Skip the Chinese takeout and make this saucy vegan orange chicken for dinner! Featuring crispy tofu cooked in a rich, flavorful orange sauce, this dish will please both vegans and omnivores. This vegan orange tofu is easy to make and ready in an hour.
Whenever I am craving some hearty Chinese takeout, this easy vegan orange chicken is always one of my go-to! I particularly love serving it with some black bean tofu, bok choy tofu stir-fry, and vegan dumplings for the best vegan Chinese fakeaway.
To veganize it, I am using tofu instead of chicken, which is traditionally used. The tofu cubes are coated with cornstarch and then baked until crispy before cooking them in a rich vegan orange sauce.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Delicious, saucy, and bold in flavors
- Healthier than takeout
- Versatile and pairs well with any other Asian-inspired dishes
- Reasonably easy to make and is ready in an hour
🍊What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Tofu - Use extra-firm or firm tofu that has been drained and pressed beforehand, either using a tofu press or stacking something heavy on top.
- Orange juice - Freshly squeezed orange juice works best, but feel free to use packaged orange juice.
- Soy sauce - Can be substituted with tamari or shoyu. Use gluten-free ones, if needed.
- Coconut sugar - Other sweeteners like agave syrup, brown sugar, or maple syrup will also work.
🔪How to make
Here is a brief overview of the steps involved in making vegan orange chicken. The full recipe will be in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Tear tofu into bite-sized pieces, and coat them with olive oil, cornstarch, and salt. Bake them for 25-30 minutes at 200C/400F. Set aside.
To make the orange sauce, start by sauteing ginger and garlic in a cast iron skillet/non-stick pan until fragrant. Add in orange juice and the seasonings, and bring the mixture to a boil.
Add cornstarch slurry (cornstarch combined with 2 tablespoons of water) and cook until the sauce thickens. Lastly, add tofu cubes to the pan and give it a quick toss. Your vegan orange tofu is ready to be served!
✔Helpful tips
- If you are using orange zest (an optional ingredient), make sure to stop zesting when you get to the white parts, as it tends to be quite bitter.
- You can also cook your tofu in an air fryer! Simply cook them at 180C/350F for 15-18 minutes.
- As this recipe is lower in sugar when compared to the regular orange sauce, feel free to add more sweetener to taste if you prefer it to be sweeter.
- Leftover vegan orange chicken can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- If you prefer your orange tofu to be extra saucy, I highly recommend doubling the ingredients for the sauce.
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✨Variations
Tofu - If you are not a fan of tofu, you could use seitan chicken chunks or soy curls in place. Similarly, coat them with cornstarch, and bake until golden. Alternatively, you can substitute it with chickpeas. Add them to the pan without coating and baking them.
Spicy - Other than adding red pepper flakes, you could also add some sriracha or hot sauce to dial up the heat!
Vegetables - You could add some veggies to your vegan orange chicken for extra nutrients and fiber! Sturdier vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and bell peppers work especially well in this recipe.
🍚How to serve
As mentioned above, this vegan orange chicken is versatile and goes well with almost any dish! Here are some of my favorite pairings -
- Rice - Any kind of rice or cooked grains will work! I love the basic Jasmine rice or brown rice, but you can do quinoa or even cauliflower rice for a lower carb option.
- Noodles - Serve orange tofu on a bowl of cooked Asian noodles like rice noodles, wheat noodles, or soba. You can also serve them alongside bami goreng or dry wonton noodles.
- Other Asian dishes - Yasai Itame, Chinese vegetable curry, ABC soup, or Chinese fried rice are some of my go-to dishes to serve with this recipe.
- Sides and appetizers - I love making these vegan egg rolls, cabbage carrot stir-fry, or air fryer mushrooms to go with this dish!
❔Commonly asked questions
Although both orange chicken and general tso are cooked in a thick, sweet sauce, they are 2 different dishes. The base ingredients in orange sauce are oranges, while the sauce of general tso is made with hoisin sauce and chilies. Besides that, orange chicken is usually spice-free or mildly spicy, while general tso is generally quite spicy.
This vegan orange chicken is only mildly spicy, but you can omit the chili flakes to make this recipe spice-free!
🍽More vegan tofu recipes
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📖 Recipe
Saucy Vegan Orange Chicken
Ingredients
For the tofu
- 1 15 oz block extra firm tofu drained, pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch *
- 1 tablespoons olive oil or another neutral-tasting oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For orange sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice ( about 2 medium navel orange ) **
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free ones if needed)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoon brown sugar (or another sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon orange zest optional
- pinch of chili flakes optional
For cornstarch slurry
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
- Tear tofu into 1 inch bite-sized pieces, and toss them with cornstarch, olive oil, and salt. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake them for 25-30 minutes, or until golden. Set aside.1 15 oz block extra firm tofu, 2 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt
- To make orange sauce, heat up ½ tablespoon of neutral-tasting oil in a cast-iron skillet/non-stick pan over medium high.
- Add garlic and ginger. Saute for a minute or so, until fragrant.3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- Now, add orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and orange zest, if using. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer.½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1-2 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon orange zest
- While waiting for the mixture to boil, make cornstarch slurry by combining cornstarch with water. Stir to mix.2 tablespoons water, 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- Pour cornstarch slurry into the pan and simmer for a couple of minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Add baked tofu into the pan, and give everything a quick mix. Give it a taste, adding chili flakes and more seasonings if needed. Your vegan orange chicken is ready to be served!
Notes
- If you are using orange zest (an optional ingredient), make sure to stop zesting when you get to the white parts, as it tends to be quite bitter.
- You can also cook your tofu in an air fryer! Simply cook them at 180C/350F for 15-18 minutes.
- As this recipe is lower in sugar when compared to the regular orange sauce, feel free to add more sweetener to taste if you prefer it to be sweeter.
- Leftover vegan orange chicken can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- If you prefer your orange tofu to be extra saucy, I highly recommend doubling the ingredients for the sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Myra says
Turned out delicious! Clear instructions and simple recipe that’s going to be in regular rotation at our house.
Meesha says
I am happy to hear that!😊