Gluten Free Skillet Orange Chicken

This orange chicken recipe is sweet with a citrus kick, and comes together in one skillet in just 30 minutes. Perfect for weeknight meals!

Who else would rather have homemade takeout? 

I love making my own takeout at home. I can control what ingredients go into it, and honestly it tastes so much better.

Last year, I made an Instant Pot version of this Gluten Free Skillet Orange Chicken. What I found is that trying to sear your chicken in the Instant Pot pot can be difficult since it’s not non-stick. I usually do it in batches and it works just fine, but the chicken does still to stick to the bottom and isn’t as crisp.

Quick side note: you can definitely purchase a non-stick insert for your Instant Pot, which would make browning/searing chicken and meat in the pot much easier! It’s next on my list of things to buy and try.

Anyway, I was determined to make a skillet version, especially for those who don’t have an Instant Pot (but seriously… if you don’t, pop over to Amazon right now and get yourself one of these beauties! They are so worth it).

This easy gluten free skillet orange chicken is a great weeknight meal that doesn’t require a lot of cooking time. Other than the prep and time cutting the chicken, it comes together in about 25-30 minutes and is cooked in a deliciously sweet and slightly tangy citrus sauce. 

Keep in mind it’s not a crispy chicken like when you fry it. It’s a bit healthier (and still just as delicious) because it’s pan seared.

How To Make Skillet Orange Chicken

• Start by coating the cubed chicken in some tapioca starch. You can use cornstarch here if you’d like, but I found I really like how tapioca thickens the sauce in the end – it’s a bit smoother than when using cornstarch and is a great grain free option.
• Pan sear the chicken in a little oil over medium high heat, add in sautéed onion and the orange sauce.
• Let simmer for about 10 minutes until almost thickened. Stir in the remaining tapioca & water slurry, then serve hot over your choice of rice or noodles and steamed vegetables.

Can I Make This In The Instant Pot

You definitely can.

Once the chicken has browned and the onions have cooked, add everything to the pot and cook on Manual High pressure for 6 minutes. Use the quick release method for releasing the pressure and steam. Finish by stirring in the remaining tapioca starch and water slurry and gently mix until thickened.

Gluten Free Skillet Orange Chicken

This orange chicken recipe is sweet with a citrus kick, and comes together in one skillet in just 30 minutes. Perfect for weeknight meals!

September 22, 2019

by Lauren @ Zest and Lemons

Persons

4

Ingredients

• ½ large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1” pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 large oranges)
• Zest of one orange
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 3 Tbsp gluten free Tamari
• ¼ cup tomato sauce
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 3 Tbsp honey
• ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 Tbsp oil, plus more as needed
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp water
• Red pepper flakes, optional
• Chopped scallions to garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Add 1 Tbsp of oil to a large skillet and sauté the onion over medium heat (iron skillet or nonstick works best), until almost translucent. Remove onto a plate and set aside.
2. Dry the chicken with a few paper towels to remove excess moisture, then toss in a large bag or bowl with ¼ cup tapioca starch, a pinch of salt, and add any additional spices to coat if desired (you can add a pinch of garlic powder and/or black pepper).
3. Add an additional 1-2 Tbsp of oil to the skillet and cook over medium high heat, flipping once until browned on all sides. Add the onion back to the pan.
4. Add minced garlic, orange juice, zest, lemon juice, Tamari, tomato sauce, ground ginger, and honey to a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add red pepper flakes if desired, to taste. Pour over the chicken in the skillet and stir. Bring to a light boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Mix together the remaining 1 Tbsp of tapioca starch and water, then stir into the sauce until thickened.
6. Serve immediately over rice, cauliflower rice, rice noodles, or quinoa and garnish with chopped scallions.

Notes

• The chicken in this recipe is just lightly browned, not fried. If you want really crispy chicken, you can lightly pan-fry the pieces first in shallow oil. Once done, remove the excess oil from the pan, add the onion and crispy chicken back and cover in the sauce. Cook as instructed.
• The orange sauce in this recipe is on the sweeter side. I tend to have a sweet tooth around here. You can adjust the flavor as needed by adding additional spices or some red pepper flakes for a kick, or more tomato sauce/vinegar.
• You can use cornstarch instead of tapioca starch, if desired.

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Tags

chicken,

dinner,

gluten free,

main dishes,

weeknight meals

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