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Easy Whole30 Chinese Orange Chicken: Paleo, Gluten-Free

  • Author: Bailey
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: One Pot
  • Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

  • 1.52 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 23 inch cubes
  • 1 cup cassava flour (or coconut, tapioca or almond flour)
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 2 Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1/2 cup orange juice, 1.5 tbsp zest
  • 1/2 cup coconut aminos
  • 1.5 tablespoons creamy almond butter
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • Optional: 2 teaspoons arrowroot flour to thicken the sauce

Instructions

  1. Mix flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder together in a large bowl. Add chicken cubes. Toss with your hands until equally coated.
  2. Heat avocado oil and ghee in a large skillet until melted and hot.
  3. Add some of the chicken cubes (do not overcrowd the pan) using tongs, and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and set on a plate. Repeat process with remaining chicken until all are cooked. Note: you may have to add additional ghee and oil to the pan if doing more than 2 batches, or replace the oil halfway through.
  4. For the sauce: in the same pan, add orange juice, zest, coconut aminos, almond butter, sesame oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, minced ginger, vinegar, 5 spice seasoning, pepper and dates. The dates will not be covered by the sauce but that’s okay. Just ensure to flip dates over as sauce comes to a simmer.
  5. Bring to a simmer for 5-10 minutes, until all ingredients are combined and dates are soft. Remove from heat and pour into a food processor or use immersion blender to blend dates into the sauce.
  6. Transfer the sauce back into the pan and add the chicken. Bring to a simmer again and stir frequently to evenly coat chicken. If you prefer a thicker sauce, at this time mix arrowroot flour with 1 tablespoon water in a small dish until dissolved and then pour into the pan. Stir to combine and allow to simmer for another 2-3 minutes to thicken.
  7. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Notes

Optional: you can skip the breading step and just cook diced chicken and serve with the sauce, which makes the process much quicker

Nutrition Facts:

  • Calories: 405
  • Sugar: 9
  • Fat: 21
  • Carbohydrates: 20
  • Protein: 35