The links in this post may be affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission if you buy through these links, at no additional cost to you, which helps me run this blog. Read my disclosure here.
I am SO excited about this recipe, guys. These orange chicken meatballs taste just like takeout but made with only good ingredients and done in just 30 minutes! I can’t believe I can make something this good with so little effort.
Air Fryer Orange Chicken Meatballs
When I found out that you can cook these meatballs in the air fryer and get a crispy exterior with no breading whatsoever I knew this recipe was going to rock my socks.
Crispy meatballs covered in a tangy, sweet orange sauce, made in 30 minutes, AND less than 3 net carbs per serving?? Be still my beating heart. I literally can’t wait until you make these.
Ingredients
Let’s talk ingredients.
For the meatballs themselves, you only need a few things: ground chicken, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, a little coconut flour, and some salt. This also means that this recipe is nut and egg free in case you can’t tolerate those.
The sauce has a few more ingredients:
- Coconut Aminos – This is the base of the sauce. You can sub soy sauce or tamari if you prefer.
- Rice Vinegar – This is what gives the sauce its characteristic tang.
- Allulose– This low carb sweetener is perfection for sauces like this as it won’t crystallize. If you’re looking for a paleo option, you can absolutely use coconut sugar. And if you’re here for the food and not for the diet, use regular sugar.
- Orange zest- Surprisingly, most orange chicken is not made with any, or very little, orange juice. Which suits a low-carb diet just fine as orange zest gives a great orange flavor without the carbs.
- Toasted sesame oil – rounds out the flavor profile nicely.
- Red pepper flakes– this is optional, though recommended. You can adjust the amount depending on how much spice you like.
- Xanthan Gum or Arrowroot Powder– This thickens the sauce. Xanthan gum is the lowest carb choice, but I think arrowroot performs a little better here. Arrowroot is a starch, however, so if you want to keep all starches out of your diet, pick xanthan gum. Using arrowroot will add 1g net carbs per serving.
Air Frying
I use the Ninja Crispi air fryer, but this should work in whatever air fryer you have. Just make sure you can fit all the meatballs in a single layer in your basket. Otherwise, cook them in shifts.
The Ninja Crispi has different settings vs. simply temp settings. I use the “Max Crisp” setting for this, which puts it in the range of 425-450°F. This allows the outside of the meatballs to get nice and crisp, very reminiscent of the crispy breaded chicken pieces of your favorite takeout place.
Orange Chicken Sauce
Like I mentioned above, orange chicken sauce generally contains very little orange. We use the zest to give it a hit of orange flavor, but the tanginess comes from vinegar.
The great part about the sauce is that you cook it in a saucepan while you’re air frying so this whole recipe gets done in no time.
Thickening the sauce:
If you’re using xanthan gum to thicken the sauce: take the sauce off the heat and sprinkle carefully over the top before whisking in. Then return to heat and allow to thicken.
If you’re using arrowroot: you’ll need to make a slurry with arrowroot and a tablespoon of water. Take the sauce off the heat, pour it in a thin stream while whisking, and then return it to the heat to thicken.
Once your meatballs are done in the air fryer, toss them in the sauce and top them with some sesame seeds if desired. Then you’re done!
I served mine over cauliflower rice with some roasted broccoli on the side. Such an easy and delicious way to get in loads of veggies along with your protein!
My kids absolutely devoured these. There are no leftovers in our house when I make these. I’ll probably have to start doubling the recipe!
I hope you enjoy! Leave a comment and a rating if you do!
Air Fryer Orange Chicken Meatballs
So good you won't believe it's this easy to make.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- cooking spray
Sauce
- 2 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 Tbsp water
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 1/4 cup allulose , (sub coconut sugar for paleo)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- zest of one orange
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum , *OR*
- 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder (instead of xanthan gum, use for paleo)
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients for meatballs in a large mixing bowl.
- Form meat mixture into balls 1.5-2" in diameter. Place in air fryer basket, and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Air fry at 425°F (218° C) for 10 minutes. Flip and air fry for 7 -8 minutes more or until golden brown and crisp.
- While the meatballs are cooking, place all sauce ingredients except for the xanthan gum or arrowroot in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the allulose has fully dissolved.
- Remove pan from heat before adding thickener. For xanthan gum: sprinkle over the top of the sauce slowly while whisking. For arrowroot: mix arrowroot with 1 Tbsp water to make a slurry. Add to saucepan in a thin stream while whisking quickly until thoroughly mixed.
- Return to heat and cook to desired thickness.
- Toss meatballs in sauce and serve over cauliflower rice.
Notes
If you do not have an air fryer, you can bake these on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 425 oven for 13-15 minutes. They will not have the same crispy exterior, but they will still be delicious.
Nutrition information is caluclated using xanthan gum. If you use arrowroot instead, add 1g net carb per serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 195Total Fat: 10.4gSaturated Fat: 2.9gSodium: 460mgCarbohydrates: 2.3gNet Carbohydrates: 1.5gFiber: 0.8gSugar: 0.2gProtein: 22.5g
