Easy Copycat Panda Express gluten free orange chicken tastes just like your favorite Chinese take-out!
I think that we all have our favorite Chinese take-out.
Whether it is General Tso’s Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Chicken Peanut Satay with noodles, egg drop soup, gluten free stir fry, sticky garlic noodles, or my personal fave...
Gluten free Orange Chicken
It is fairly easy to convert many Chinese take-out recipes to be gluten free.
Often all you need to do is substitute the regular soy sauce for a gluten free tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos.
(Which is what I do in my gluten free Korean ground turkey and rice bowl.)
Easy Peasy!
Not all Asian recipes are so easy to make gluten free.
The recipes that are breaded, like orange chicken, are not so always so simple to convert to gluten free.
(BTW, if you are looking for a Gluten-Free General Tso recipe, Jessica from Bless Her Heart Y'all has a baked recipe that looks delicious.)
I’ve seen some gluten free orange chicken recipes that are prepared low carb style, just made without any breading.
That is a simple solution, but I really like the extra chew and crispness that you get with breaded gluten free orange chicken.
The breading on the gluten free orange chicken also helps the chicken to hold on to more of the sweet, tangy orange citrus sauce.
Which of course, you want that mouthwatering sauce!
Want to know the simple solution?
You probably already have it in your kitchen.
How do you use cornstarch to bread chicken?
Cornstarch is often used as a thickener in Asian-style sauces so it is very natural to use to as a coating on the chicken.
Depending on how thick of a breading you want on your gluten free chicken, you can coat your cut chicken pieces once or twice in cornstarch.
How to lightly coat chicken pieces in cornstarch?
I usually coat my chicken in cornstarch one time to make it a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
- First, place cornstarch in a large bowl, or a plastic bag.
- Cut your chicken into bite-size pieces that are 1-2 inches.
- Add the chicken to the bowl or bag with cornstarch, and toss to coat evenly.
How to bread chicken pieces using cornstarch and milk or egg?
If you want a thicker coating on your gluten free orange chicken just coat it twice.
After you toss the bite-size chicken pieces in cornstarch (as described above) dip each piece in a little milk or an egg white whisked with a little water.
Then toss dip your gluten free breaded chicken in another ½ cup of cornstarch.
What can I use instead of cornstarch?
If you avoid using corn, you can get similar results by using:
You may also try using cassava flour, which is the whole cassava root and not just the starch (just the starch is tapioca starch).
You can also toss your chicken in a gluten free flour, but it doesn’t make the same light and crisp coating. I much prefer using a starch.
How to fry gluten free orange chicken?
Another secret to the perfect golden crisp gluten free orange chicken is to make sure that your pan is sizzling hot before you add the chicken.
To prevent catching my kitchen on fire I heat the pan up dry until a drop of water fizzles away seconds after landing on the hot surface.
Then I add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and then add the chicken.
I like using a cast-iron skillet because it has such great even heat.
I also love using a non-stick pan because then I can use less oil.
Don’t use a lid to prevent oil spatter.
The lid will hold in the moisture the chicken releases as it cooks and you’ll have soggy chicken.
Instead of using a lid, invest in a splatter screen. (This one has a collapsible handle for easy storage)
Your kitchen will thank you.
And future you will thank yourself because you’ll have less clean-up to do.
Don't crowd the pan
You want to cook your cornstarch-breaded chicken pieces in a single layer, with room in-between each piece so that they can get golden brown.
If your breaded chicken is too close together, they will get soggy instead of crisp.
I almost always cook my orange chicken in batches so my pan doesn’t get crowded.
Be sure to add a little more oil for each batch of chicken you add.
After all of the chicken is cooked, cook the sauce and then add the chicken back to the pan.
How do you make gluten free orange chicken sauce?
Making the gluten free sauce for your copy cat panda express orange chicken is as easy as whisking the ingredients together in a bowl and simmering it until thickened.
This sauce is so good, you may want to double it. As written, it makes just enough to coat all of the breaded gluten free chicken.
One of my blogging friends, MiGluten-Free Gal, makes my GF orange chicken more often than I do.
She always doubles the amount of sauce for the recipe. I usually do the same!
To make the gluten free orange chicken sauce you’ll need:
- Gluten Free Soy Sauce. I usually use Tamari, but I’ve also used Coconut Aminos in this recipe with similar results.
- White vinegar. You can use either a distilled white vinegar, or a rice vinegar. I’ve even used apple cider vinegar in a pinch!
- Orange juice and orange zest. This is where you get all the flavor! If you don’t have a fresh orange to use for orange zest, it will still taste good but won’t have as strong of an orange flavor.
- Water. The sauce will be to strong if you don’t add it.
- Brown Sugar. Brown sugar adds sweetness, and also helps to thicken the sauce as the sugars caramelize. I’ve also made this recipe using coconut sugar and/or honey if you want a less processed alternative. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can use granulated white sugar. It won’t add as much flavor, but will get the job done.
- Minced garlic. You can use pressed garlic, or even garlic powder in a pinch.
- Red pepper flakes. You can use more or less to suit your tastes. If you are making it for particularly picky children you can omit all-together. If you don’t have red pepper flakes, you can substitute a tiny pinch of cayenne.
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl (I usually use a cereal bowl and a fork) and pour into the hot pan after you finish cooking the chicken.
There will be just a little cornstarch leftover in the pan.
The cornstarch will help thicken the gluten free orange sauce.
If you want to make this sauce on its own, without the chicken, I’d recommend adding a teaspoon of cornstarch before heating it to help it thicken.
Once the sauce is simmering, add the cooked cornstarch breaded chicken and toss to coat.
Continue to simmer for another minute or two, the sauce will thicken up a bit more and will thicken even more as it cools.
How do I garnish gluten free orange chicken?
If I garnish my gluten free orange chicken, I usually sprinkle with a few thinly sliced green onions, or a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
My mom regularly makes this recipe, and she adds thinly sliced carrots which add a great sweetness and contrasting texture.
After cooking the chicken, but before cooking the sauce, she sautés thinly sliced carrots (so thin, they are almost shaved) in a little oil until they are golden on the edges.
Then she adds the sauce to the carrots, and continues the recipe as written from that point.
I think this recipe would also be great with some steamed green beans.
What can I serve with gluten free orange chicken?
I usually go simple, and serve my orange chicken with rice. If you want to, you can even make your own parboiled rice to get dinner on the table even quicker.
You can also serve it over gluten free rice ramen.
I love making a copycat Panda Express Chow Mein by sautéing cooked rice ramen with sautéed onions and cabbage in a little sesame oil, and then seasoning with soy sauce.
So here you go, a gluten free orange chicken recipe that is so easy and delicious that you’ll never miss Chinese take-out again.
I think it tastes even better than Panda Express’ orange chicken. That is the power of the orange zest!
Can I freeze orange chicken?
It is entirely possible to freeze your orange chicken!
I'd recommend cooking the chicken, and then freezing it before adding the sauce.
Freeze the chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, and then move to an air tight freezer bag.
When you are ready to serve it, thaw and reheat the chicken, and toss with sauce.
You could also bread the chicken, and freeze it before cooking. Freeze it in a single layer on a baking sheet, and then move to a freezer bag once it is frozen.
Cook the raw breaded chicken straight from the freezer. It will take a few extra minutes to cook since it is frozen.
If you freeze it in a layer, the chicken shouldn't be stuck together and will cook quickly and brown evenly.
Now all you need are some gluten-free fortune cookies and your meal is complete.
If you are looking for a paleo-friendly take-out copycat recipe I think you'll love my friend Taylor (of Food, Faith, Fitness)'s Firecracker Pineapple Chicken recipe.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Orange Chicken
Easy gluten free orange chicken recipe, tastes better than Panda Express and is gluten-free. The secret is using cornstarch to give the chicken a light and crisp breading, and using orange juice and orange zest in the sauce.
Ingredients
Gluten Free Breaded Chicken
- 2 pounds Chicken, Cut into bite-sized pieces (I used chicken tenderloins)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ cup Cornstarch
- ¼ cup Oil, Approximately
Gluten Free Orange Chicken Sauce
- ¼ cup Tamari Gluten Free Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Rice Vinegar
- ¼ cup Orange Juice
- ¼ cup Water
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Minced Garlic
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 tablespoon Orange Zest
- Green onions, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
- Place the cornstarch in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, add the chicken on top and toss until evenly coated.
- Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the hot skillet and then add the chicken.
- Cook stirring occasionally until all the chicken is cooked through and golden brown.
- Meanwhile, whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, add the sauce to the hot skillet and simmer and stir until thickened.
- Garnish with some green onions if you want, and enjoy. You can serve it with steamed rice if desired.
Notes
- To get crispy chicken, you may want to brown it in batches so you don't crowd the pan. This takes a little bit longer, but I promise the crispy golden chicken is absolutely worth it!
- I've also made this recipe using Coconut Aminos to make soy-free orange chicken. Because Coconut Aminos are sweeter, I cut back slightly on the sugar in the recipe.
- While I prefer using rice wine vinegar, you can also use plain distilled white vinegar. Distilled vinegar is gluten-free, even if a gluten-containing grain was originally used.
- You can use honey or coconut sugar instead of brown sugar if you prefer.
- You can use this recipe as a base for sweet and sour chicken, using pineapple juice instead of the orange juice and orange zest, and adding cut pineapple to the chicken before the sauce.
- To make sesame honey chicken, use honey instead of brown sugar, omit the orange juice and orange zest, and add a tablespoon of sesame oil. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 508Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 142mgSodium 1105mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 0gSugar 9gProtein 38g
All nutrition info is a guestimate and will vary depending on the ingredients you use.
Jamie
This looks amazing!! So glad I found the recipe at the #HomeMattersParty. Pinned it to try one night!
flippindelicious
I hope that you and your family enjoy it Jamie!
Audrey
My husband and son were just talking about having Orange Chicken not 10 minutes ago. Now I can make it up for dinner.
Congrats on your feature on the #HomeMattersParty
flippindelicious
Thanks Audrey! I hope you and your family enjoy it!
Betty
I made this recipe a few weeks ago and it was AMAZING!!! I’d like to try it again in the air fryer. Any tips for the chicken?
flippindelicious
Hi Betty, I'm so so excited that you loved my recipe! I haven't done much air fryer cooking, but I think you'd want to spray the chicken with a little oil after breading it, before cooking it in the airfryer. Otherwise, it will be dry and won't turn golden. You can brush them with oil, or just spritz with some gluten free oil cooking spray (most are fine, just not the ones with flour for baking).
Let me know how it works in the airfryer!
-Brianna
Melissa Vera
Just wanted to let you know that this post was picked as a highlight on the #HomeMattersParty this week. Make sure to check it out at https://adventuresfrugalmom.com/home-matters-linky-party-55/. I hope you will come back and link up again.
flippindelicious
Thanks Melissa!
Chelsea
Hi,
I was wondering if I could try the sauce on oven baked wings? Would I coat the wings in cornstarch? Sauce before or after I bake them?
Thank you!
flippindelicious
Hi Chelsea, I haven't ever tried using the sauce on oven baked wings. In the wing recipes I've used, I've always seen that you should sauce them after cooking them, or in the last few minutes of cooking. I do not know if you should toss the wings in cornstarch, but that could give them a great crisp texture. I haven't made enough oven baked wings to offer you good context for that. Hope that helps! -Brianna
Thelma
Hi, do you use all the corn starch for the chicken?, or do you save 1 tbsp for the sauce?. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp divided.
flippindelicious
Hi Thelma, I apologize for the confusion. The additional 1 Tbs is for the sauce. Happy Cooking!
Carrie Peterson
Watch out for modified cornstarch if you’re eating gluten free for necessity.
Sonja
Thank you so much!!! I've been craving orange chicken and found your recipe and it is DELICIOUS. <3
Kim
Hello! Late to the game but I made this tonight with my 11 year old “little brother” who requested orange chicken. He’s never really cooked before but we made this together and it was amazing. We added extra orange zest because he had fun zesting oranges. And we served it with steamed broccoli. Amazing!!! I think the key is to cook the coated chicken without stirring or moving it much so it gets really crispy and then flip it. Thanks!!!
flippindelicious
Hi Kim, So happy you enjoyed my gluten free orange chicken. I will also add extra orange zest sometimes. And yes, it is important to let the chicken cook without moving around a lot so that the proteins can caramelize and get crisp. I can't wait for you to try more of my recipes!
Happy Baking,
Brianna
Sam
Absolutely loved it!!! I was so happy I could eat it with all my allergies! I have made I it twice so far and the first time I did it exactly how it showed in the directions. The second time I prepped the sauce first and it was soo much better and made clean up simpler
flippindelicious
Hi Sam, so happy you enjoyed my gluten free orange chicken recipe. It is a family favorite! Best, Brianna
Celeste
I'm only seeing instructions up until step 3. Do I just combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl or does it need to be heated?
flippindelicious
Hi Celeste, There are more directions, the sauce does need to be heated. Depending on your device, you may need to scroll down within the recipe itself. It shows up in an iframe that changes size based on the size of your screen. There should be a small scroll bar on the right hand side of the recipe card.
Hope you enjoy my gluten free orange chicken.
Best,
-Brianna
Adam
Do I add the 1/4 cup of oil to the sauce or is it for cooking the chicken? Thank you
flippindelicious
Hi Adam,
The oil is for cooking the chicken. You just need enough to coat the bottom of the pan, which can be up to 1/4 cup depending on your pan and how many batches you divide your chicken into. Sorry for the confusion!
Happy Cooking! -Brianna
Anastasiya Grossman
So i just put the chicken in without any liquid or something
flippindelicious
Hi Anastasiya,
Yes that is correct. You aren't battering and deep frying the chicken. Instead you are adding a very light breading (the cornstarch) and then pan frying it with less oil. Doing it this way makes for a easier meal, that can even be made on a busy weeknight.
Happy Cooking!
-Brianna
Heidi
I can't wait to try this. I think something is wrong with the print button on your recipe. When I click print, it just opens up new window of this same thing. I can just look at the recipe on my computer, but I wanted to let you know.
flippindelicious
Hi Heidi,
Thanks for letting me know. This is a recipe I originally posted on FoodFanatic.com and it uses their custom recipe card. It takes a while to load, but eventually does pull up a printable of JUST the recipe over the top of their copy of the blog post. -Brianna
flippindelicious
Hi Heidi, I just edited my response to you. The print button will pull up a printable version of just the recipe, the page just has to fully load and it takes a while. I'm still working with Food Fanatic to see if there is a way to speed it up. I wanted to comment again, so that you'd get the notification.
Best,
Brianna
Kim
Yum! Just made this using arrowroot starch, fresh squeeze orange juice, coconut aminos. Kid are thrilled to have what used to be their favorite from Panda Express
flippindelicious
Kim, I'm so happy you and your kids enjoyed it so much! My kids love it too. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and tell me the subs you used. It sounds like using arrowroot starch worked great! Happy Cooking! -Brianna
Rebekah
I really enjoyed making this dish!! Thank you for posting. Just made it tonight for myself and my GF partner. He loved it! One critique: personally thought the sauce had too much vinegar! I’ll half it next time.
flippindelicious
Hi Rebekah! So happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for the feedback on the vinegar. I've found that different vinegars can be stronger, especially if some water may have evaporated from your white distilled vinegar, if you've had your bottle for awhile. My favorite is to use White Rice Vinegar, it is sweeter.
Happy Cooking! -
Brianna
D. Ferro
I did too! I doubled the sauce and I couldn’t eat it. Way too acidic. Husband and son thought it was fine but not amazing.
flippindelicious
Thank you for your feedback! I guess I like mine with more tang. Please adjust the vinegar to your personal preferences.
Happy Cooking! -Brianna
Kaysen
I can't find any quantities for any ingredients... Are they on here?
flippindelicious
Hi Kaysen, There is a recipe card at the bottom of the post just before the comments. It can take a minute to load if your connection is slow. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Happy Cooking! -Brianna
Hope
Thankful for a great new recipe this week. My family ate everything! I doubled the sauce recipe per many of the comments but it wasn’t necessary. Larger chunks of diced chicken were best for us.
flippindelicious
I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to comment and let me know. Happy Cooking! -Brianna
Dimitri
It is really hard to make an asian dish which is gluten free. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe, I had trouble finding a good gluten free asain dish.
flippindelicious
Hi Dimitri, Thank you for taking the time to comment. I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! I can't wait to hear which recipe you try next. Happy Cooking! -Brianna
Janet F
This has become a family favorite. It is even better than Panda Express when we make it at home. When I want more veggies, I add carrots sliced on a mandolin so they are really thin. We also like to sprinkle sesame seeds on it. It is wonderful comfort food without leaving home. We can make a double batch and the left overs are wonderful!
flippindelicious
I love adding carrots to it. So yummy! Thank you! -Brianna
Susan
Made this for my family last night. We have a newly diagnosed celiac who was craving orange chicken. It was enjoyed by all! I used chicken thighs instead of breasts.
flippindelicious
Hi Susan,
I'm so glad that your family enjoyed this orange chicken recipe. I know how hard the transition can be after a celiac diagnosis and I'm honored that my recipe was able to help! Have you read my gluten-free meals made easy ebook? The orange chicken is one of the recipes I include because it is such a good starting place for those who are newly diagnosed.
I hope to see you around my site in the future as you begin your gluten-free journey!
Best,
Brianna
Faiza
I made this tonight for dinner - instead of measuring 1/4c brown sugar, I eyeballed it and put 3 heaping teaspoons. I only had blood oranges so I used that. I also didn’t measure out a tablespoon of zest, but ended up zesting half of the orange. Those were the only “changes” from the original recipe. This was AMAZING. Never ordering take out orange chicken again, it was so simple to make and just *chef’s kiss* perfection. I’ve tried other recipes in the past and this one just hits different.
flippindelicious
Hi Faiza,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe so much! I often (almost always) eyeball the brown sugar and orange zest. I'll bet the blood orange was amazing in it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment, letting me know you tried it!
Happy Cooking! -Brianna
V
I made this tonight and while the chicken turned out perfectly crispy we thought there was way too much vinegar in the sauce (and we are big time vinegar lovers!). I used 1/4 c seasoned white rice vinegar as called for and it took over the whole dish. I added extra brown sugar and orange juice to even it out but it didn't help much. My family still liked it so I think it has potential, may try again with less vinegar. I just wanted to comment this to give others a heads up if they're going to make it that they might want to start with less vinegar and add as needed.
flippindelicious
Hi! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for letting me know that there was more vinegar than was to your liking. I'll add a note that cooks may want to start with less vinegar and add more to taste.
Happy cooking! -Brianna
Ashley
Would it be possible to freeze this? If so at what step would be best?
flippindelicious
Hi Ashley, It is entirely possible to freeze it! I'd recommend cooking the chicken, and then freezing it before adding the sauce. Freeze the chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, and then move to an air tight freezer bag.
Happy Cooking! -Brianna
Connie Bodenschatz
This is the first orange chicken recipe I have ever tried off of Pinterest. It is delicious! My family thought it was as good as PF Chang's; or better. Thank you for sharing.
flippindelicious
Hi Connie, I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for commenting to let me know. -Brianna
Malia
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it! There is an amazing gluten free soy sauce from Aloha Shoyu. Even my non gluten free family can’t tell the difference between their regular and gluten free shoyu aka soy sauce. Aloha shoyu is the favorite brand here in Hawaii.
flippindelicious
Hi Malia, Thanks for letting me know, I haven't seen or tried that gluten-free soy sauce. I'll have to see if I can find it on the mainland. -Brianna
Courtney A.
This looks wonderful! And such great reviews - I will be making this recipe this weekend.
Which oil do you recommend cooking the cornstarch-coated chicken in?
Thank you so much for the recipe and for your time! 🙂 -Courtney
flippindelicious
Hi Courtney, Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! Any neutral flavored oil will work great, I usually use canola oil or a refined coconut oil. I worry more about using an oil with a high smoke point, so coconut oil, canola, avocado oil or sunflower oil will work better than say olive oil. Hope you enjoyed them! -Brianna
Molly
I made this tonight--it was so delicious! Thank you for the "keeper" recipe!
flippindelicious
Hi Molly, Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! If you haven't already left a star review in the recipe card on this page, it would mean a lot if you did. Thanks! -Brianna
Tammy Krueger
This was amazing! Doubled the sauce, made 2 cups basmati rice in instant pot, cooked the chicken in three batches, thickened sauce, added chicken back in with a sliced red pepper and served with cut up pineapple and green onion.