Healthy Orange Chicken (no added sugar) | Get Inspired Everyday! (2024)

FAQs

Is orange chicken good or bad for you? ›

Takeout orange chicken is not very healthy because it's loaded with sugar and deep-fried as well. But this homemade version is a healthier alternative made from whole food ingredients with no added sugar and no deep frying involved.

The most famous dish at Panda Express is the Orange Chicken. Inspired by flavors of the Hunan Province in China, Chef Andy Kho developed it in 1987, and it has been a consistent part of the menu ever since.

To thicken the sauce, pour it into a small saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water to make a cornstarch slurry. Once the sauce starts to bubble in the pan on the stovetop, add the cornstarch slurry and stir to combine.

Chicken is a perfect protein to make a fantastic low-glycemic meal. Because chicken doesn't contain any carbohydrates, it has little effect on blood sugar levels. However, be sure that the chicken recipes you make contain foods that are also low-GI!

It's the secret to quick browning.

It takes time for that delightfully textured outermost layer to form, and any shifting or peeking throws the process off course. But a little bit of sugar sprinkled over your protein before it hits the pan is the fast track to the color you're hoping to achieve.

Ingredients: dark meat chicken, water, sugar, distilled vinegar, modified food starch, corn starch, potato starch, contains less than 2% of: wheat, orange extract, caramel color, salt, garlic, phosphoric acid, rice wine, sesame oil. *The dish uses a proprietary batter and sauce.

In Chinese, this dish is known as "陳皮雞", literally "dried citrus peel chicken", referring to dried orange or tangerine peel. However, the taste and recipes of this dish differ due to cultural and geographical factors.

The orange sauce is made from a mixture of the orange juice and zest, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar. This is bubbled up in the wok until slightly thickened. The chicken is then added back in, and tossed in the sauce until fully coated.

Another interesting fact, most Chinese people still prefer to use potato starch to thicken the sauce. If it's in Taiwan, Taiwanese people use sweet potato starch and potato starch to thick the sauce and cook other food.

Mix 2 tablespoons (16 g) of flour with 1/4 cup (60 mL) of cold water, then add to your sauce and stir over medium heat until it thickens. Alternatively, create a sauce-thickening roux by whisking 1 tbsp (15 g) of butter and 1 tbsp (9 g) of salt together, then adding the mixture to your sauce.

How long does orange sauce last in the fridge? ›

Store-bought orange sauce, unopened, can last in your pantry for up to 12 months if stored at constant room temperature, but once opened needs to be refrigerated and typically lasts for 1-2 weeks after the printed date on the package. However, if you freeze it, the sauce can extend its life for up to 6 months.

Seafood, pork, beef, and chicken are all sugar-free. They're also an important source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. If you don't eat meat, soybeans, lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds are great sugar-free, high-protein foods.

One distinct characteristic of orange chicken is that it is sweet, and that comes from the addition of brown sugar (and honey), which gives the sauce it's sticky, caramelized glaze. The addition of brown sugar in many Asian recipes helps to balance out sour flavors and spices added to the dish.

Orange chicken (1 cup) contains 60.8g total carbs, 59.6g net carbs, 11.2g fat, 29.2g protein, and 465 calories.

Sugar, in its many forms and sources, including granulated cane sugar, honey and maple syrup, is typically present in very low levels, if at all, in meat and poultry. This includes everything from marinated fresh chicken breasts to uncooked bacon to beef jerky.