No need for takeout when you have recipes like this healthy Baked Orange Chicken recipe! It’s just as good, if not better, than anything you can order without any of the grease!
Anyone who knows me knows that I love Chinese food! While traditional Chinese food is much healthier than the Americanized variety that’s most popular in North America, I am not going to lie, that is one of my favorite takeout options!
As much as I love it, it is not the best option in terms of health. Loaded with sodium, grease, and lets not forget MSG, it is less than ideal when you are trying to be health conscious.
Making my favorite takeout options at home has become a mission. I have replicated my favorite dishes from Chinese, Thai, and other world-wide cuisines and am almost always surprised by how easy it is to do and how much more tasty it is! Shrimp Ramen Stir Fry, Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken, and Shrimp Pad Thai are just some of those re-created favorites that are more delicious than the originals.
Baked Orange Chicken is also a recipe that is do darn delicious and easy to do, you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried it sooner! Also, since I sipped the deep frying, this version is so much healthier than takeout!
In addition to being healthier because it is baked and not fried, this homemade Baked Orange Chicken can also be made gluten-free which is perfect for those with food restrictions too!
This saucy dish is loaded with orange flavor. Served over rice, to soak in all that yummy sauce, it is definitely one to add onto the dinner rotation.
Don’t forget to add some Baked Egg Rolls and Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls to complete the perfect takeout fakeout meal!
Healthy Baked Orange Chicken
This Baked Orange Chicken recipe takes care of all those concerns! It is made with wholesome ingredients that I can feel good about and is baked instead of fried cutting down the grease factor big time!
Sometimes healthier versions of takeout favourites sound good in theory but, while passable, don’t quite deliver the same flavour impact. This is not one of those recipes! It really and truly does taste like the real deal and I don’t feel like I am making any compromises!
I might even go so far as to say it is better than the real deal! While I love ordering Orange Chicken at restaurants, it can sometimes come out dry. Baking the chicken in the oven produces nice, moist pieces that are way better in my opinion!
Ingredients in Baked Orange Chicken
- Chicken: I prefer chicken thighs because they are a tender cut. You could substitute chicken breast instead if you like.
- Seasoning: salt and pepper
- Flour: I use regular all purpose flour for this recipe. If you want to make this gluten-free, you can use a gluten free flour.
- Cornstarch
- Oil: Choose an oil with a mild flavor.
- Water
- Egg
- Orange juice and orange zest
- Soy sauce: You can use regular soy sauce, low sodium soy sauce, or even a gluten free alternative like tamari or coconut aminos.
- Honey
- Ground ginger
How to make Baked Orange Chicken
- Preheat oven and prep the chicken: Preheat oven to 400F and grease a baking sheet with oil. Cut chicken thighs into 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the batter and coat the chicken: In a large bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, oil, water, and an egg to form batter. The batter should have the consistency of a pancake batter. If it is too thick, add more water. Add the chicken to the batter and mix to coat. Place chicken on the baking sheet, shaking off any excess batter. Ensure the chicken is in a single layer for even cooking and to prevent sticking. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Prepare the sauce: Meanwhile, over high heat in a saucepan add all of the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and water. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce heat to medium heat. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Add it to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Once the sauce thickens, remove from heat.
- Toss and serve: When chicken is cooked, combine the chicken and sauce in a mixing bowl or the baking dish. Toss the chicken to coat it in the sauce. Serve over rice.
Making Baked Orange Chicken even healthier!
While this dish is already significantly healthier than its takeout version, you could make it even healthier by omitting the batter for the chicken. Instead, season the chicken with salt and pepper and place directly onto your baking pan. Bake in the oven until cooked through and then toss it in the orange sauce. Super yummy and super healthy!
Served over rice with a side of Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls or Baked Egg Rolls, this dish is one the whole family will love!
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
-Cathy
You may also like:
Baked Egg Rolls
Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls
Asian Sesame Beef Skewers
Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry
Baked Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- 1 1/4 cup flour (Can use gluten free flour for gf version)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons grape seed oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 cup water
- 1 egg
Sauce
- 2 cups orange juice
- zest from 1 orange
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (can use gluten free tamari or coconut aminos for a gf recipe)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and grease a baking sheet with oil.
- Cut chicken thighs into 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, oil, water, and an egg to form batter. The batter should have the consistency of a pancake batter. If it is too thick, add more water.
- Add the chicken to the batter and mix to coat. Place chicken on the baking sheet, shaking off any excess batter. Ensure the chicken is in a single layer for even cooking and to prevent sticking. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Meanwhile, over high heat in a saucepan add all of the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and water. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce heat to medium heat.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Add it to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Once the sauce thickens, remove from heat.
- When chicken is cooked, combine the chicken and sauce in a mixing bowl or the baking dish. Toss the chicken to coat it in the sauce. Serve over rice.
Made this tonight for the first time and it was a hit!! It’s was amazing!!