ORANGE CHICKEN
Skip take-out with this dietary restriction friendly, healthy version of a most popular American-Chinese dish. Forget MSG, gluten, or other bothersome additives, this easy Orange Chicken recipe is bursting with flavor and personality. Who needs a fortune cookie - this recipe IS your good fortune!
Servings: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time:
Pressure Cooker (PREFERRED METHOD)- 30 minutes (5 minutes sauté, 10 minutes to pressurize, 5
minutes to cook, 10 minutes Natural Pressure Release)
Tips on cooking method variations in notes below.
Skill level: Easy
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds boneless, skinless CHICKEN THIGHS - either whole or cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup ARROWROOT POWDER
1/2 teaspoon SALT
1/2 teaspoon PEPPER
1/8 CAYENNE PEPPER, optional
1/8 teaspoon GARLIC POWDER
2 full Tablespoons fresh ORANGE ZEST (about 1 1/2 oranges); extra for garnish
1 1/2 cups ORANGE JUICE, preferably fresh squeezed (about 2 1/2 oranges)
6 Tablespoons COCONUT AMINOS
4 Tablespoons MAPLE SYRUP
1-3 teaspoons CHILI PASTE (depending on how spicy you like your dishes)
6 tablespoons COCONUT OIL
4-6 cloves GARLIC (depending on size and how much you like garlic), minced
1 teaspoon fresh GINGER, crushed or minced
12 ounces SNAP PEAS, optional side dish
Optional garnishes:
GREEN ONIONS, sliced
Additional ORANGE ZEST or ribbons of ORANGE PEEL
DIRECTIONS
In a ziploc bag or bowl with a secure lid, combine the chicken, tapioca starch, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (if using), and garlic powder. Close and toss to coat thoroughly.
In a medium sized bowl, mix together zest, OJ, coconut aminos, maple syrup, and chili paste and set aside.
In pressure cooker, add coconut oil, garlic and ginger; lightly salt then sauté until slightly fragrant about 1-2 minutes.
Add chicken and sauté on both sides 2-3 minutes until lightly golden - no need to cook through.
Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm.
In the oil remaining in the pressure cooker, quickly sauté snap peas, if using, until bright green but still crisp and just warmed. Remove to a heat-friendly container, lightly salt, if desired, and keep warm. If not, skip to next step.
Stir sauce into the pressure cooker, scraping bits off of bottom of the pot - about 1-2 minutes.
Turn off the heat momentarily.
Add a trivet on the bottom. This will keep the meat from sticking and getting a burn notice.
Add the chicken. Carefully turn to cover with the sauce without disturbing the coating, gently maneuvering it so it is evenly disbursed over the trivet and touching the sauce.
Close the lid and the pressure valve. After coming to pressure, cook on high for 5 minutes.
Prepare any additional sides such as Coconut Rice or rice noodles at this time.
Once the pressure cooker has cooked under pressure for five minutes, allow it to release the pressure naturally (also known as NPR) for 10 minutes. Then, open the valve to disperse any remaining pressure. Once it is safe to open the pressure cooker, keep warm until serving time or plate immediately.
Serve chicken with the sauce along with your preferred side dish and snap peas, if using. Top with green onions, and/or additional grated orange rind or ribbons for garnish, if desired.
Refrigerate any leftovers.
NOTES/VARIATIONS
If you don’t want to use the sugar snap peas, diced or sliced carrots, peppers, onions, or any combination of favorite stir-fry vegetable(s) are a delicious substitute. Not in the mood for veggies? Omit them, no biggie!
If you like more kick, you can turn the heat up in two places - the cayenne pepper and the chili paste. Just remember, a little really does go a long way.
Can’t do salt? Leave it out and diners can add to their liking once it’s plated.
Don’t have arrowroot powder or aren’t sure you’ll like it? I’ve seen versions of this recipe that call for any one or a combination of the following (in the same total measurement): gluten free flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch, and/or arrowroot. For instance, you can do all cornstarch or a blend of cornstarch and arrowroot powder.
For an occasional treat, garnish with a very light drizzle of sesame oil, sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds, or a few properly prepared cashews, chopped. I don’t encourage these on the regular simply to keep PUFA exposure down but once in a while is certainly fine.
Looking for a meatless option? Use raw, peeled, deveined shrimp or scallops but be very careful not to overcook. They don’t need much time at all and a wok would be the preferred cooking method.
Note: If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can do everything in a skillet, wok, or oven but will have to adjust the time it takes the chicken to finish. I have not yet made this recipe using the methods outlined below. I am basing my recommendations for these options off of many years of experience of adjusting recipes to fit the tools and time I had available. Let me know if you try any of these, noting the cooking time, and how it turns out for you!
Instead of pressure cooking sauté the chicken over medium heat about 7-10 minutes, checking periodically for sticking, and spooning the sauce over the thighs to coat at least once. Keep an eye on the meat so it doesn’t over cook and add more time, as necessary, simmering uncovered until the chicken is cooked through but tender.
If you want to use the oven for the final steps, sauté everything in a skillet on the stove as outlined above and transfer the orange chicken ingredients to a baking dish. Cover and cook at 325 degrees for about 12-15 minutes, then remove lid and baste. Continue to bake, uncovered, until chicken is done and slightly golden.
If using a wok on the stove top, follow the recipe as is but once you’ve added the chicken, cook over medium-high heat, turning chicken carefully but often until it is cooked through but tender.
As articulated in the What’s for Dinner article, always aim for the highest quality ingredients.
CREDITS/REFERENCES
Thumbnail photo credit: Original, untouched photo can be found here: homemade-chinese-orange-chicken allfreecopycatrecipes.com.jpeg.
There are a number of recipes like this in cookbooks and on the internet (which you can find by doing a search with the same name). You will note any number of variations with each. Taking this into consideration and after experimenting on my own, this is my version - which also honors nutritional therapy practices, dietary needs, and preferences.