I admit guys, I am a Panda Express lover, and a lover of all things fast food and junky. But this poor little tummy of mine can no longer handle it. So I HAD to satisfy my deep, multi-year-long craving for Orange Chicken by making this WAY healthier, but equally as tasty rendition! This Low FODMAP Orange Chicken is breaded with almond flour and tapioca flour. It’s then roasted in the oven until slightly crisp. Pair that with a zesty, slightly sweet homemade orange sauce, and some broccoli for added health, and we’ve got a SUPER SOLID copycat without all the high FODMAP, gluten-filled nonsense! Let’s get into it, shall we?
What You’ll Need
Cutting Board & Knife – For the chicken, broccoli & ginger.
Measuring Cups & Spoons
Baking Sheet & Parchment Paper – For the oven.
Medium Bowls (2) & Whisk– For the chicken & the breading.
Small Saucepan & Spoon – For mixing & heating the orange sauce.
Spatula – For flipping the chicken.
About the Ingredients & FODMAP Content
For the Chicken
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs – I’m 100% a chicken thigh girl. Chicken breasts will likely dry out in the oven, so thighs are much more forgiving here! UPDATE 9/6/21: The fat from the chicken thighs helps the breading to crisp up. I highly recommend using thighs over breasts. If you do decide to use chicken breasts, I’d recommend spraying or drizzling additional oil over the breaded chicken, otherwise the breading may have a grainy texture, instead of crisping up into a solid breaded layer. I haven’t tried this myself, however, so definitely let me know if it works out for you!
Egg – One is all that’s needed to help bind the chicken to the breading.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – A small pinch for a tiny added kick. Feel free to omit this (or adjust to your liking) if you don’t prefer the spice. Because we are using only a small amount, the FODMAP content is negligible.
Finely Blanched Almond Flour – Used for the bulk of the breading, almond flour is Low FODMAP in 1/4 cup servings, placing the amount used under the FODMAP threshold for five servings. I like to use Bob Red Mill’s or Anthony’s Goods.
Tapioca Flour – Tapioca flour is Low FODMAP in 2/3 cup servings. As a finer flour, it helps to fill in the gaps in the almond flour breading for more coverage. Any brand will do here! We also use tapioca flour to thicken the orange sauce.
Garlic-Infused Olive Oil – Adding garlic-infused olive oil to the breading mixture adds great flavor. It allows the breading to thickly coat the chicken and crisp up in the oven. We also add a little bit to the orange sauce for additional flavor there.
If using a store-bought garlic oil, not all are FODMAP friendly. FODMAPs could be in the final product depending on the manufacturing process. My favorite brand is by Garlic Gold, which I buy off of Amazon. Alternatively, you can also make your own at home for much cheaper!
Other Ingredients For the Orange Sauce & Veggies
Orange Juice – You’ll want 100% orange juice without any added sugar. If you want to go the extra mile, you can squeeze your own fresh orange juice! Fresh OJ and OJ without any other added ingredients is Low FODMAP in 1/2 cup servings, placing this 1/3 cup separated between 5 servings well under the FODMAP threshold.
Ginger – There are no detectable FODMAPs in ginger. Fresh ginger is the way to go here, as dried/ground ginger does not pack the same flavor punch as fresh ginger.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Adds additional zest and zing to the sauce. Low FODMAP in 2 tablespoon servings.
Gluten-Free Tamari OR Coconut Aminos – GF Tamari is Low FODMAP in 2 tablespoon servings. If you’d like to keep this Paleo or soy-free, you can use coconut aminos, which is Low FODMAP in 1 teaspoon servings. If you’re using coconut aminos, something to keep in mind is that it is much sweeter than tamari. You may want to taste it without the maple syrup so you can adjust to your sweetness preference!
Orange Zest – Adds additional zesty orange flavor to the dish. Don’t skip on this! I always have clementines in the fridge, so I use those for zest!
Maple Syrup – Low FODMAP in 2 tablespoon servings. A little bit is all we need for a subtly sweet orange sauce. You can decrease to 1 teaspoon or increase to 1 tablespoon to sweeten to your preference.
Broccoli – One small head of broccoli is all that will fit on the other side of the sheet pan. It is Low FODMAP in 3/4 cup servings. Feel free to swap this out for other veggies, like green beans! You can also omit it all together if you’d prefer a different side dish with your entrée.
Enjoy! 🙂
If you made this Low FODMAP Orange Chicken, I’d love to know! Drop me a comment and a review to let me know how you like it. I’m always open to feedback, and leaving a review helps me and my little blog out! You can also tag me on Instagram @thefodmapfactor – I love to see your creations!
Looking for other Asian-inspired dishes? Try my Grilled Vietnamese-Style Meatballs. Looking for another chicken dish? Try my Sambal Pepper Chicken stir fry.
Sheet Pan Orange Chicken with Broccoli – Low FODMAP, Paleo-Friendly
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
- 1 large egg beaten
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 cup fine, blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 3 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
For the Orange Sauce
- 1/3 cup orange juice no added sugar
- 1 inch fresh ginger skin removed & minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons gluten free tamari OR coconut aminos (for Paleo) see notes
- 1 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon garlic-infused olive oil
- 1 teaspoon tapioca flour
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
For the Broccoli
- 1 small bunch of broccoli chopped to bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- sesame seeds optional
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- Preheat oven to 475°F. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, add chicken thighs, egg and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Mix to evenly distribute.
- In another medium bowl, whisk almond flour and tapioca flour. Pour in 3 tablespoons of garlic-infused olive oil and mix until small clumps of flour and oil are formed throughout the mixture.
- Dredge chicken in big batches through flour, tossing to coat. Place chicken in a single layer on the baking sheet, ensuring there is space between each piece of chicken so it can crisp up. Roast in oven for 12 minutes.
Prepare the Sauce
- While the chicken is in the oven, prepare the orange sauce. In a small saucepan, combine all orange sauce ingredients except for the maple syrup. Mix until tapioca flour is completely dissolved. Note: You may want to double your sauce if you want it extra thick!
- Heat on medium-high until sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Add maple syrup (1 tsp to 1 tbsp based on your preference). Set aside.
Last Steps in the Oven
- Once chicken is done, flip the chicken pieces over. Move chicken over to one side. Add broccoli to the other side and toss with 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil, salt & pepper. Return to oven for another 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 425°F.
- Once done, pour orange sauce over the chicken, tossing to combine. Return everything to oven for 3 more minutes.
- Serve over rice or with a side salad. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you’re using coconut aminos, something to keep in mind is that it is much sweeter than tamari. You may want to taste it without the maple syrup so you can adjust to your sweetness preference.
- If using store-bought garlic-infused oil that is not certified FODMAP-friendly, make sure to use a brand that doesn’t list “garlic oil,” “garlic essential oil,” “garlic essence,” “garlic flavoring,” “natural roasted garlic flavor,” or anything similar in the ingredients list. There’s no way to know whether these ingredients are low FODMAP. More on that in this article on FODMAP Everyday.
Did you make this recipe?
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Stephanie says
This orange chicken tastes just like or even BETTER than the Panda Express version. It’s much cleaner and healthier and has a delicious orange kick with a subtle sweetness! Taste and texture on point! So happy I can eat this again, thanks Cindy!
Cindy says
Thanks so much for the kind review Stephanie! I’m SO happy you tried and enjoyed them! 🙂