Paleo Orange Chicken with Cauliflower Rice
This paleo orange chicken tastes incredible and it's good for you, too! Tender chicken thighs are simmered in a sweet and sticky homemade orange glaze and served over a bed of low-carb cauliflower rice. It's a simple paleo recipe the whole family will enjoy. Ready in just 25 minutes!
For more tasty paleo dinner ideas, try our sweet and spicy paleo chicken fingers, or our paleo honey garlic chicken fingers.

Table of contents
There's zero need to order take-out when you can make this paleo orange chicken at home in just twenty-five minutes!
Orange chicken has long been a favorite Chinese take-out item. We know it's not a traditional dish by any means, but there's something irresistible about the crispy chicken pieces that get smothered in that familiar sweet sticky orange glaze.
We won't pretend that this paleo take on orange chicken is similar to the take-out version, because it's not. It's a healthy chicken dish with a sticky sweet-tart sauce, served on a bed of low-carb cauliflower rice. It's tasty, satisfying, and you don't need to be paleo to enjoy it!
Just one taste of this paleo orange chicken and we're sure it will become a fast favorite. It's a quick, easy, and healthy dinner for weeknights that the whole family will love!
Paleo orange chicken ingredients
The amazing flavors in this paleo orange chicken recipe all come from natural ingredients. There are three elements to the recipe: the chicken, the sauce, and the cauliflower rice. The chicken is first seasoned with salt and pepper and then seared until golden. Then it's finished in this delicious glaze.
Here's everything you need for the sweet and sticky orange sauce:
- Orange juice – fresh orange juice will give this dish a bright citrusy taste but store-bought juice works, too.
- Honey – honey is a key ingredient for the sauce, making it sweet and sticky.
- Sesame oil – the nutty taste of sesame oil adds a hint of classic Asian flavor.
- Coconut aminos – coconut aminos is the perfect paleo substitute for soy sauce. If you're not paleo, feel free to use regular soy sauce or tamari.
- Tapioca starch – tapioca starch thickens the sauce, helping it stick to the chicken.
- Chili flakes – chili flakes add a hint of heat.
- Turmeric – turmeric tastes a little bit earthy and peppery, and adds an orange hue to the sauce.
- Ginger + garlic – for that classic punch of flavor.

How to make paleo orange chicken
This paleo orange chicken recipe is flavorful, family-friendly, and surprisingly easy to make. Here's how to make it in a couple of simple steps:
- Pat the chicken thighs dry, season them with salt and pepper, and sear them on both sides until well browned.
- Whisk the orange glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Pour the sauce over the seared chicken, and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes to fully cook, flipping the chicken thighs once halfway through.
- While the chicken cooks, make the cauliflower rice. SautƩ it until it no longer tastes raw, then add the garlic and sea salt.
- Serve the orange chicken over a bed of cauliflower rice topped with sesame seeds, cilantro, and orange wedges. Dig in!
Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
FAQS
Yep, you can. We find dark meat from chicken thighs to be more juicy and flavorful, but chicken breasts work well, too. Just keep in mind you may need to adjust the cooking time based on the size of your chicken breasts.
Store any leftover chicken and cauliflower rice in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes! Simply sear the chicken skin until it's crispy then flip the chicken over and add the sauce. If you're using chicken skin, don't turn the chicken over halfway through cooking or the skin will go soggy.
What to eat with paleo orange chicken
You can enjoy this paleo orange chicken with cauliflower rice as a complete meal on its own. If you're not paleo, feel free to serve it with regular rice or your favorite noodles. It also tastes great with some stir-fried veggies or a vegetable side like bok choy, garlic green beans, or carrots.
Some of our favorite paleo vegetable sides
- SautƩed Bok Choy with Ginger and Garlic
- Spicy Honey Roasted Carrots
- SautƩed Green Beans
- Garlic Butter Sugar Snap Peas
If you love easy paleo dinners, also check out this egg roll in a bowl!

Popular paleo chicken recipes
- Sweet Korean Paleo Chicken Thighs
- Spanish Chicken and Cauliflower Rice
- Curried Chicken Cauliflower Rice Soup

Paleo Orange Chicken Recipe
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinless
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
The orange sauce
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon EACH: sesame oil and coco aminos, can sub soy sauce for non-paleo
- 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 pinch turmeric, for color
- 1 inch piece of ginger, grated on a microplane or very finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane or very finely minced
- Toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, and orange wedges, to serve
The Cauliflower Rice
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 medium cauliflower, riced (a food processor makes quick work of this!)
- 1 clove garlic, very finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Dry the chicken with paper towels and then season them with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken thighs for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until both sides are well browned. Remove the pan from the heat.1 tablespoon avocado oil, 8 bone-in chicken thighs, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- While the chicken is searing, prepare the orange glaze. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the orange juice, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, tapioca starch, chili flakes, turmeric, ginger, and garlic.½ cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon EACH: sesame oil and coco aminos, ¼ teaspoon chili flakes, 1 inch piece of ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon tapioca starch, 1 pinch turmeric
- Pour the sauce over the seared chicken and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat so that the chicken is barely simmering, cover the pan, and let it cook for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cauliflower rice
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rice. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the grated cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, or until the cauliflower no longer tastes raw. Add the garlic and sea salt and toss well.1 tablespoon avocado oil, 1 medium cauliflower, 1 clove garlic, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Serve the orange chicken with cauliflower rice and some sesame seeds, cilantro, and orange wedges.Toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, and orange wedges, to serve
For more dinner ideas, check out all of our paleo recipes!
Any ideas on how to do this with chicken breast? My kids are picky and won’t eat thighs, so I wanted to try it with breasts instead.
You could definitely use chicken breasts instead. They’ll take about as long as bone in thighs to cook so you can simply follow the recipe. š
I’m so excited I found this recipe! We made it tonight with wild duck breast and it was one of my fav wild game dishes to date, thank you!!!
Awesome call on the wild duck!!!
This looks delicious but I cannot believe the Grapeseed oil recommendation. This product is mostly made of polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) like omega-6s and omega-9 fatty acids which are NOT good for you….I will try the excellent recipe with the exception of the Grapeseed oil. Saturated fat with omega 3 is much healthier.
I agree with you about the grapeseed oil! I do use it as it’s a neutral flavored oil and so doesn’t impart a taste in the recipe. If you have a different oil you prefer, definitely use that instead!
You should use either avocado oil or MCT C8 oil, much better for you and imparts now flavor to recipes.
This is the first recipe I have made from your blog and it was amazing! I am so impressed. I made it with a side of sweet potatoes- yum! Now it’s time to check out your other recipes š Thank you!
Hooray! I’m so happy to hear you liked it. It’s one of my favs. š
I just made this recipe and it was perfect. My kids just loved it!!
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit with you and your family! Horray!
I love orange chicken. This looks amazing!
Thank you so much, Tim!!
Looks amazing! Will this freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing it before, but I suspect it would freeze well. Do make sure to freeze the cauliflower rice and the chicken seperately. š
I didn’t make the cauliflower rice, but the chicken was delicious after freezing/reheating! Thank you!
Thank you so much for letting us all know! Hooray!!
I’m really happy with paleo, thanks for sharing this amazing recipes!
Thank you so much! I love paleo recipes, too. š
Would this recipe work with date paste? I am currently on Whole 30, and this looks delicious!
I haven’t tried it before, but I would think it would work just fine. If you try it with the date paste I’d love to hear the results!
I am always trying to find fun recipes to test out for date night; which I can also add to my “boyfriend approved Whole 30 meals” I am going to make this for us next week, and will keep you posted!
I tried the recipe last night with date paste and arrowroot starch I had in the pantry. It was absolutely delicious!! Next time, I will add a little more arrowroot starch, since date past doesn’t have the consistency of honey, to make the sauce thicker. My boyfriend is a HUGE fan of takeout orange chicken, and he loved the recipe! Thank you š
I’m so happy to hear it turned out! Yay!
And thank you for reporting back about how the modifications turned out. That’s super helpful!
How much date paste did you substitute for the honey?
I believe I used 2 tbs, but it could use a little more if you want the sweetness of honey to match.
Tried this recipe last week and it was great, really good for leftovers too. Haven’t tried with the cauliflower rice yet though, I think I’ll do that on the next round.
I’m so happy you liked the recipe!
can I marinate the chicken first?
Hi Paola! You can definitely marinate the chicken in the orange glaze overnight if you wanted to. Once the chicken has finished marinating remove it from the marinade, dry it with some paper towels and then proceed with the recipe. Hope that helps!
I don’t follow the paleo diet trend but I have to make this recipe.. I am SO obsessed with all that sticky and sweet glaze!
You will love it!
You’re right! There’s nothing more I could ask for. And no, it’s not weird. I can totally understand why you get excited with this paleo orange chicken because I do too! I’m really loving this recipe! I love that the rice is cauliflower rice and the chicken is so orangey! š
I’m so happy you don’t think it’s weird … sometimes I really wonder lol. Healthy food always makes me happy. š
Wowza! Kristen, this orange chicken looks INCREDIBLE! Just look at those pictures… that lacquer is gorgeous! Love your photos… as always š
Thanks, Kathleen! The glaze really was finger licking good!!
I can totally understand how eating this paleo orange chicken with cauliflower rice would make you happy (or that eating paleo would make you happier), whenever I eat better I feel better too. After just getting back from a long trip I’m diving totally cleaning up my eating, it’s like I’m craving healthy dishes! I’m totally going to put this one on the menu this week!
Sounds like you and I must travel the same … I always feel like going on a cleanse after a holiday! Where did you travel to?
Ok, first off those photos = amazingness, and that chicken = double amazingness! What a great recipe, personally I love homemade Chinese food or any kind of fake-out takeout. I can’t wait to try it!
fake-out take out …. love it! Totally agree that homemade is always better!!
This definitely looks like some really good chicken to me. That glaze! I can just taste the sticky, deliciousness from here!
Thanks, Liz! It really was so tasty!!
I keep hearing that Paleo is the way to go. You may have convinced me with this dish which looks so amazing.
I really do love eating paleo most of the time. I couldn’t go 100% though; I like my sweet treats occasionally and have no interest in messing with those lol. When it comes to dinner time it’s a great way to eat!