This gluten-free orange chicken was born out of a desire to make my daughter happy. When my daughter saw the traditional gluten-containing version while we were out for lunch one day, she looked on in envy. Surely, I believed—after years of adapting recipes for my gluten-free family—the same taste could be achieved without the offending wheat protein.
I found an orange chicken recipe on Food.com and made a few changes in the ingredients as well as the technique until I came up with the following. I served it to the family along with some brown rice and previously steamed green beans.
When my son gave my cooking a round of applause after eating it, I knew I must have done something right. I tried to put in a lot of details which should make it easy for you. Hopefully your family will be just as pleased!
Gluten-Free Orange Chicken
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons sea or kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup sushi flour or white rice flour
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup oil for frying
Orange Sauce
2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons oil for high heat like peanut or safflower
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon rice wine or sherry (not vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Zest of 1 orange
Optional: hot chili oil or crushed red chili peppers
1.In a large bowl, mix eggs, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of oil. 2.In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of cornstarch and sushi or white rice flour. 3.Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix well. This is the batter. 4. Add the chicken pieces, stirring to coat. I like to use my hands for this step. Make sure to clean your hands before and after.
Battered chicken
5.Place 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok and heat to medium-high. 6.Working in batches, carefully add about 1/3 to 1/4 of the chicken. Cook until golden brown on each side. You do not have to fully cook the chicken as it will finish cooking in the sauce but make sure the pieces are browned. Place pieces on a large plate or tray while you finish cooking the remainder of the chicken.
Cook chicken in batches
7.Make orange sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
8.Once all of the chicken is cooked, carefully (since it’s hot) wipe out wok if needed. Heat 15 seconds over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add rice wine and stir 5 seconds. Add orange sauce and bring to boil.
9.Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook about 3 minutes.
Wok-fried gluten-free orange chicken
10.In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of cold water with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Add to the chicken, stirring. This will thicken the sauce. Continue simmering about 2-3 minutes. Add more water or soy sauce if the sauce becomes too thick.
11. Stir in sesame oil and orange zest. Cook for 1 more minute and serve. If you like spicy food, add hot chili oil and/or crushed red chili flakes.
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I’ve bought all the ingredients and am just waiting for the right time to try this out! I’m assuming regular flour can replace the substitutes cup for cup for a gluten-containing version?
Yes! You can replace the white rice flour with regular flour. I would keep the cornstarch; it lightens the batter. Also, any soy sauce is fine if you don’t have gluten issues. Enjoy and let me know how it comes out.
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I’ve bought all the ingredients and am just waiting for the right time to try this out! I’m assuming regular flour can replace the substitutes cup for cup for a gluten-containing version?
Carina
Yes! You can replace the white rice flour with regular flour. I would keep the cornstarch; it lightens the batter. Also, any soy sauce is fine if you don’t have gluten issues. Enjoy and let me know how it comes out.