Vegan Orange Chicken (Made from Tofu)
This crispy, juicy, vegan orange chicken is coated in a fresh, sweet, sticky, savory, orange sauce. It’s paired with lightly charred bell peppers, and the slight bitterness from the orange peel. A little bit of heat from the chilies, and a little freshness from the scallions, and we’ve got a beautifully balanced dish. The great chicken-like texture on the tofu comes from freezing and defrosting it. It’s quick, it’s simple, gluten-free, the ingredients are basic, and it’s way better than take out!
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Side note- I’m not sure how many people that are not me will care, but there was a bad smudge on my camera lens when I took these photos, which is why they all have blurry bits. It makes me unhappy, but is my own darn fault.
The Origins of Orange Chicken
While you can order orange chicken at many Chinese restaurants across the United States, don’t go to China and expect to see it on menus. That’s because orange chicken is a Chinese American dish, with Chef Andy Kao claiming credit for inviting it at a Panda Express in Hawaii back in 1987. The dish is essentially fried chicken, coated in a sticky, orange-flavored sauce. It’s actually fairly similar to General Tso’s chicken, another sweet and sticky Chinese-American creation. Chef Andy Kao may have been inspired by a dish from Hunan called tangerine chicken, a spicy fresh dish that makes use of tangerine peels. While orange chicken make it’s debut at Panda Express, and is still the fast-food chains star dish to this day, it spread through American culture in the 1990s. It found a home on the menu of countless Chinese restaurants, made it’s way onto school lunch menus, and even tucked itself away in the chilly freezer aisle of American grocery stores.
Looking for Tofu Recipes? Try one of these!
- Soy-Glazed Quick and Crispy Tofu
- Garlic Mustard and Tofu Patties
- High-Protein Vegan French Onion Dip
- Crispy Vegan Nuggets Made from Tofu
- Crispy and Light Potato Crusted Tofu
- Crispy Coconut Crusted Tofu with Pineapple Dipping Sauce
- Rhubarb Vegan Hot and Sour Soup
- Pipián Verde with Mexican Jackfruit and Tofu
- Good Morning Vegan Hard Boiled Eggs
- Rice Paper Vegan Tofu Dumplings
- Hoover’s Breakfast Greens and Tofu
- Watercress Soup with Tofu and Vegan Broth
- Vegan Chocolate Brownie Tart with Raspberries
- Summer Tomato Vegan Caprese Salad
- Savory Steamed Silken Tofu with Crispy Shiitakes
- Vegan Chili Braised Tofu, Korean-Style
- Peanut Udon and Tofu
- Vegan Lion’s Mane Crab Cakes with Hollandaise Sauce
- Roasted Black Bean Tofu
- Roasted Red Pepper Vegan Miso Mayo
Make Vegan Orange Chicken with Video
Vegan Orange Chicken Tips and Tricks
- For a better texture, we use frozen and defrosted tofu in this recipe. Freeze the tofu until solid (at least overnight in the freezer) and then defrost on the countertop until completely thawed before cooking. There is no need to remove the tofu from the container before freezing, just place the tub right in the freezer, water and all. I recommend using firm tofu for this dish, but most tofu should work alright.
- It’s important you tear the tofu into pieces, and not cut. Tearing will leave craggily edges, and will give the outside a crispier texture.
- Coat the tofu with cornstarch shortly before pan frying, otherwise the cornstarch may saturate and get soggy.
- Keeping the oil at a medium-medium high temperature is important to get the crispiest nuggets. If your pan is not hot enough, the tofu will end up oily but not crispy.
- Bell peppers add a lovely sweet vegetal crunch to this dish, but if you’re a purist you can simply omit them. Alternatively you could try other vegetables- snow peas, broccoli, water chestnuts, and mushrooms all would be excellent additions.
- Use a fairly large orange for the sauce- you’ll want to get about 1/2 cup of orange juice for this recipe.
Vegan Orange Chicken (Made from Tofu)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. frozen tofu, defrosted
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Crack of white pepper
- Oil for cooking
- 1-2 cups of bell peppers, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- One large orange
- 3 tbsp. of soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp of rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 2-3 dried chilis (thai, guntar, or similar)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- 2 Scallions, for garnish, finely chopped
Instructions
- Press or squeeze the defrosted tofu to remove as much moisture as possible. Use your hands to tear into bite-sized piece - tear, don't cut, for crispier tofu. Set aside. You can also prep the vegetables by chopping the peppers into bite-sized pieces, mincing the garlic, and grating the ginger. Peel the zest from the orange, and cut into matchstick-sized pieces. Set aside. Juice the orange, and add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and 1 tbsp. cornstarch to it. Whisk and set aside.
- Heat enough oil to easily cover the bottom of a large skillet to medium-high heat. While the oil heats up, combine the tofu in a large bowl with the 1/4 cup of cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. Toss to coat. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Cook until golden, then turn each piece of tofu. Repeat until all the tofu is crispy. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
- With the pan still hot, add the bell peppers. Cook on a high heat, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are a lightly charred and somewhat softened. Remove from the pan, set aside with the tofu.
- Lower the temperature of the pan to medium-low, and give it some time to cool down. Once it's a bit cooler, add the dried chili peppers, garlic, and ginger, and cook until the garlic is softer and fragrant. Add the prepared sauce, and cook, stirring constantly, for around 2 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and glossy. Take off the heat, and add the orange peel, tofu, and peppers, Stir so everything is coated in sauce. Top with chopped scallions, and serve with rice.
Notes
For a better texture, we use frozen and defrosted tofu in this recipe. Freeze the tofu until solid (at least overnight in the freezer) and then defrost on the countertop until completely thawed before cooking. There is no need to remove the tofu from the container before freezing, just place the tub right in the freezer, water and all. I recommend using firm tofu for this dish, but most tofu should work alright.
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