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Home > Vegan Recipes

Vegan Orange Chicken Recipe

1/29/23 by Nicole | 4 Comments

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4.8 from 5 votes. Leave a review!

This quick and easy vegan orange chicken recipe creates a flavorful dinner with simple ingredients. It uses frozen tofu as a chicken replacement and features a well-spiced orange sauce.

The orange chicken sauce is less sweet than typical orange sauce and features many spices for maximum flavor. Serve with a side of rice and vegetables for a tasty, balanced meal!

Close up of a bite of orange tofu on a plate filled with more orange tofu, rice and broccoli.

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Vegan Orange Tofu Ingredients

The ingredients for this recipe should be easy to find and many are staples in my vegan kitchen. I've divided them into two categories, ingredients for the tofu and ingredients for the sauce.

Seasoned Tofu "Chicken"

  • Frozen tofu: Freezing and thawing (then pressing) tofu drastically changes its texture. This creates a chewier, almost spongy texture that’s closer to chicken or other meat - compared to the softer and silkier texture of unfrozen tofu. Freezing a medium or firm tofu is best. If you don’t want to freeze the tofu, select an extra firm variety.
  • Corn starch: This recipe coats the tofu in starch and spices before pan frying. Doing this adds a slight coating to the tofu, like how orange chicken is often prepared. Starch also helps to thicken your orange sauce.
  • Spices: For maximum flavor, I add many spices to the tofu. You can play around with what spices you like and how much to use. Add the spices directly to your sauce if you prefer! Turmeric is more for the orange color as opposed to flavor and is completely optional. Most orange chicken sauces or recipes are light on spices, but I prefer to add lots of flavor!
  • Vegetable oil: To pan fry your tofu, use a couple tablespoons of your favorite cooking oil. This will help the tofu brown, creating additional layers of texture and flavor!
Block of tofu with spices and oil.

Vegan Orange Chicken Sauce

  • Orange juice and zest: To create the orange sauce, you’ll need orange juice. While fresh squeezed is delicious, it’s easier and cheaper to use store-bought juice, so that’s what I did for this recipe. For maximum orange flavor, I highly recommend zesting at least one fresh orange. Orange zest is packed with flavor and truly enhances the taste of this orange sauce.
  • Soy sauce: For salt and umami flavor in the orange sauce, I use low sodium soy sauce. Use regular soy sauce if desired. Tamari is also a great gluten free substitute if you need a gluten free recipe.
  • Brown sugar: Orange sauce is typically quite sweet, so some brown sugar helps enhance the sweetness of the sauce. I haven’t tested this recipe with other types of sugars or sweeteners but assume most would work just fine. This sauce recipe is significantly less sweet compared to a more typical orange sauce; you can increase the sugar if you want extra sweetness.
  • Rice vinegar: Balance the sweetness of the sauce with some acidity! Rice vinegar is perfect for this recipe; other types of vinegar like apple cider or white wine should be fine to use instead, if needed.
  • Fresh ginger: Ginger powder is used to spice the tofu, but I couldn’t resist adding extra fresh ginger in the sauce too. This is optional if you aren’t a fan of ginger.
  • Garlic: Like ginger, I love adding garlic to pretty much any recipe. Use as much or as little garlic as you like, but this strong flavor does tend to overpower the more subtle orange flavors. If you want this to taste like orange sauce and not garlic sauce, tread carefully!
  • Black pepper: Pepper adds a nice flavor to the sauce. Use more or less according to your taste preferences.
  • Chili flakes: Orange sauce is often sweet and mild in taste. I make this a more heavily spiced recipe and find adding some heat with chili flakes is a nice addition. This ingredient is optional; if you want a mild sauce, there is plenty of other flavors and a hot and spicy ingredient isn’t necessary. But, if you like spice, add up to ½ teaspoon to start (you can add more after tasting the final sauce if you want a very spicy dish).
Ingredients for orange sauce in jars and other dishes.

How to Make Vegan Orange Chicken

This recipe is quite easy to make with just three simple steps. If you plan to serve with rice and/or vegetables, prepare those as well. Rice is best to start before making the tofu, so it’ll be done by the time your tofu is ready.

Step 1: Prep Sauce

Before cooking the tofu, whisk together your sauce. Simply combine all orange chicken sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

Set the sauce aside while you prepare the tofu.

Hands holing a glass bowl with prepared orange sauce.

Step 2: Prep and Pan Fry Tofu

If using frozen tofu as recommended, make sure it’s fully thawed before starting this recipe. To thaw the frozen tofu, place it into your fridge for a full day or two (overnight isn’t long enough).

When the tofu is thawed, press it. You’ll release large amounts of water from thawed tofu; a far greater amount than would come out of an unfrozen tofu block.

Press your thawed tofu by hand and squeeze out all the water you can. The tofu will start to break apart if you do this, but since the next step is to rip it into pieces, it doesn’t matter. Of course, use a tofu press if you have one!

Two images showing hands ripping tofu apart then a close up of the texture of frozen tofu.

Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces (or rip it into small pieces), then coat it with corn starch. Toss until the tofu is evenly coated and the corn starch no longer appears dry (the starch looks like it disappears as you toss).

Next, add all the tofu spices and toss to coat the pieces evenly.

Side by side images of tofu being tossed with spices then pan fried to golden brown color.

Warm some cooking oil in a pan over medium-high heat and add the tofu. Pan fry the tofu until it browns and appears crisp. The tofu won’t remain crispy in this recipe as you’ll cook it into the sauce.

Step 3: Combine and Serve

When you’ve browned the tofu to your liking, lower the heat to medium-low.

Add your orange sauce and toss to coat all the tofu pieces. Cook this for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the raw garlic and ginger cooks.

When the sauce is thick, serve your vegan orange chicken with rice and vegetables, or your choice of sides!

Stirring a pan filled with saucy orange tofu.

How to Serve a Balanced Vegan Meal

I consider a balanced meal one that contains a good source of plant-based protein, carbohydrates, fats and lots of vegetables or fruits.

In this recipe, tofu provides plant-based protein and some healthy fats. Preparing tofu with some vegetable oil adds additional healthy fats.

The orange sauce offers plenty of flavor and some more simple carbohydrates.

Two plates of orange tofu with rice, broccoli and orange garnish.

This tofu is best paired with vegetables and a grain to round out the meal. Steamed broccoli and some rice is the easiest pairing but use any grain or starch and any vegetables you like.

It’s a saucy recipe, so the grain and veggies can get coated in all that delicious flavor!

Close up of plate of vegan orange chicken over rice with green onion and sesame garnish.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Refrigerate leftover orange chicken in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat using a microwave or in a small pot or pan on the stove, over medium heat, until warmed through.

Plate of orange tofu piled over rice and topped with green onion and sesame seed.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

Close up of a bite of orange tofu on a fork over more orange tofu, broccoli and rice.

Vegan Orange Chicken

This vegan orange chicken recipe uses tofu coated in orange sauce that’s balanced with sweet, tangy and spicy flavors. Serve with a side of rice and vegetables for a deliciously easy dinner!
4.80 from 5 votes. Leave a review!
Prevent screen going dark
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 280 kcal
Cuisine Chinese-inspired, Vegan

Equipment

  • Tofu press (optional)
  • Measuring spoons
  • Medium-sized mixing bowls
  • Large frying pan
  • Grater (small grating edge)

Ingredients
  

Seasoned Tofu “Chicken”

  • 1 block medium-firm tofu , frozen then thawed (400 grams before freezing; 450 grams after)*
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch (25 grams)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric , optional
  • 2-3 tablespoons oil

Vegan Orange Chicken Sauce

  • 1 cup orange juice (250 milliliters)
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest (about 1 medium orange)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce , low sodium** (45 millilitres)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar (30 grams)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar (22.5 millilitres)
  • ½ tablespoon fresh ginger , grated
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon chili flakes , optional***

To Serve

  • Steamed or stir-fried vegetables
  • Cooked rice
Prevent screen going dark

Instructions

Step 1: Prep Sauce

  • Whisk all the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
    1 cup orange juice, 2 teaspoons orange zest, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar, ½ tablespoon fresh ginger, 2 cloves garlic, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ - ½ teaspoon chili flakes

Step 2: Prep and Pan Fry Tofu

  • Freeze, then thaw, a block of tofu. Press all the water from the tofu using a tofu press or simply squeeze by hand.
    1 block medium-firm tofu
  • Cut or rip the tofu into bite-sized pieces and place into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  • Coat the tofu with corn starch and toss until the tofu is evenly coated.
    3 tablespoons corn starch
  • Add spices to the tofu and toss to evenly coat each piece.
    ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground ginger powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • Warm some oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and pan fry for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until browned to your liking.
    2-3 tablespoons oil

Step 3: Combine and Serve

  • Lower the heat to medium-low and add the prepared sauce to your tofu.
  • Cook, stirring regularly, for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
  • Serve with rice, veggies and top with green onion and sesame seeds if desired.
    Steamed or stir-fried vegetables, Cooked rice

Video

Notes

*If using fresh (not frozen) tofu, I recommend using extra firm tofu. To thaw tofu, place into fridge for at least 24 hours (overnight isn’t long enough to thaw completely).
**if using regular soy sauce, 2 tablespoons may be enough; start with 2 and add extra if needed after the sauce is cooked and tasted. Tamari can be used for a gluten free option.
***use more or less to taste.
Nutrition information calculated for orange chicken (tofu and sauce) only and does not account for rice, vegetables or any other sides you choose to serve with this recipe.
Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving (¼ of recipe)Calories: 280 kcalCarbohydrates: 23 gProtein: 15 gFat: 16 gSaturated Fat: 2 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5 gMonounsaturated Fat: 8 gSodium: 736 mgPotassium: 393 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 13 gVitamin A: 16 IUVitamin C: 33 mgCalcium: 400 mgIron: 3 mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About Nicole Stevens

Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out.

She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes and easy-to-understand nutrition science.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John

    February 26, 2023 at 1:03 pm

    This is a dynamite recipe, the tofu did brown to my liking, I did not have brown sugar so I used maple syrup. I only had mandarins on hand. I cannot tell the difference of flavor between this vegan recipe and what I have had when going to a Chinese restaurant. Thank you for bringing this recipe into my plant based diet.

    Reply
    • Nicole

      February 26, 2023 at 2:50 pm

      So happy you enjoyed! Mandarins are a perfect substitute if that's what you had around 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jackie

    February 23, 2023 at 3:50 pm

    I liked the flavor very much, but the sauce never thickened and the tofu never browned. Weird!

    Reply
    • Nicole

      February 23, 2023 at 8:47 pm

      Glad you enjoyed the flavor! Did you use a full 3 tablespoons of corn starch and cook the tofu in oil? Both of those are important for getting the tofu to brown and the sauce to thicken. If you did, maybe next time try turning the heat up because that should do the trick. Hope this helps!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Nicole! As a vegan Registered Dietitian, I empower vegans to live a balanced life and gain confidence in the kitchen.

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