This sweet sticky orange chicken is everything you love about takeout orange chicken — crispy coating, sticky sweet sauce, tender chicken — baked on a sheet pan with the vegetables instead of deep-fried, and made with coconut aminos so it’s completely soy-free.

My kids can’t tell the difference from the restaurant version. I can, and that’s the whole point.

Why This Recipe Works

Orange chicken is one of those takeout meals that everyone loves and nobody feels great about afterward. The conventional version is deep-fried in oil, coated in a sauce loaded with corn syrup and soy, and the chicken itself is usually mechanically processed with a list of additives you can’t pronounce.

This version keeps everything that makes orange chicken worth ordering — the crispy coating, the glossy sticky sauce, the sweet-tangy orange flavor  and builds it from scratch on a sheet pan with ingredients you can actually read.

The coating is a combination of arrowroot and einkorn flour whisked together, which gives the chicken a genuinely crispy exterior when baked at high heat without any deep frying at all. The sauce is made from scratch in a saucepan with orange juice, coconut aminos, honey, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Then thickened with an arrowroot slurry into something that clings to the chicken exactly the way takeout sauce does.

The coconut aminos is the swap that I love the most. It delivers the same savory, slightly sweet umami depth that soy sauce does without any soy — which is important if you’re avoiding processed soy or looking for a cleaner ingredient list. The flavor is slightly less salty and slightly sweeter than soy sauce, which actually works perfectly in an orange chicken sauce where sweetness is already the point.

The best part is that the vegetables go on the same pan. Broccoli, sweet peppers, and onion roast alongside the chicken and get drizzled with the same orange sauce at the end. One pan, one sauce, dinner for six.

Key Ingredient Notes

Organic chicken breast. Two breasts, cubed into roughly 1-inch pieces. Uniform size is important — pieces that are too large won’t cook through in the same time as the vegetables, and pieces that are too small will dry out. Chicken thighs also work and stay juicier; add 2–3 minutes to the bake time.

Arrowroot. Used two ways in this recipe — ½ cup in the coating and 3 tsp in the sauce. In the coating it creates a crispy exterior when baked; in the sauce it thickens the liquid into a glossy, sticky glaze. Arrowroot is a clean, grain-free starch that behaves similarly to cornstarch but without the processing. Cornstarch works as a direct substitute if that’s what you have.

Einkorn flour. ¼ cup, mixed with the arrowroot for the coating. The einkorn adds a slight nuttiness and body to the coating that arrowroot alone doesn’t have. Regular all-purpose flour works as a substitute — same amount.

Egg. One, whisked with the olive oil and seasoning to create the binding layer that makes the arrowroot and flour coating stick to the chicken. The egg is essential — without it the dry coating won’t adhere.

All-purpose seasoning. 2 tsp of Happy Salt or your favorite garlic-pepper-salt blend. This seasons the chicken before it goes into the coating and is the savory base underneath the sweet orange sauce.

Organic orange juice. One cup — the base of the sauce. Fresh-squeezed is ideal and gives the sauce a brighter, more complex flavor. Bottled 100% orange juice works fine. Don’t use orange drink or anything from concentrate with added sugar — the sauce is already sweet from the honey and you don’t need additional sugar competing.

Coconut aminos. 3 tablespoons. This is the soy-free swap for soy sauce — it adds the savory, umami depth that balances the sweetness of the orange juice and honey. If you’re not avoiding soy, you can use low-sodium soy sauce in the same amount, but the coconut aminos is worth seeking out — it’s available at most health food stores and online.

Honey. ½ cup — the primary sweetener and what gives the sauce its sticky, glossy character. The honey caramelizes slightly as the sauce reduces, creating that signature orange chicken coating. Pure raw honey is what we use. Maple syrup works as a swap for a slightly different flavor.

Rice vinegar. 2 tablespoons. The acidity that balances the honey and orange juice and keeps the sauce from being one-dimensionally sweet. Don’t skip it — without the vinegar the sauce tastes flat.

Ginger and garlic powder. ½ teaspoon each, added directly to the sauce. These simmer into the sauce during the boil and mellow into a warm, aromatic background note. Fresh ginger and garlic work too — use 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger and 1 fresh garlic clove, minced.

Variations and Substitutions

KidFresh chicken nuggets shortcut. On nights when there’s truly no time, skip the breading step entirely and use KidFresh chicken nuggets directly on the pan. Bake according to the package directions, make the sauce as written, and drizzle over. Same dinner, five minutes of prep.

Swap the protein. Shrimp works beautifully in this sauce — reduce the bake time to 8–10 minutes. Pork tenderloin cut into cubes is another great option.

Make it spicy. Add a teaspoon of sriracha or a pinch of chili flakes to the sauce. The heat plays well against the sweetness.

Maple syrup instead of honey. A direct swap for a slightly less sweet, more complex sauce. Use the same amount.

Different vegetables. Any vegetable that roasts well at 400°F works here — snap peas, zucchini, carrots, green beans. Just cut them to similar sizes so they cook evenly.

Gluten-free. Swap the einkorn flour for your favorite gluten-free flour blend, same amount. The arrowroot is already naturally gluten-free.

How to Make Sweet Sticky Orange Chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
2. Set up your coating station. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 egg, 1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and 2 tsp all-purpose seasoning. In a separate bowl, whisk together the ½ cup arrowroot and ¼ cup einkorn flour.
3. Coat the chicken. Toss the cubed chicken breast into the egg mixture and coat well, making sure every piece is covered. Then dredge the egg-coated chicken pieces in the arrowroot and einkorn flour mixture, pressing gently so the coating sticks.
4. Arrange everything on the pan. Place the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Add the sliced onion, sweet peppers, and broccoli florets alongside the chicken in a single layer. Spray or drizzle the tops of the chicken and vegetables with extra virgin olive oil.

Note: If you want the vegetables more tender, put just the vegetables in the oven for 5 minutes before adding the chicken to the pan.

5. Bake for 15–20 minutes, flipping everything halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and the coating is golden and crispy at the edges.

How to Make the Orange Sauce

1. Combine the sauce ingredients. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the 1 cup organic orange juice, 3 tbsp coconut aminos, ½ cup honey, ½ tsp ginger powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, and 2 tbsp rice vinegar.
2. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, whisking frequently. The sauce will reduce and deepen in color slightly.
3. Make the arrowroot slurry. In a small bowl, mix together the 3 tsp arrowroot and 1 tbsp water until completely smooth with no lumps.
4. Thicken the sauce. Pour the arrowroot slurry into the saucepan and reduce heat to low. Whisk to combine and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. It will continue to thicken slightly as it cools — don’t over-reduce it.
5. Finish the dish. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Drizzle 1½ cups of the orange sauce over the chicken and vegetables and stir gently to coat everything. Return to the oven for 5 more minutes so the sauce caramelizes slightly onto the chicken.
6. Serve immediately over your favorite rice with the remaining sauce on the side.

How to Freeze

Freeze the sauce: Let the orange sauce cool completely and freeze in a Souper Cube or freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and warm on the stovetop before using.

Freeze the raw breaded chicken: Coat the chicken in the egg mixture and arrowroot flour coating, then freeze flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 400°F, adding 5–8 minutes to the bake time.

Freeze the full meal: Let the cooked dish cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10–15 minutes or in a skillet over medium heat.

Anna’s Tips

Don’t crowd the pan. The chicken needs space to crisp up — pieces that are touching will steam instead of getting that golden coating. Use a large baking sheet or two smaller ones if needed.

Make the sauce first if you want to get ahead. The orange sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and reheats beautifully. Making it the night before or in the morning means dinner is even faster at the end of the day.

The arrowroot slurry must be smooth before it goes in. Lumps of dry arrowroot in the sauce create an unpleasant grainy texture. Whisk the arrowroot and water together in a separate bowl until completely smooth before pouring into the hot sauce.

Don’t skip the final 5-minute bake with the sauce. This is what takes the dish from “chicken with sauce poured on it” to “chicken that’s been glazed.” The sauce caramelizes slightly in those 5 minutes and clings to every piece.

Start with the vegetables if they need more time. Broccoli and onion roast quickly but if your carrots or other denser vegetables need more time, put them in 5 minutes before the chicken. This ensures everything finishes at the same time.

Use the KidFresh shortcut without guilt. On nights when even 30 minutes feels impossible, the KidFresh chicken nugget swap is a completely legitimate dinner move. The homemade sauce is what makes it feel special.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between arrowroot and cornstarch? Both are starches used to thicken sauces and coat proteins for crispiness. Arrowroot is grain-free and more minimally processed than cornstarch — it’s derived from a tropical root plant and has no additives. For this recipe they behave identically and cornstarch works as a direct substitute if that’s what you have.

Can I use soy sauce instead of coconut aminos? Yes — use the same amount. Low-sodium soy sauce is the closest swap. Regular soy sauce will make the sauce saltier so you may want to reduce the amount slightly. Coconut aminos is worth trying if you haven’t — it’s slightly sweeter and milder than soy sauce and works particularly well in an orange sauce.

Why is my sauce not thickening? Most likely the arrowroot slurry had lumps or the heat was too high when you added it. Make sure the slurry is completely smooth before adding, and keep the heat at low while it thickens. Also note that arrowroot sauces thin out if they’re boiled too vigorously — low and slow is the right approach once the slurry goes in.

Can I make this with chicken thighs? Yes — boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay juicier than breast and work well in this recipe. Add 2–3 minutes to the bake time and check that the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Can I air fry the chicken instead of baking? Yes. Air fry the coated chicken at 400°F for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through. Make the sauce and vegetables separately, then combine and do the final sauce coat in the oven or just drizzle and serve.

How long does leftover sweet sticky orange chicken keep? Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The coating softens as it sits — reheat in the oven at 375°F for 8–10 minutes to restore some crispiness. Microwaving works but the coating stays soft.

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