The keto diet is all the rage right now, and for good reason! It’s a great way to lose weight and keep it off. One of the best parts about the keto diet is that you can still enjoy your favorite foods in a healthier way by substituting some ingredients for others. For example, this keto orange chicken recipe has been adapted so that it will fit into a keto-friendly lifestyle. All of the flavors are still there, but without any added sugars or carbs from traditional recipes. This dish makes enough to feed two people as an entree or four people as part of a larger meal with other dishes on the table.
What is orange chicken?
Orange chicken is an Asian-style dish that typically includes a sauce with deep orange color and thick consistency, made of soy sauce or tamarind, sugar, garlic, green onions or leeks. Orange chicken can be prepared in a number of ways – fried or baked, and it’s often served with shredded purple cabbage and rice.
It’s time to surprise your taste buds with this keto orange chicken recipe! Orange chicken has been a popular Chinese dish for quite some time. It’s one of our favorite take-out meals. It’s easy, delicious, and everyone loves it! But the traditional recipe is loaded with carbs and sugar. This version of orange chicken uses a lot less sugar than most recipes as well as some substitutions to make it keto-friendly. If you’re looking for an easy dinner idea, then give this one a try!
Is orange chicken keto-friendly?
Orange chicken can be keto-friendly, but without a few alterations to the ingredients. Substitute some of the high carb and sugar content with swaps that are healthier but still provide a similar taste or texture. This way you can enjoy your favorite dish while keeping within low carb diet guidelines for good health!
This recipe is for those of us who love to eat orange chicken but don’t want the sugar that comes with it. By making it this way, you’ll enjoy a low carb orange chicken recipe that’s just as tasty as takeout. And since we serve it with cauliflower rice, you can get a nice dose of veggies with your protein.
Are oranges or orange juice keto?
Orange juice is not keto-friendly, and unfortunately, neither are oranges. However, you can get a lot of orange flavor by using a little orange zest instead. The orange zest has a lower carb content, and you only need a bit to get the orange flavor. That’s because the orange’s natural oils in the skin are packed with flavor.
How to make keto-friendly orange chicken?
Orange chicken is normally made with dark chicken meat, but since we prefer white meat, we made ours with chicken breast. You can use chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs—whichever you prefer is just fine.
Prepare the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Mix almond flour and coconut flour in a small bowl. Coat the chicken with egg and then roll it in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side or until it is golden brown and cooked. Remove the chicken from the heat and set it aside.
Prepare the orange sauce: Put water, garlic powder, onion powder, and ginger in a pot. Add soy sauce or coconut aminos, sesame oil, vinegar, and erythritol. Bring to a simmer and cook until it has reduced by one-third. Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest. Set aside.
Prepare the stir fry: Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and broccoli to the pan, cooking those for 3 more minutes. Add chicken, then orange sauce, mixing everything together until it is all well-coated. Cook for 3 more minutes or until done.
Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Low Carb Coating Alternatives
You can easily trade out regular flour coating for a gluten-free alternative like coconut flour, almond flour, or a mix of both, as we did in the orange chicken recipe below.
What Type of Sweetener to Use
We used erythritol for this orange chicken because it is a healthy low-carb sweetener. You can also use monk fruit, or stevia extract if you prefer to not use any of the sugary type alternatives. Substituting another sweetener may affect the flavor and/or texture of the dish.
How to Thicken the Sauce
If you want to thicken the sauce a little bit more, add in some xanthan gum. It is an easy substitute that will give your dish just enough thickness without changing any flavors or textures too much.
Make this recipe using the printable recipe card below
Keto Orange Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 3 Chicken breasts boneless and cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ Cup almond flour
- ½ Cup coconut flour
- 2 Eggs. beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the orange stir fry sauce
- Zest from 2 oranges
- ¾ Cup water
- 1 Tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tsp onion powder
- ½ Tsp ginger powder
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce or aminos
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- ½ Tbsp vinegar
- 2 Tbsp erythritol
For the stir fry
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 CUp broccoli florets
- ¼ Cup red onion chopped
- 1 Cup mushrooms sliced
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine almond flour and coconut flour. Dip each chicken piece in egg and then coat with flour.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the chicken for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce: In a saucepan combine water, garlic powder, onion powder and ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and erythritol. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until it has reduced by a third. Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest. Set aside.
- Prepare the stir fry: Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and broccoli and cook for 3 more minutes or until broccoli has a deep green. Add chicken and orange sauce and mix until everything is well coated. Cook for 3 more minutes or until done.
What to Pair with Keto Orange Chicken
If you’re looking for side dishes to pair with keto orange chicken, here are a few ideas:
- – sautéed green beans
- – cauliflower rice
- – zoodles
How Long Will Low Carb Orange Chicken Last in the Fridge
Because this recipe has no dairy in it and the sauce is made mostly from shelf-stable ingredients, the dish will last in your fridge for a few days. This dish can be frozen, but do not add cauliflower rice to the chicken. Store them separately in the freezer.
More Keto Chicken Recipes You Can Try:
- Keto Chicken Pot Pie with Garlic Cheddar Crust
- Keto Carbonara
- Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Low Carb Chicken and Broccoli
- 13 Low Carb Chicken Recipes You Don’t Want to Miss
What are your favorite chicken keto recipes? Leave us some recommendations in the comments!