Easy Orange Chicken – From Scratch

Crispy orange chicken coated with an einkorn flour mixture is fried until crispy and covered in sweet, fresh, orange sauce. Serve over rice or a noodle stir-fry. This is a family favorite recipe – turned healthy. 

We love Asian dishes, but going out to eat with six kids (soon to be seven) tends to get a little more challenging and a lot more expensive.

So instead, I love to be able to create restaurant favorites for my family at home. Orange chicken is one of those dishes. What’s not to like? We’re talking fried chicken with a delightful orange sauce.

Not only is it just as good, it’s also much healthier than most restaurants’ versions.

Einkorn flour is used to get that crispy crust, rather than all-purpose flour. It is much easier to digest and has a lower amount of gluten compared to other flours. It is then fried in coconut oil, a healthier fat, and that sugary sauce uses maple syrup as a sweetener and coconut aminos for the soy sauce flavor.

There is something about that sweet orange sauce covering crispy fried chicken that makes everything better. Serve it up with some rice, noodles, or you could even fold it up with sourdough tortillas to make a really delicious wrap. 

Tips:

• I recommend using coconut oil or avocado oil for frying. These are the healthiest oils to fry, since they are non-GMO, have a high smoke point, and are not highly refined. 
• I like to use einkorn flour for a recipe that cannot be fermented. This is because einkorn flour is naturally lower in gluten and is one of the oldest heirloom varieties that hasn’t been hybridized. If you don’t have einkorn, you can just use all-purpose flour.
• If you don’t have maple syrup, you can substitute it for honey. It will have a slightly different flavor, but still very yummy.
• Use organic corn starch whenever possible as corn is one of the most genetically modified foods. 
• Like it spicy? Add some red chili flakes to the sauce!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Do you have to fry orange chicken?

No. You could just pan sear or even grill chicken breast, slice it up, and add the sauce. You don’t have to fry it. Still yummy, just not quite as yummy as fried chicken.

Tools you may need:

Cast iron skillet

Sauce pan

Pot with lid

Bowls – I like using shallow bowls like a pie plate.

Measuring cups and spoons

How To Make Crispy Orange Chicken

Add rice and water to a saucepan or dutch oven. Cook for about 30 minutes on low heat with the lid on. 

Turn heat off and allow it to steam with the lid on while you’re frying the chicken and making the sauce. 

Add oil to a cast iron skillet and place over medium heat.

To one bowl (I like using a shallow bowl or dish, like a pie plate), add flour and salt and stir. To another bowl, whisk the egg.

Dip chicken in a bowl with egg, coating the chicken on both sides. Then dip the chicken in the bowl with salt and flour mixed together. 

Place the chicken into the pan with the hot coconut oil and fry until golden brown on both sides.

To make the sauce:

Combine all sauce ingredients (except cornstarch) in a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat until combined and achieving a light simmer.

Create a cornstarch slurry by mixing together corn starch and cool water.

Stir in cornstarch slurry. Cook five more minutes, whisking constantly, until it thickens a bit. Take off the heat.

Add chicken to sauce and gently toss. Serve it on a bed of rice and top with green onions. 

Find More Delicious Dinner Ideas:

• Homemade Creamy Chicken And Gnocchi Soup
• The Best Shepherd’s Pie From Scratch
• Homemade Hamburger Helper
• Creamy Chicken And Mushroom Pasta
• Sourdough Oven-Fried Chicken

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone

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