April 2022.