When you’re celiac/coeliac and you can’t eat corn or soy, it’s easy to feel like you’re missing out. You walk by a Panda Express and smell that orange chicken wafting towards you, and more than anything you wish you could eat it, too.
But unlike in other restaurant situations (see this post or this one), this dish can’t be easily substituted on the spot—or really at all when you order it somewhere. In fact, it doesn’t even seem like something you’d be able to eat ever. It’s one of those restaurant foods that doesn’t seem possible without that magic touch that some places have (not to mention some great equipment).
But fear not. You can have orange chicken—even with more food sensitivities or food allergies than you can imagine (including peanut and other nut allergies). Even better, it will taste amazing.
We’re not just saying that this will taste great for an allergy-friendly substitute to orange chicken. No, no. It’s actually better than you’ll find at most takeout Chinese restaurant chains. Peter ate this right after eating Panda Express and thought it tasted much better!
The other benefit of this recipe is that it’s (relatively speaking) pretty healthy. All the ingredients are fresh, so you’llL a) get more flavor, and b) you’ll know exactly what’s going into it. It’s also pretty easy to adapt this for someone without food sensitivities and still come up with an amazing recipe.
One of the best things about making this recipe—whether it’s as allergy friendly as ours or not—is that when you blend together these ingredients, you really won’t feel like you’re missing out. You won’t taste coconut aminos straight, but rather you’ll taste it with all of the other great parts of this dish. You probably won’t even be able to tell that it’s soy free (we could hardly believe it was, and we made it!).
This recipe is seriously addictive and it’s definitely one of our favorites. If you want to know how to make our allergy-free orange chicken, then read on!
Table of Contents
How to Make Allergy-Free Orange Chicken
*This recipe serves approx. 4 people. Or 2 people who are happy to have leftovers.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lb. chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos (soy substitute); we like Coconut Secret, Big Tree Farms, and the Trader Joe’s brand
- 1/8 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 tbsp. cooking oil (we use canola)
- 1/2 cup scallions (chopped)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup orange juice
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger (minced)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup gluten-free flour (we use Pamela’s gluten free, or even cassava flour)
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
DIRECTIONS
The Sauce
- Heat a large skillet or a wok on medium with the sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.
- When these ingredients start cooking, add most of the scallions (reserve about 1/8 cup for serving), rice vinegar, and coconut aminos to the pan and keep cooking.
- Add the orange juice and let the mixture simmer.
- Add the brown sugar and mix thoroughly. Make sure that it doesn’t burn, and lower the heat when necessary.
The Chicken
- Preheat a pan to medium-high heat with your cooking oil.
- Make an egg wash in one bowl by combining the egg with a little water and mixing. Prepare the flour in a separate bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and dip into the egg wash, then the flour.
- When your chicken is breaded, add to the oil.
- Cook for about 6-8 minutes until the chicken is golden brown.
- When the chicken is done, add it to the sauce mixture you previously prepared. Make sure that the chicken is well-coated.
- Add additional scallions on top and serve.
We serve our orange chicken with white rice, but feel free to use noodles or another side of your choosing.