Foodie friends, I’ve been craving Chinese food! Unfortunately for me, many Asian dishes are made with soy sauce, so they are off limits on a gluten free diet. I have been thinking about a lightened up, gluten free version of this classic dish for a while now and dinner was a hit! The chicken is not fried, so it’s a bit healthier than the restaurant version. Gluten free coconut aminos make it safe for me, and lower in sodium for hubby. I served it over fried rice. Mr. Cucina is not gluten free, and he said this one is a do-over, the ultimate compliment!
3-4 servings
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Ingredients:
For the marinade:
- 12 oz. Boneless chicken breast
- ½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
- 2 tbsp. coconut aminos
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp. Honey
- ¼ tsp. Powdered ginger
- 1 tsp. toasted Sesame oil
- zest of 1 orange
For the sauce:
- 1 tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp. Arrowroot starch
- ¼ cup gluten free low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup orange juice concentrate
- 1 tsp. honey
For the garnish:
- 1 tsp. Sesame seeds, toasted
- scallion greens, sliced diagonal
Preparation:
Toast the sesame seeds and reserve for garnish. I like to toast them in a small non-stick saucepan, so that they don’t fly all over the place! As soon as they start to get a little color transfer them to a bowl.
Cut the chicken into 1” cubes and place in a bowl. Whisk together the marinade ingredients (orange juice concentrate through orange zest) and pour over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. To make the sauce, heat the olive oil and minced garlic in a small non-stick saucepan. Cook one minute until garlic is fragrant, then whisk in the remaining ingredients, arrowroot through honey.
Stream in the reserved marinade, whisking constantly to make a smooth sauce. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the sauce is thick and bubbling. Keep warm while you finish the dish. Important: because the marinade has been in contact with raw meat, it must reach a full boil in order to be safe to eat.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp. Olive oil and 1 tsp. Sesame oil. Cook the chicken, turning to brown all sides. Don’t crowd the pan, spread the chicken out so pieces don’t touch. Brown in batches if needed.
Dip the chicken in the sauce, a few pieces at a time.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds.
I served it with fried rice. Doesn’t that look delicious? Once you taste it, you’ll want to add this Asian inspired dinner to your rotation. We loved it and it was just as good leftover!
Notes ♪♫ Using frozen orange juice concentrate along with orange zest gives the sauce a more intense citrus flavor and helps with thickening. If using orange juice, you will need to adjust the amount of arrowroot starch in order for the sauce to reach the right consistency.
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