This healthy orange chicken recipe is quick, easy, and loaded with bright, vibrant flavors. It relies on simple ingredients for the iconic orange sauce, which coats each piece of chicken in in a sticky, sweet sauce bursting with fresh flavor. Best of all, it takes about 30 minutes, is completely made from scratch, and is great for meal prep, too! {Gluten-free & dairy-free}
Healthy Orange Chicken – So Easy & Delicious!
If you’ve got a craving for Chinese food, this healthy orange chicken recipe is a delicious homemade alternative to your local takeout. What I love the most about this dish is that you can control exactly what goes into it, so there’s no need for highly processed ingredients, and it’s so flavorful, the kids practically lick the bowl!
The healthy orange chicken sauce is perfectly sweet, sticky and tangy all at the same time, and when paired with the tender chicken, is delicious served over rice, quinoa or in lettuce wraps. It’s one of those meals that you’ll definitely want to make on repeat because of its simplicity and mouthwatering taste. The perfect weeknight dinner!
Featured Comment
“I made this for a family dinner and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved it!! I served it over rice and added some cashews on for some added crunch.” – Jo
If you’re a fan of Asian flavors, be sure to try my Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe, Freezer Beef and Broccoli and Healthy Stir Fry Sauce too!
Why We Love This Homemade Orange Chicken with Honey
- Ready in less than 30 minutes
- Super easy one-pot recipe for those busy nights
- Completely from scratch with everyday ingredients
- Huge hit with the whole family (kids, included)
- Naturally sweetened with honey
- Lower in sodium and calories than traditional recipes
Ingredient Notes
- Sesame oil: Sesame oil adds a nutty richness that adds extra flavor. You can also use another oil like olive oil or canola to cook the chicken.
- Chicken: I recommend chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Dice it into bite-sized pieces before cooking.
- Flour: Coat the diced chicken before cooking. It will act as a primer to help the orange sauce cling to the food. I use brown rice flour since that’s usually what I have on hand, but you can also used regular all purpose flour or gluten-free flour, if required.
- Fresh orange juice: Use a no added sugar orange juice for the healthiest option. You can also use freshly squeezed orange juice if preferred. You’ll need about 6 medium sized oranges if you prefer to squeeze your own juice.
- Soy sauce: Use a low sodium soy sauce. Tamari or coconut aminos work well, too.
- Honey: Used to sweeten the orange sauce. Feel free to use your favorite sweetener, if needed.
- Ginger and garlic: Use fresh ginger and garlic for the best flavor. Mince or grate finely.
- Orange zest: Grated orange zest helps to enhance the orange flavor of the sauce.
- Chili garlic sauce: Adds a kick of spice to the sauce. Use less or leave out altogether if you prefer less heat. You can also replace it with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
- Corn Starch: To thicken the sauce. Arrowroot starch or tapioca starch can also be used.
How to Make Healthy Orange Chicken – Step by Step Instructions
- Place the raw diced chicken into a large bowl and toss with flour until well coated.
- In a large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Add the pieces of chicken breast and cook until lightly golden and no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl until there are no lumps.
- Once the chicken is thoroughly cooked remove it from the pan and place it off to the side in a separate bowl.
- Drain any liquid from the pan and pour the sweet sauce mixture into the same pan you cooked the chicken in. Turn the heat up to high and bring the sauce mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, stirring every minute or so until it starts to thicken.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and mix to combine with sauce, cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Let it cool for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to further thicken.
- Serve chicken with sticky orange sauce over rice or quinoa topped with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Expert Tips
- As a time saving tip, prepare the sauce mixture in advance so that all you have to do is dump it into the pan after you’ve cooked the chicken. You can even make up a double batch and freeze half for future meals.
- Cut up the chicken into pieces that are roughly the same size so that it all cooks up evenly.
- For best results, allow enough time for the sauce to thicken. It typically takes about 15 minutes of simmering for the sauce to thicken. If you want a thicker sauce, add a bit more cornstarch until desired thickness is achieved. Keep in mind that it will thicken more as it cools.
- Stir frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking to the sides of the pan and to keep the chicken coated in the sauce so that it stays tender and juicy.
Storage & Reheating Guidelines
How to store: Leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat: You can reheat this recipe over medium low heat on the stovetop. You may wish to add a bit of water or broth if the sauce has thickened up quite a bit. You can also pop it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through.
Recipe FAQs
The primary reason why you dredge the chicken in flour before pan-frying is to give it a slightly golden crust and provide extra texture to the chicken so that no deep frying is required. The flour coating will also act as a primer to help the sauce cling to the chicken so that the chicken absorbs additional flavor.
This honey-sweetened orange chicken is sweet, tangy, sticky and spicy all at the same time. It has a refreshing orange flavor from the orange juice and zest, and a kick of heat from the chili garlic sauce. There’s no shortage of flavor in this delicious recipe!
Traditional orange chicken that you find at Chinese restaurants like Panda Express isn’t the most nutritious option as it tends to contain high levels of sodium, sugar and other highly processed ingredients.
This homemade version is a great healthier way to enjoy this popular Chinese option without the highly processed ingredients and lower levels of sodium and sugar typically found in most takeout orange chicken.
What to Serve with Orange Chicken
This healthy orange chicken recipe is great served over some steamed rice (we like brown or jasmine rice) with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onions. It’s also delicious over rice noodles.
If you want more of a low carb option, serve it over cauliflower rice or in lettuce wraps.
Pair it with a side of steamed green beans, broccoli, this Asian Cucumber Salad or Carrot Cucumber Salad for a balanced meal.
Recipe Variations
- Make it vegetarian: Use extra firm tofu instead of chicken.
- Add in some vegetables: For an orange chicken stir fry, try adding red bell peppers, broccoli or carrots. You can cook them in the skillet with the sauce.
- Use ground meat: Make it with ground chicken rather than diced chicken breast if you prefer.
More Healthy Dinner Recipes
- Chicken Teriyaki on a Stick
- Chicken Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce
- PF Chang’s Chicken Fried Rice
- Asian Beef Meatballs
- Healthy Korean Beef
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Easy & Healthy Orange Chicken with Honey {Low Sodium}
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup brown rice flour (or sub in regular flour)
For the orange sauce:
- 2 cups 100% pure orange juice, unsweetened
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (optional)
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional – depending on how spicy you like it)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
To garnish
- Sliced green onion
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place the raw diced chicken into a large bowl and toss with flour until well coated.
- In a large frying pan, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add the diced chicken and cook until lightly golden on the edges and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. You may wish to add a splash of water to the pan if the flour coating starts to stick to the pan.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce mixture in a separate bowl until there are no lumps.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and set it off to the side in a separate bowl.
- Drain any liquid from the pan and pour the sauce mixture into the same pan you cooked the chicken in.
- Turn the heat up to high and bring the sauce mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, stirring every minute or so until it starts to thicken.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and mix to combine with sauce, cooking for another 2 minutes. Let it cool for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to further thicken.
- Serve warm over rice or quinoa topped with sliced green onion and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Use 100% pure orange juice with no added sugar. You can also use freshly squeezed orange juice if preferred. You’ll need about 6 medium sized oranges if you prefer to squeeze your own juice.
- If you prefer less spice, add less chili garlic sauce or leave it out altogether.
- As a time saving tip, prepare the sauce mixture in advance so that all you have to do is dump it into the pan after you’ve cooked the chicken. You can even make up a double batch and freeze half for future meals.
- Cut up the chicken into pieces that are roughly the same size so that it all cooks up evenly.
- Allow enough time for the sauce to thicken. It typically takes about 15 minutes of simmering for the sauce to thicken. If you want a thicker sauce, add a bit more cornstarch until desired thickness is achieved. Keep in mind that it will thicken more as it cools.
- Stir frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking to the sides of the pan and to keep the chicken coated in the sauce so that it stays tender and juicy.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in February 2023 and the text, photos and formatting were updated in February 2025.
It is delicious! I have a question though, is the nutrition information including with a serving of rice? if not, how much would you say it changes it with a few spoons of brown rice?
So happy you enjoyed it! The nutritional information is for just the orange chicken without the serving of rice. If you were to add rice, it would mainly affect the carbohydrate and calorie count. A quarter cup of cooked rice would add about 50 extra calories and 11 grams of carbohydrates. Hope that helps!
I made this for a family dinner and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved it!! I served it over rice and added some cashews on for some added crunch.
That’s amazing Jo!! So happy the whole family enjoyed it! Love the idea of adding the cashews on top for extra crunch! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review :)
It had some good flavor but it doesn’t taste like the orange chicken that I am accustomed to eating. I’m sure I would have liked it better if I didn’t have that expectation in mind.
It definitely doesn’t taste exactly the same as your traditional orange chicken. A lot more sodium and sugar would be required to mimic the exact taste of what you’re probably used to and this recipe was created to be a healthier version. Glad you enjoyed the flavour though!
Made this last night and everyone loved it! I used the chili garlic sauce (the recipe says optional but it’s so good!), and it, combined with the red pepper flakes, gives it a mild heat. My daughter has already asked when we can have it again!
That’s AMAZING!! So glad it was a hit with the family! We also love it with the chili garlic sauce…it adds that little extra kick of flavour. Thanks so much for leaving such a glowing review! :)
Delicious! Made this tonight as an attempt to avoid takeout and it was a hit! Halved the recipe and added in some bell peppers and onion for some veggies. Served with quinoa and we both loved it!
So happy you enjoyed it!! Love the addition of the peppers and onions and serving it over quinoa! Thanks so much for swinging back to leave a review :)