Low-Carb Orange Chicken Recipe

This Keto Orange Chicken is so similar to the orange chicken you ate before keto that I’m sure it will become your go-to orange chicken recipe.

»You may also like this Keto Parmesan Crusted Chicken and these Cheesy Chicken Fritters.

It’s hard not to love the orange chicken you get at Panda Express and similar take-out restaurants. It’s so unfortunate that it’s so bad for you. It’s definitely not low carb. The chicken is breaded in flour and the sauce is laden with sugar.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t ever eat orange chicken again. In fact, this recipe will blow your mind and you’ll be making it all the time after this. The sauce also tastes great on brussels sprouts, try this recipe!

» For more great chicken recipes: Quick & Easy Keto Chicken Recipes.

Ingredients in Keto Orange Chicken

If you’ve had orange chicken at a restaurant before then you can probably guess a few of the ingredients. Don’t let the list make you nervous. This chicken is worth it. Here’s what you will need.

• Chicken Thighs – I use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because it’s more flavorful and juicy, but you can use chicken breast if you like. Just cut it into cubes.
• Egg
• Almond Milk
• Whey Protein Isolate- unflavored – Whey protein is a mixture of proteins that are found in whey – the liquid portion of milk when making cheese. It’s turned into a powder and sold in health food stores. There are two different kinds – isolate and concentrate.
• Salt & Pepper
• Orange Juice – You can use store bought orange juice for this recipe to keep things easy, or you can squeeze your own. We use 70ml orange juice in this recipe, about the equivalent of 1 medium orange, plus 1 tablespoon of the zest of an orange.
• Chicken Broth
• Liquid Aminos – If you’re not familiar with liquid aminos, it’s very similar to soy sauce. If you don’t have liquid aminos, you can use low-sodium soy sauce or tamari.
• White Vinegar
• Allulose – I prefer allulose, but you can use whatever sugar substitute you’re comfortable with. Swerve or Erythritol are good choices. Remember that Xylitol has sugar alcohols and 50% of those carbs count toward the total, so there will be more net carbs if you use it.
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Chili Oil
• Xanthan Gum – It is used as a thickener.

The Best Low-Carb Orange Chicken

There are two components to this craveable Keto Orange Chicken.

1. Crispy breading
2. Sweet sticky orange sauce

Those are must haves in my opinion. I mean, you can make the chicken without the crispy breading, but it just wouldn’t be the same. The only problem is that typical breading is not keto friendly. So we have to use a substitute.

How to Get the Crispiest Chicken

Breading for Orange Chicken is typically made with white wheat flour and that’s not a possibility if you want to make it keto. So how do you get around that?

You don’t have to skip it. That’s what makes this recipe so amazing.

I’m going to let you in on a brilliant thing I learned. It’s the secret to this perfect low-carb orange chicken recipe.

Whey protein isolate

Have you heard of it? Here’s a link to a brand I like on Amazon (note it’s sometimes unavailable, but this will show you exactly what to look for).

Whey protein is a mixture of proteins that are found in whey – the liquid portion of milk when making cheese. It’s turned into a powder and sold in health food stores. There are two different kinds – isolate and concentrate.

You want the isolate version. It might be a bit more expensive. Whey Isolate has less carbs (and usually less added ingredients). It’s also very important that you check the flavor before you buy. You want only UNFLAVORED.

Whey isolate is perfect for breading chicken and shrimp. Because it’s a protein, there is only a very small amount of carbs. And you’ll see that it makes a very nice crispy crunch on the chicken.

I’ve used coconut flour to bread things before and I’ve always been disappointed. It don’t really get crispy and it tends to fall off if there’s a sauce. I personally don’t like it. But this whey protein isolate is like magic.

For this reason I really don’t recommend going with coconut flour, but if you absolutely must, you can.

Sweet Sticky Orange Sauce

This low-carb Orange Chicken has a perfectly sweet and sticky orange sauce. It’s turns out just like the sauce at Panda Express, except without all the sugar.

You might not think it’s possible, but you’ll believe it once you try it.

The ingredients you need for the sauce are:

Orange Juice

You can use store bought orange juice for this recipe to keep things easy, or you can squeeze your own. We use 70ml orange juice in this recipe, plus 1 tbsp of the zest of an orange.

You’ll get around that amount of juice from 1 medium orange. if you get a little less or more from your orange, it’s fine. Just use what you have.

Liquid Aminos

If you’re not familiar with liquid aminos, it’s very similar to soy sauce. Soy sauce has a rich taste, while liquid aminos are milder and slightly sweet. That’s perfect for this recipe.

If you don’t have liquid aminos, you can use low-sodium soy sauce or tamari.

White Vinegar

Usually I’d use rice vinegar for Orange Chicken sauce, but it has some sugar in it, so instead I’ve used white vinegar. You won’t notice the difference, honestly. It’s just as good.

Sugar Substitute

You will also need a sugar substitute for this sauce. The original is packed with honey, which is what helps it thicken and become so sticky. For this low-carb version of Orange Chicken, I use erythritol.

I prefer allulose, but you can use whatever sugar substitute you’re comfortable with. Swerve or Erythritol are good choices. Remember that Xylitol has sugar alcohols and 50% of those carbs count toward the total, so there will be more net carbs if you use it.

I use allulose as a sugar substitute. You can use Swerve, monkfruit, Erythritol or Xylitol. It’s really up to you. The reason I use allulose is because it’s a no calorie no carb sweetener like erythritol, but it doesn’t have the cooling effect. I get allulose directly through Wholesome Yum. I think you’ll really like it, especially if you also don’t like the cooling effect.

I find that 2 tbsp of erithritol is enough sweetness for this recipe. If you like it sweeter, you can always add more after the sauce has come together.

Learn more about low-carb sweeteners and conversion here.

Xanthan Gum

If you’ve never cooked with xanthan gum before, you might be skeptical of adding it. I highly recommend it though because it thickens the sauce, which isn’t something that will happen on its own with this sauce.

I know some people don’t like to use it. If you don’t, the sauce will be quite liquidy.

How to Make Keto Orange Chicken

Breading chicken isn’t my favorite activity. It takes a while to do and it can make a huge mess of the chicken.

I try to set myself up for this activity so I’m fully prepared and make less of a mess.

To prepare:

Set out a large tray. You will place the wet dipped chicken on the tray until you’re ready to fry it.

Get out two medium bowls. You’ll whisk the egg and almond milk in one bowl. Then mix the whey protein isolate, salt and pepper in the other.

Cut the chicken into small pieces. I use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because it’s more flavorful and juicy, but you can use chicken breast if you like. Just cut it into cubes.

1. Bread the chicken

Now you can start the breading process. I save myself time by putting all the chicken into the egg bowl and mixing it up. Then I use one hand to grab the chicken pieces and put them into the “flour” bowl.

Use the other hand to shake the whey protein onto the chicken to coat all sides and then to remove the chicken onto the wire rack.

Repeat until all the chicken is complete. Set the tray aside.

2. Make the sauce

The second step is to begin making the sauce, so it can thicken a bit while you’re frying the chicken.

If you save this step until last, your chicken will get cold and won’t be as crispy by the time the sauce is done.

So get out a sauce pan. Combine all the sauce ingredients, minus the xanthan gum. Let it simmer of medium low heat while you fry the chicken.

3. Fry the chicken

Before starting the frying process, get out a large wire rack and place a paper towel under to catch any drippings.

For frying, you can use several different types of oil: avocado oil, peanut oil, or coconut oil. I personally prefer peanut oil.

Add the oil to a large frying pan or cast iron skillet and heat it until it reaches the right temperature.

The best frying temperature is between 340°F/170°C and 375°F/190°C. Lower cooking temperatures will cause the food to soak up oil, and higher temperatures will burn the food before it’s cooked through.

To make sure your oil stays at the right temperature, I recommend having a thermometer handy that can measure up to 375°F. Check the oil temp between each batch.

When the oil is ready, add the chicken pieces one at a time to the pan so they aren’t touching each other. They need space to fry properly.

Allow them to brown on one side, then flip them and fry again. It takes about 2-3 minutes per side. If the pieces are getting dark too quickly, check the oil temp.

For one pound of chicken, it will take about 3-4 batches to fry all of the chicken.

When it’s done, strain it out with a slotted spoon and place it on the wire rack, until all the batches are done.

4. Toss the chicken with the sauce

The sauce should be cooked down a little, but still quite liquidy. Now is when you should add the xanthan gum and whisk until the sauce is thickened. If will get thicker the longer you cook it, so don’t leave it on the heat too long.

When it’s the right consistency, add the chicken to the pan and toss it in the sauce to coat.

How to Serve Keto Orange Chicken

My favorite way to serve Keto Orange Chicken is with cauliflower rice. The chicken tastes so similar to the original and cauliflower does a good job of mimicking the rice. It’s also a great way to get your veggies in too. Another way to serve this is over noodles. You might try these zucchini noodles or these great pasta noodle alternatives.

What To Serve With Keto Orange Chicken

Other ways to serve it would be just on its own with another keto side dish like pan-fried brussels sprouts, garlic mushrooms and cauliflower or an Asian cabbage salad.

Tips and Notes

• If you use store bought orange juice, look for a brand that is 100% oranges, with a low carb count. There should be no more than 10 grams of carbs per 100ml.
• You can substitute the whey protein isolate with coconut flour, but it won’t get as crispy.
• Substituting rice vinegar for white vinegar will add additional carbs.
• You can use any type of sugar substitute you want, but allulose adds no additional sugar alcohols (50% of which much be counted as net carbs).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Orange Juice Keto?

Oranges are full of sugar so they are typically not considered keto-friendly. It has 1.6 carbs per tbsp, so you only want to use it in small amounts when necessary.

Can I Freeze Orange Chicken?

Yes, orange chicken will freeze but it is better to freeze the chicken and the sauce separately. Make sure to wrap it up so that it is sealed completely. Since this is crispy chicken it will easier to reheat and achieve the crispy texture without the sauce.

Can I Use Chicken Breast Instead of Chicken Thighs?

Yes, you can easily substitute cubed chicken breast for the chicken thighs. Traditionally, Chinese dishes use chicken thighs for their flavor and juiciness. If you prefer chicken breast this recipe will still turn out delicious.

Related Posts:

• Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze
• Keto Baked Crack Chicken
• Low-Carb Berry Smoothie

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Other Chicken Recipes To Try

• Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
• Creamy Keto Chicken Salad
• Sesame Garlic Chicken Wings

Click for Even More Chicken Recipes

• Quick & Easy Keto Chicken Recipes for Dinner

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04/04/2024