Low Carb Keto Orange Chicken (Sugar Free)
This healthy keto orange chicken is sugar free and only 11g net carbs per serving! Can you guess the secret ingredient in the low carb sauce?
Ingredients
For the keto chicken:
- 1 lb. boneless and skinless raw chicken tenders (454 grams)
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- cooking oil spray (non-aerosol)
For the keto orange sauce:
- ¾ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (4-5 lemons, use Meyer lemons if available)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 4 tablespoons Swerve, granular
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce (use GF coconut aminos for gluten free)
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional, for heat)
- optional garnishes (toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions)
Instructions
To make the keto chicken:
- If you’re using chicken tenders, cut them into about 5 pieces each with kitchen shears. You want about 40-50 chicken bites in all if you are cutting up whole chicken breasts.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir coconut flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt together. In a second bowl, whisk two large eggs.
- Spray two air fryer trays with cooking oil spray.
- Put the chicken pieces in the coconut flour mixture and stir. Then lift the chicken pieces out of the flour, and dump them in the bowl with the eggs. Stir so they are coated on all sides with the egg.
- Lift the chicken pieces out of the egg with a fork, and put the chicken back in the coconut flour bowl. Stir well, ensuring the chicken is coated on all sides with the flour mixture. There should not be any loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.
- Put the coated pieces of chicken on your prepared air fryer trays in a non-touching single layer. Mist the chicken well with cooking spray. Put the trays in the air fryer.
- Air fry the low carb chicken for 5 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Then switch the position of the trays in the air fryer oven (no need to flip the chicken). Air fry 5 more minutes at 375°F (190°C).
- Flip the chicken pieces over and spray them well with the cooking oil spray. Switch the position of the trays in the air fryer and air fry a final 2-3 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Use a kitchen thermometer to ensure the chicken reached a minimum safe internal temp of 165°F (74°C).
To make keto orange sauce:
- While the keto chicken air fries, make the orange sauce. Prepare the oranges by zesting them with a microplane and juice the lemons with a juicer.
- Whisk lemon juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, Swerve, orange zest, ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes together in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking occasionally until the Swerve completely dissolves. This will take approximately 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the xanthan gum and allow the mixture to thicken. It will only take 2-3 minutes. Remove the low carb orange sauce from the heat.
- Pour the keto orange sauce over the cooked chicken and stir. Serve immediately after mixing the chicken and sauce. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds (if desired).
Notes
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). This low-calorie orange chicken may contain some flour, but I’d still call it a good choice for weight loss. Serve it over cauliflower rice with some green beans on the side and you’ve got a filling meal under 500 calories. The high protein chicken, served with high volume and low calorie non-starchy veggies, is a dynamo combo when you want to lose weight.
I used the same amount of Swerve as I used in my regular orange chicken recipe. However, this keto Mandarin orange chicken is less sweet. This is intentional, as I understand that some use low carb diets to help their palates adjust to less sweetness in their foods.
You can always add more keto-friendly sweetener to this recipe if it is not sweet enough for you. (But keep in mind that going overboard on low carb sweeteners can potentially lead to digestive distress.)
IMVHO, this meal is too low in calories for many children, adolescents, and active adults. For these groups (and some others), I’d serve the chicken over regular rice rather than cauliflower rice.
I’m not a fan of putting youth on special diets without a medical reason. (And the diet should be monitored under the care of a physician or dietitian.) Luckily, there are many ways to modify low carb and keto meals for family members who can benefit from more carbs and calories.
Tip: What to do with the zested orange if everyone in your household is on keto? Cut it into thin slices and use it to infuse water. Infused water is one of my favorite ways to hydrate!
Nutrition information is for one serving. Carbohydrates listed are net carbs (total carbs minus fiber and erythritol). Nutrition information does not include garnishes or side dishes.
Nutrition
Calories: 328kcalCarbohydrates: 10.8gProtein: 43.1gFat: 9.6gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 794.9mgPotassium: 497.6mgVitamin A: 7.8% DVVitamin C: 39.5% DVCalcium: 3.8% DVIron: 15.5% DV