Keto Orange Chicken
This healthy homemade Keto Orange Chicken features perfectly crispy bites of chicken, coated in a classic sticky-sweet orange sauce.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love this Keto Orange Chicken Recipe
- Crispy bites of tender juicy chicken
- Classic Chinese orange sauce with bold flavors
- Satisfy your cravings for takeout
- Perfect for busy weeknights
- Family friendly
If you follow a low carb diet and are missing Chinese Orange Chicken from your favorite restaurants like Panda Express or P.F. Chang’s, you’re going to want to make this recipe! It has those same scrumptious, classic, authentic flavors but without all the added sugars and with much fewer carbs.
It’s not only one of the best homemade orange chicken recipes that your entire family is going to love, but it’s also gluten free, dairy free, grain free and refined sugar free, making it suitable for almost any diet.
The sauce for this orange chicken really steals the show. It’s made with a honey substitute that is as close to the real thing as you can get and can be used in so many delicious ways. I use it to make these Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs and these homemade Sticky Asian Chicken Wings that you should check out too!
🛒 What’s in Sugar Free Orange Chicken
- Chicken breast
- Pork rinds
- Almond flour
- Eggs
- Light olive oil
- Chicken broth
- Orange juice
- Orange zest
- Liquid aminos
- Sugar-free Keto honey
- Rice wine vinegar
- Monk fruit/allulose
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Toasted sesame oil
- Xanthan gum
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
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🔪 How to Make Low Carb Orange Chicken
Cut your chicken breast into bite size pieces.
Add the chicken to a bowl with the beaten eggs and toss to coat the chicken.
Add the almond flour and crushed pork rinds to a food storage bag and shake to combine.
Add the chicken into the bag in batches and shake (like shake and bake) until all the pieces are well coated.
Tip: The reason for breading the chicken this way is to give it a very light coating and you can also bread them in batches.
Heat a large skillet to medium and add in the oil, then the chicken. Sauté for a few minutes on each side until almost cooked through. The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.
While the chicken is sautéing, add the chicken broth, liquid aminos, sugar-free honey, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, orange juice and zest to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine, then set aside.
Tip: The honey helps to give that classic sticky texture and sweet flavor. If you don’t have sugar-free honey, add more monk fruit/allulose and a tiny bit more xanthan gum to help thicken the sauce more.
Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.
Tip: This breading gives the chicken a perfectly crunchy coating, while keeping the chicken tender and juicy inside. You could serve the chicken as is and pair with your favorite dipping sauce.
Drain most of the oil, then add in the ginger and garlic.
Sauté for about 20 seconds, then pour in the sauce.
Whisk in the xanthan gum, simmer the sugar free orange chicken sauce for a few minutes until thickened slightly.
Then add the chicken back in. Toss the chicken in the Keto orange chicken sauce and simmer for another 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened to your liking.
You can serve this sugar free orange chicken recipe over cauliflower rice or alongside your favorite low carb veggie. Keto orange chicken and broccoli is always a hit. Or try it with these Air Fryer Green Beans for a really delicious meal.
Is Panda Express Orange Chicken Keto Friendly?
Original Panda Express restaurant orange chicken has approximately 50 grams of net carbs per serving with 19 grams of added sugar, which makes it out of the question for a Keto diet.
This homemade version uses a gluten free “breading,” and all sugar-free, Keto-friendly ingredients that brings the carbs down to just 3 net carbs per serving.
History of Orange Chicken
A Chef named Andy Koa is credited with creating orange chicken in 1987 for the Panda Express restaurant. While it is assumed to be an authentic Chinese dish, it’s typically not found in restaurants in China at all.
Chef Koa’s inspiration for orange chicken is the spicy variation call General Tso chicken. It’s such a popular dish in the US you can even buy it ready-made in the freezer section in some grocery stores. But you won’t find Keto orange chicken frozen, which is where this recipe comes in handy.
What’s the Difference Between Orange Chicken and General Tso’s chicken?
Although they have some similar flavors, there are a few key differences. General Tso’s chicken has a chili sauce base, while orange chicken has a sweetness coming from its sugar or honey mixed in with soy sauce along with other ingredients like orange juice and garlic.
Is Soy Sauce Keto Approved?
Soy sauce contains traces of wheat and gluten so most people that are following a strict Keto diet tend to avoid it. But no worries, you can make orange chicken without soy sauce by using liquid aminos instead.
Can You Eat Orange on Keto?
Drinking a big glass of orange juice, when on Keto, is not recommended because for 1/4 cup there are about 7 grams of carbs. But because it is such a flavorful fruit, you can use small amounts in recipes with minimal carb impact.
For instance, in this recipe, there are 6 servings of orange chicken. That means for the 1/4 cup of juice that is used, there are only a little over 1 carb per serving.
More Keto Asian Inspired Recipes
- Asian Grilled Chicken with Peanut Ginger Slaw
- Easy Stir Fry Pork
- Bang Bang Salmon Cakes
- Thai Red Curry Coconut Pork
- Asian Glazed Salmon
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Keto Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
- 1 1/2 cups pork rinds, ground
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 whole eggs, beaten
- Light olive oil, for frying the chicken
For the Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 3 tablespoons liquid aminos
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free Keto honey
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon monk fruit/allulose
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- Cut your chicken breast into bite size pieces.
- Add the chicken to a bowl with the beaten eggs and toss to coat the chicken.
- Add the almond flour and crushed pork rinds to a food storage bag and shake to combine.
- Add the chicken into the bag in batches and shake (like shake and bake) until all the pieces are well coated.
- Heat a large skillet to medium and add in the oil, then the chicken. Sauté for a few minutes on each side until almost cooked though. The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.
- While the chicken is sautéing, add the chicken broth, liquid aminos, sugar-free honey, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, orange juice and zest to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine, then set aside.
- Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels. Drain most of the oil, then add in the ginger and garlic. Sauté for about 20 seconds, then pour in the sauce.
- Whisk in the xanthan gum, simmer the sauce for a few minutes until thickened slightly, then add the chicken back in. Toss the chicken in the sauce and simmer for another 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Serve over cauliflower rice or along side your favorite low carb veggie.
Recipe Notes
*Make sure to scroll up and read the post for substitutions, additions and helpful tips for making this recipe.
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol: Swerve, Erythritol, Monk Fruit or Allulose.
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