This gluten-free orange chicken is one of the quickest dinner recipes I make. Crispy gluten-free chicken nuggets are tossed in a sweet and tangy orange sauce made with marmalade, honey, orange juice, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Everything comes together in under 20 minutes, and the sauce thickens beautifully as it simmers.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
I am excited to share this crispy gluten-free orange chicken recipe with you. Lately, it has been a favorite recipe in our house. If you love Asian foods, you will love this easy gluten free orange chicken recipe. Serve it up with my easy gluten-free fried rice recipe.
If you love this simple recipe, check out all of my easy gluten-free dinner recipes. Need more chicken recipe ideas? These gluten-free chicken dinner recipes offer a variety of new flavors to try.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets – I love using premade gluten-free chicken nuggets because they not only save time, but you can make this dinner in less time. I used Trader Joe’s gluten free chicken nuggets to make this recipe. Several other great brands of gluten-free chicken nuggets include Applegate, Purdue Simply Smart, Sprout GF Chicken Nuggets, and Tyson Naturals. You can also make them from scratch with my Gluten-Free Chicken Nugget recipe.
- Orange Marmalade or Apricot Jam – Use either flavor.
- Orange Juice – Use store-bought or freshly squeezed.
- Honey – Use any inexpensive honey. There is no need to use a fancy, expensive one.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – The vinegar helps to balance the sweetness of the marmalade sauce.
- Salt – I used sea salt, but kosher salt and pink Himalayan salt are also okay.
- Crushed Red Peppers – Optional, but I recommend using a few to balance the sweetness with a little spice.
How to Make Gluten-Free Orange Chicken (Step-By-Step)
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Step 1: Place the frozen chicken nuggets into your air fryer. I have a Ninja Foodi Air Fryer, so it has dual compartments. Cook the chicken nuggets according to the package instructions. Every brand’s cooking time varies slightly. Note: Trader Joe’s chicken nuggets take longer because their nuggets are frozen raw.
Step 2: Combine the orange marmalade, apricot jam, and the rest of the sauce ingredients in a large skillet. Cook this on the stove at medium-low heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for around 5 minutes.
Simmering thickens the sauce, helping it cling to the chicken nuggets. The flavors will blend well as they simmer! If the sauce hasn’t thickened enough, simmer it for a few more minutes. If your sauce thickens too much, you can thin it with a little orange juice.
Step 3: Place the cooked chicken nuggets in the orange sauce and toss to coat. Coating the hot chicken nuggets quickly will help them stay crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, the chicken nuggets will stay crispy on the outside on the day you make this recipe. If you are making this recipe ahead, coat the chicken in the sauce before serving.
Store the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep fresh for up to 4 days.
You can freeze the orange chicken in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
More Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes:
- Sheet Pan Orange Spiced Chicken Drumsticks
- Easy Gluten Free Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Gluten Free Ramen Soup
Love This Recipe?
💬 Did you make this gluten-free orange chicken recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out—and which pan or flour blend you used! Your feedback helps others (and helps me keep improving these recipes for you). ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Easy Gluten Free Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 16 ounces gluten free chicken nuggets * see notes for brand ideas.
- 13 ounces orange marmalade
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper – optional
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red peppers – optional * add more if you like spicy.
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Instructions
- Place your frozen 16 ounces gluten free chicken nuggets into an air fryer. You can also bake them in the oven or toaster oven per package directions if you do not have an air fryer. If you prefer to make your own chicken nuggets, see the Notes section for the recipe.
- Cook the nuggets in the air fryer at 375º F for 12-15 minutes.
- In a large skillet, add the 13 ounces orange marmalade, ⅓ cup orange juice, 3 tablespoons honey, ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper – optional, and ⅛ teaspoon crushed red peppers – optional. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium heat, then boil the cooking temperature to low to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Pour the hot orange sauce onto the cooked chicken nuggets and toss to coat the chicken nuggets.
Notes
- Gluten free brands of chicken nuggets: Trader Joe’s, Tyson, Applegate, Perdue, Ian’s, and Sprout.
- Make the nuggets homemade with this recipe https://www.fearlessdining.com/gluten-free-chicken-nuggets/ (NOTE use egg instead of ranch dressing!)
- You can use either orange marmalade or apricot jam to make this recipe.
- Serve over rice.
- This recipe will keep fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
This recipe is so easy and so good! Using packaged chicken nuggets is genius. We haven’t had Orange Chicken in years, but we will again soon! My entire family loved it, so no leftovers. I did substitute orange extract mixed with water for the orange juice. Next time I make it I will be sure to have orange juice on hand. It was still wonderful. I served it with steamed broccoli as a side, which somehow we all mixed in.
I am so glad the orange extract and water combo worked. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know everyone loved the recipe!
Yummy
Hi Sandi,
On the instructions you wrote,
“If you prefer to make your own chicken nuggets, see the Notes section for the recipe”. Were you going to share how to make our own nuggets? If not, do you have a recipe to make nuggets from scratch?
Thank you for always sharing your delicious recipes.
Thank you Dee, I had this in the post above. I added it to the recipe card.
We did not have the marmalade, but my daughter made it work with what we had. It came out fantastic and she was really proud to have made it herself. We had never heard of GF chicken tenders and they are now a staple in our household. Next time we are going to try to add some vegetables!
I am so glad your daughter was able to make this recipe her own way! What a great confidence boost for her. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
Trying to understand why you need to add honey to this recipe when you already have orange marmelade and orange juice.
Hi Barb, the honey adds a little thickening and sweetness. If you do not want to use it, feel free to omit it.