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Low Carb Recipes: Orange Chicken

Updated on August 13, 2012
my orange chicken
my orange chicken

How to Make Orange Chicken

I love orange chicken – baked chicken with a sweet, sticky orange glaze. But since I’m trying to stick to low carb recipes, I had to figure out how to make orange chicken without sugar. I searched extensively online, but most of the orange chicken recipes I found were high in sugar and carbs, so I finally began to experiment on my own. I tried several variations of the recipe for orange chicken that I’m sharing with you here, and I think this one is the best. This recipe for baked chicken is really tasty, and the grandkids love it. Hubby likes to scoop up the pan drippings and eat them over his rice. This chicken is also very good with practically any sweet potato dish.

Low Carb Recipes

I use low carb recipes all the time! I just can’t handle sugar or very many simple carbohydrates, so over the years, I’ve learned to adapt many of my favorite dishes with low carb recipes. This is actually easier than you might think, thanks to so many low carb products available now. Of course, you don’t have to worry about meats having carbs, but if you add any type of sauce, glaze, or gravy, they probably contain carbohydrates. That’s why a recipe for orange chicken that’s low in carbs can be difficult to locate.

I use a lot of oven baked chicken recipes.
I use a lot of oven baked chicken recipes.

Oven Baked Chicken Recipes – How to Bake Chicken

Oven baked chicken recipes are very popular, probably because most are fairly simple. You season the chicken, place it in the oven, and forget about it for about an hour. Easy, right? As with many things, the devil is in the details. A recipe for baked chicken has many variables. Do you bake chicken with or without the skin? Do you cook an entire chicken, chicken halves, chicken quarters, or individual pieces? Do you use boneless chicken or bone-in chicken parts? What types of seasonings do you use for oven baked chicken recipes?

How to bake chicken also includes the question of moisture versus crispness. I like my baked chicken to be tender and juicy on the inside, with just a little crunch on the outside. Sometimes it’s a real balancing act to get this right. In my opinion, skinless breasts often get too dry in the oven, and skinless thighs are almost as bad. That’s why I like to use skin-on chicken for my baked chicken recipes. The skin holds in the fat and moisture. This is also the case with my orange chicken recipe.

Many oven baked chicken recipes do best when covered for about half the cooking time, in my opinion.
Many oven baked chicken recipes do best when covered for about half the cooking time, in my opinion.

What Temperature to Bake Chicken

What temperature to bake chicken? I like to use two different oven settings for most of my baked chicken recipes. Chicken can dry out pretty easily, so I like to cover the chicken with foil for the first thirty minutes of baking. For this step, I think 350 degrees is best for chicken parts. This gives the chicken a chance to cook without becoming too dry.

Once the parts have cooked for about thirty minutes, I like to turn the heat up and bake chicken at around 400 degrees, uncovered. This higher setting gives the chicken a chance to brown. Cooking time depends on the size and thickness of the pieces. Breasts need to cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, and thighs need to reach 170 degrees.

For this recipe for baked chicken, I season before cooking.
For this recipe for baked chicken, I season before cooking.
sauce recipe for orange chicken
sauce recipe for orange chicken
the chicken at the halfway point
the chicken at the halfway point

Recipe for Orange Chicken

Okay, finally – here’s my recipe for orange chicken. I used Smucker’s sugar-free orange marmalade, but any sugar-free brand would probably work. If you’re not concerned about carbs and sugar, you can use regular marmalade. For the cooking spray, I used butter flavored. I prefer Lawry’s garlic salt because it contains parsley flakes. Also, the second stage of cooking for your orange chicken might take a little longer than it did for my orange chicken recipe. I suggest testing after 50 minutes total time.

Rate my orange chicken recipe!

3.5 stars from 13 ratings of Orange Chicken

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ready in: 1 hour
Yields: 8 pieces

Ingredients

  • 1 cut-up fryer, 4-5 pounds
  • cooking spray
  • Lawry's garlic salt
  • paprika
  • black pepper
  • 2/3 cup sugar-free orange marmalade
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Splenda
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

  1. Line a shallow baking sheet with foil and spray foil with cooking spray.
  2. Rinse chicken parts and pat dry. Place about 1/2 inch apart, skin side up, on baking pan. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with garlic salt, paprika, and pepper. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
  3. While the chicken is baking, make the orange glaze. Combine the orange marmalade, vinegar, lemon juice, and soy sauce in a glass or plastic bowl. Microwave for one minute, or until marmalade is soft. Stir ingredients to mix well.
  4. After 30 minutes of baking, remove chicken from oven and pour off liquid. Increase oven heat to 400. Brush pieces with orange glaze.
  5. Return chicken to oven and bake, uncovered, for about 20-30 more minutes.
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