This flavor packed Paleo Chinese Orange Chicken is a healthier homemade version of a takeout favorite! It’s easy to make and contains no refined sugar, family approved and seriously tasty. Keep it Paleo and Whole30 compatible by serving over fried cauliflower rice or with your favorite stir fried veggies.
I was skeptical if I could really make a Whole30 version of orange chicken that had the right amount of sweetness.
After all, with Whole30 there’s no maple or coconut sugar allowed, so I had to stick with dates and orange juice. But like magic, the sauce turned out unbelievably delicious!
Like one of those sauces that you really just want to eat with a spoon. Yes, that is my standard for a really good sauce!
It’s not ready to share until I’m addicted to it!
Between the sauce and the crispy coated juicy tender chicken, this recipe became a fast favorite for me! I can’t wait for you to try it out.
What You Need to Make this Paleo Chinese Orange Chicken
I decided to use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe to make sure the chicken stays juicy and tender.
The ingredients are listed in 2 categories – what you need for the chicken and what you need for the sauce:
Chicken:
- arrowroot flour or tapioca
- sea salt
- black pepper
- boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1″ pieces
- eggs
- Avocado oil or refined coconut oil for frying
Sauce:
- medjool dates
- fresh orange juice
- rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar
- coconut aminos
- ground ginger
- garlic powder
- crushed red pepper flakes
- arrowroot or tapioca flour + 1 Tbsp water
- Zest from 1 orange
- Sliced green onions (garnish)
- Additional grated orange zest (garnish)
How to Make this Paleo Chinese Orange Chicken
In a small food processor or high speed blender, blend the water and dates until a smooth mixture forms (date paste), scraping down the sides to incorporate all the dates.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the orange juice, date paste, vinegar, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Whisk and heat for 2-3 minutes to a boil, then lower the heat to med-low to simmer.
In a small bowl, whisk the 1 tsp of arrowroot with 1 Tablespoon of water to form a paste. Add this to the orange sauce and whisk well. Raise the heat back to medium and Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the mixture thickens and reduces a bit (it should resemble caramel). Once the sauce is thickened, remove from heat and stir in the orange zest.
Place the arrowroot or tapioca in a shallow bowl along with the salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs in a separate shallow bowl. Coat chicken pieces in whisked egg lightly, then toss in arrowroot starch, shaking off excess, and place on a plate.
*Tip – you don’t need to dip each chicken piece separately, but rather toss several pieces in the egg and then arrowroot before moving to the plate, and repeat with all the chicken.
Heat about 1/2 cup of oil in a large deep non-stick skillet. Once sizzling hot, work in batches to cook to cook the chicken pieces, cooking for 2 – 3 minutes, turning once or twice. Place chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat the process for the remaining chicken, adjusting the temperature of the heat as needed.
Toss the chicken with the orange sauce (gently reheat if necessary) and enjoy!
Best Side Dishes for Orange Chicken
I love this served over simple sautéed cauliflower rice to keep it Whole30.
You can also opt for some stir fried veggies like broccoli, peppers, cabbage and anything else you enjoy. Zucchini noodles would be good too if that’s your thing!
I hope you’re ready for a seriously tasty, healthier version of Chinese Orange Chicken that’s bound to become a new favorite!
Grab your ingredients because it’s time to cook – let’s go!
Paleo Chinese Orange Chicken {Whole30}
Paleo Chinese Orange Chicken {Whole30}
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 3/4 cup arrowroot flour or tapioca
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1" pieces
- 2 eggs whisked
- Avocado oil or refined coconut oil for frying
Sauce:
- 2/3 cup water warmed slightly
- 4 medjool dates pitted
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1/2 tsp ground Ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or 1/4 for less spice
- 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot or tapioca flour + 1 Tbsp water
- Zest from 1 orange finely grated
Garnish:
- Sliced green onions
- Grated orange zest
Instructions
Sauce:
-
In a small food processor or high speed blender, blend the water and dates until a smooth mixture forms (date paste), scraping down the sides to incorporate all the dates.
-
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the orange juice, date paste, vinegar, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Whisk and heat for 2-3 minutes to a boil, then lower the heat to med-low to simmer.
-
In a small bowl, whisk the 1 tsp of arrowroot with 1 Tablespoon of water to form a paste. Add this to the orange sauce and whisk well. Raise the heat back to medium and Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the mixture thickens and reduces a bit (it should resemble caramel). Once the sauce is thickened, remove from heat and stir in the orange zest.
Chicken:
-
Place the arrowroot or tapioca in a shallow bowl along with the salt and pepper.
-
Whisk the eggs in a separate shallow bowl. Coat chicken pieces in whisked egg lightly, then toss in arrowroot starch, shaking off excess, and place on a plate.
-
Heat about 1/2 cup of oil in a large deep non-stick skillet. Once sizzling hot, work in batches to cook to cook the chicken pieces, cooking for 2 - 3 minutes, turning once or twice. Place chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat the process for the remaining chicken, adjusting the temperature of the heat as needed.
-
Toss the chicken with the orange sauce (gently reheat if necessary) and serve over sautéed cauliflower rice, with sliced green onion and grated orange zest. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Want More Asian Food Paleo Recipes? Try One of These!
Egg Roll in a Bowl with Chicken {Whole30, Keto}
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry {Whole30, Keto}
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai {Whole30}
Chinese Chicken Salad {Whole30}
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It is my understanding that Whole30 specifically has rules against making compliant versions of junk foods, because that goes against the whole purpose of the plan. And also pan frying (although definitely delicious) is not at all healthy, so it’s not Whole30 either. Am I mistaken?
Hi Sarah, I’ve been doing Whole30 for 3 years. It is quite a debate as to whether or not making “compliant” versions of junk foods means you’re actually doing Whole30. However, Whole30 is an elimination diet. No, you absolutely shouldn’t make cake with compliant ingredients. The whole point is to try to eliminate the things we claim to “NEED” in our lives (like dessert and chips and other fast foods).
On their website, they say this:
“Do not recreate or purchase baked goods, “foods with no brakes,” or treats with Whole30 compatible ingredients.*”
Underneath that, marked with a star, they list these foods as “treats”: pancakes, crepes, waffles, bread, tortillas, biscuits, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, alternative flour pizza crust or pastas, granola, cereal, ice cream, commercially-prepared chips (potato, tortilla, plantain, etc.), or deep-fried French fries.
None of those are meals or provide any sort of nutritional value. It makes sense!
Orange Chicken is not “junk food”. Junk food is chips and cookies. Orange Chicken is an actual real meal, with vegetables, fruits and proteins in it. It’s dinner and leftovers for the next day.
After doing this thing for 3 years, I came to the conclusion that you don’t have to sacrifice good tasting food, real recipes that come with traditions, in order to be “in the program”. Believe it or not, there are many people that do Whole30 like this.
I will also add, that pan frying is not the same as deep frying. Pan frying uses the minimal amount of oil so that you can achieve a crispy texture. That is completely different from deep frying.
Hi. Sorry but the title says Thai shrimp soup however the receipt is for orange chicken. Just wanted to bring this to your attention.
I’d love to pin this recipe but I only see a Pinterest link to follow you. Am I missing the pin?
I, too, cannot pin your recipes from my iPad. The Pinterest link only appears if I you a desktop computer.
I made this today! Absolutely delicious!!!!
this was cool! we ended up making beef meatballs and rolling them in the mixture before frying as its what we had on hand – so good
I’m really excited to make this but I cannot for the life of me figure out how much chicken to use. Any insight? Thank you!
Embarrassed because I just found it. Nevermind!
Can you suggest a substitute for date paste? Maybe maple syrup or honey? Does not need to be whole 30 compliant
Delicious! My family loved this dish.
Delicious! Will definitely make again!
I made this and my husband kept raving about how delicious was this dinner. He wants this recipe to go to the top! We love it. I used 4 chicken thighs and the sauce was the perfect amount to coat the chicken.
Made this for supper tonight and we loved it! Delicious!
I made it for supper tonight . It was delicious and very easy. Will make again.
Yummy!!! This recipe was delicious but the prep time and cook time cooking for 5 is definitely longer!
The recipe was a hit in the end and I will be making this again. It did take longer for me to prep than suggested due to this being my first time making this. And I was super lost when I saw the ingredients said 2/3 cup warm water and 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot flour. I wasn’t sure where this went. The steps didn’t mention the water other than when making a slurry with 1 tsp arrowroot flour and 1 tbsp water for the sauce. So after I had made the sauce, I added the 2/3 cup warm water and reheated the sauce. But I wasn’t sure where the 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot flour went, so I left it out and just followed the amount of arrowroot flour listed in the steps. The rest turned out well. But for my taste I will turn down the heat and amp up the orange flavor.
All in all, I’m glad I have a healthy Chinese dish I can make for myself and my family without feeling awful or having to spend a lot to feed everyone. It won’t be so bad now that I know how the dish goes.
Thanks, Michele, for creating this dish! I was very excited when I saw this in the email a couple of days ago!
This was amazing! I find it complaint with whole30 rules, I even re-read the whole30 101 to be sure. Which does state dates can be used to sweeten sauces. My kid loved the chicken as well, even finished his broccoli for seconds. Thanks for making a delicious family meal.
Absolutely fantastic, delicious I will be making this again.
I found this recipe on my home page. So delicious! Followed the recipe as written; next week I will add a little Stevia to sweeten the sauce and some cinnamon.
Delicious! I love Chinese take out, but never get it because of all the extra ingredients, this was even better! Follow all of her directions exactly. A little more time consuming than I wanted, but worth it and I will be making again.
So so good!
Delicious! I made it tonight. I’m on Whole 30 and this was so good! My husband loved it too.
Yum! Our family has pretty restrictive diet needs. This worked for all of us, and we loved it! It was such a nice change of pace from the meals that we have in constant rotation. Can’t wait to make it again!
WOW! Amazing. I’ve made another whole 30/paleo version of orange chicken and it doesn’t compare! This sauce was amazing! So so good. Will be making again soon!
While this recipe is very labor intensive, it is defiantly worth it. This is the only homemade orange chicken that has actually tasted like takeout. I have to say the 3 hours spent making this (I doubled the recipe) was 100% worth it. the experience was very rewarding.
We loved this chicken. My very picky 4 yr old said I can make it again! (The kids ate the chicken without the sauce) But that is a win in my books.
So delicious! My kids ate it as well, and they are typically not all about the paleo meals I cook. This was full of flavor, had the right texture, and filling. Definitely go with chicken thighs as it makes it even more juicy.
This recipe is so so good! Some of the best orange chicken I’ve ever had—definitely the best homemade. You would never believe it doesn’t have any refined sugars. AMAZING!!!
So delicious! I always order orange chicken when we get takeout, but that’s not often since it’s not the healthiest. This was phenomenal! My husband, my 3 year old, and I all loved it and had seconds. Definitely will make this vs. ordering when I have some time to make dinner.
This was so delicious!! My husband said it’s one of his new favorite dishes. I will be adding this to our dinner rotation. Thank you so much!!
so delicious! no need to get Chinese take out anymore. Loving this healthy alternative!
I served with sautéed vegetables and leftover cauli-rice. For D3 of my whole30. I did season my chicken with (compliant) Chinese five spice, salt, pepper, garlic powder just to increase the flavor; because I’m sorry but just salt and pepper ain’t gonna cut it. I will make this again!
Was surprised by how good this was. We followed the instructions but misted it with oil and air fried chicken for 10 minutes at 350 instead of pan frying. Used fresh ginger and garlic since we had it on hand. Only thing I would do differently next time is reduce the red pepper flakes. I thought I tolerated heat but my mouth was on fire a bit.
So don’t make it miss Sarah strict pants.
Chinese orange chicken absolutely fantastic thank you.
Although this took me 2 hours to make, not 45 minutes, it did turn out very well! It’s probably a 5 star recipe but maybe I didn’t add enough orange juice or zest or something because it turned out less orangey than I wanted. The whole family approved though, which is pretty rare!
This was so good!! The kids preferred the sauce without the orange peel because the flavour was so strong. I also made the exact same recipe but directly subbed orange for lemon and made lemon chicken, which was amazing too. Very easy to convert the sauce recipe to make it super easy to make in the Thermomix too. Thank you Michelle for another delicious and healthy recipe.
I’m definitely making this again! Soooooo good!
I’ve never eaten Orange Chicken. Glad this was my first time having it. Very good recipe. Thank you for sharing.
This is freaking incredible!!!! Thank you so much for sharing! The 1st time it took way longer than I had hoped, and I’m pregnant, so my feet were killing me by the end, but I learned a lot for next time! Still, the taste made everything worth it!!! And my husband agrees. Next time I personally will prob just buy chicken tenderloins, just because trimming 2 lbs of chicken thighs takes way too long for me (I think I’m just a slow person in general lol). I also may cook the chicken in the air fryer next time… We’ll see. Served over cauliflower rice and this recipe gave 2 really good-sized meals for my husband and I (and the tiny human I’m growing) :). We reheated the chicken in the air fryer tonight and made some fresh sauce and it was just as good as the first time!
I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS DISH! I LOVE YOU AND YOUR RECIPES. THANK YOU! I can bot believe how amazing this dis was. Do you know if here is a date past pre made?
Got a question! I don’t miss the very sweet Chinese takeout sauces much on Whole30 and have been happy with how sweet coconut aminos make a teriyaki stir fry. Can I just omit the dates?
SO GOOD!!!!!!
This was FANTASTIC. I’ve tried more than a handful of recipes to make a crispy orange chicken with a natural sauce. Who would have thought it would be best as a whole 30 recipe! This will for sure be in our future monthly rotations!
Wondering if this could be cooked in the air fryer instead of cooking in oil?
Definitely! We resorted to that after the oil frying was taking off all the flour and it takes over 10 minutes a batch, not 2-3 minutes, and the air fryer pieces tasted way better!
Absolutely delicious recipe! I have missed Panda Express’ Orange Chicken since going Paleo. Now I can make this when I am craving Orange Chicken! Thank you for sharing this!
I made this yesterday after not having it for a while. It was so delicious that I made another batch when I got up this morning! The only thing is that I can’t get the sauce to thicken the way it should. Doesn’t effect the taste at all. You will love this and NOT believe there is no sugar!
Can the chicken be air fried?
I’d love tips on the best way to reheat so it’s not soggy… mine is already kind of soggy sadly. This wasn’t my favorite recipe Paleo running momma, but I’ve got plenty of others I adore.
This was okay. I won’t make it again. It did not look like the picture at all. In the picture, the sauce on the chicken looks light orange. But in reality, the finished product is dark brown – the color of the dates. I doubled the sauce because I could tell it was not going to be enough for 2 pounds of chicken. I had just enough oil left in my pantry – 1/2 cup like the recipe said. But by the time I got to the last 2 batches of chicken pieces, the oil was gone. Soaked up by the previous batches, I guess? I used a splatter screen, but some oil popped up and burnt my thumb while I was flipping pieces. So I got hurt, it left my kitchen a mess, and didn’t even taste that great. 🙁
We just tried this tonight and everyone loved it including the toddlers! It was a lot of work and time spent in the kitchen but it was definitely worth it. Thank you for such an amazing recipe!!
So good! Takes a bit of time to cook, but super easy and fairly minimal ingredients! I pan fried them for 5 mins then finished them in the air fryer for a little extra crisp!
My family loved this one! It was a labor of love but worth it. Curious if anyone thinks this might be freezer friendly – prior to adding the orange sauce? I would love to have some ready to reheat quickly for an easy dinner.
This is so good! If you prefer your orange chicken to remain more crunchy, I suggest dipping it in the orange sauce rather than tossing it. 🙂
Thanks for a delicious recipe.
So I did not follow this recipe to the t but it turned out really good and I’m sure would have if I did follow the recipe as well. Date paste is just way too much effort when you’re not doing Whole30 lol. I used some garlic honey in place, added a splash of shoyo, toned down the spice for my kids by only added some ginger and added garlic and onion powder to the breading. Don’t get me wrong, I could hardly stop eating the orange chicken it was so yummy (it’s been YEARS since I’ve had it… oh Panda Express 😅) but what I was most stoked about was finding out that the breaded chicken makes easy, delicious and healthy chicken nuggets for my kiddos. (I live in a place where food prices are too high to justify organic frozen chicken nuggets) My 6 year old had them with and without the sauce and he loved it so much he acted like every bite was knocking him off his chair it was hilarious and joyous as a mother to a picky eater.
ugh this website sucks! It freezes EVERY. TWO. MINUTES. FIX YO SHIT B!
I just want to say this to all the Whole30 peeps: Go take a look at the latest recipes there, like “Whole30 Orange Five-Spice Chicken Marinade” to ease your mind that we can indeed have yummy foods that seem scandalous!
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This Paleo Chinese Orange Chicken looks delicious. I love the addition of green Wordle Unlimited onions for a fresh flavor.
This was the BEST orange chicken recipe EVER. Loved the flavor and the texture and breading were light and crispy and just right ! Thank you!
This was lot of work for very little return on flavor and very messy. The arrowroot powder didn’t stay on the egg dipped pieces very well, and just created a huge mess when trying to fry.
We pivoted and used the air fryer for the second batch and it turned out better.
The date paste was a massive hassle
, the water just leaks out everywhere from the food processor and took almost 20 minutes of continuous scraping and pulsing to even come together and I wouldn’t bother with it again.
It tasted okay, but all in all this isn’t a recipe I’d make twice.
What an amazing orange but first let me finish the game Wordle Unlimited It’s very hard for me.