Bursting with fresh flavour, and incredibly simple to prepare, this vegan orange chicken will have your taste buds doing a happy dance! It’s filled with plant-based protein and is both wholesome and delicious.
This recipe was originally published in July 2020. It has been updated for content and photos.
I know some of you will disagree with naming this dish ‘vegan orange chicken’.
No, it’s not chicken.
BUT, this dish really resembles a version of orange chicken that you may have tried before. The flavour from the orange sauce is absolutely incredible, and soy curls make the perfect plant-based protein replacement for this dish.
The texture is fantastic, and fresh orange juice makes all the difference here.
Jump to:
Why you’ll love it
- It’s mega flavourful! The marinade is incredibly delicious, using freshly squeezed orange juice, and no ‘from concentrate’ stuff. 😉
- Packed with protein from nutrient-dense soy curls.
- Suitable for a WFPB (whole food plant based) diet, with wholesome ingredients and no oil required.
- It’s not only vegan but also gluten-free and nut-free!
- My FAV part? It’s low in calories, but you’d never guess! 🥳
Ingredients + Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make our tasty vegan orange chicken recipe.
- Soy curls: I use HALF of an 8-ounce bag of Butler foods soy curls. You can purchase them at a local health food store, directly from Butler’s website, or on Amazon. They are a fantastic gluten-free and vegan protein made using whole soybeans with no chemical pesticides.
- Broth: The broth hydrates the curls while adding extra flavour. So choose a vegetable broth you enjoy, like our flavourful homemade bouillon.
- Veggies: I’m using mushrooms and red peppers, but you may use any vegetables you have on hand.
- Vinegar: Rice vinegar is my preferred flavour here, but apple cider also works.
- Maple syrup: I like unrefined maple syrup to sweeten, but you may use brown sugar if preferred.
- Oranges: Use freshly squeezed orange juice for the absolute best flavour.
- Tamari: For salty, umami flavour. You may use soy sauce if a gluten-free option isn’t needed.
- Spices: Garlic powder and ginger but you may also use fresh for added depth of flavour.
- Cornstarch: For thickening the sauce. You may also use tapioca starch or all-purpose flour with similar results.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step-by-step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Mix the marinade ingredients (except the cornstarch) in a bowl and add the soy curls to rehydrate them. (photo 1)
Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms and peppers in a large, deep skillet for approx. 5 minutes. (photo 2)
NOTE: You should not need oil or water to sauté the veggies since the mushrooms will release a lot of liquid as they’re heated.
Use a slotted spoon to fish out the curls from the bowl, add them to the pan with the veggies, and reserve the marinade. (photo 3)
Add the cornstarch to the bowl of marinade, mix well, and then toss into the pan to simmer and thicken the sauce. (photo 4)
NOTE: Do not dump the soy curls with their marinade into the pan!
Serve your vegan orange chicken over a bed of rice, noodles, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or another grain of your choice.
Then garnish your bowl with green onion, sesame seeds, and/or red pepper flakes/chili flakes.
Variations
- If you don’t have soy curls or can’t purchase them near you, try it with canned or cooked chickpeas.
- Or, make it an orange tofu recipe, using these air-fried tofu cubes, or arrange the cubes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and make oven-baked tofu. (Make sure to use extra firm tofu for best results.)
- Add more veggies like steamed broccoli, zucchini, sliced carrots, or snow peas.
- If you’re not avoiding oil, you may add a drizzle of sesame oil to the orange sauce, or to sauté the veggies for added flavour.
Storage
This vegan orange chicken tastes best when freshly made, however, leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
To reheat, add a little broth and heat in a skillet to add moisture back into the dish.
I don’t recommend freezing this one as the veggies and soy curls will be very soft once thawed and reheated.
Expert Tips
- For a saucier stir fry, double the marinade recipe.
- Make sure to use low-sodium vegetable broth for the marinade, since the Tamari/soy sauce has a lot of salt. If you don’t have low-sodium broth, use half a cup of the broth with half a cup of water.
- For lower sodium, use low-sodium Tamari or low-sodium soy sauce.
- Soy curls are not the same as soy chunks. Most natural food aisles or health food stores will have soy curls. Or you can buy them on Amazon.
More soy curl recipes
If you tried this recipe, please let me know in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube to see more delicious food.
Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces soy curls about half a pack of Butler’s soy curls
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
For the Marinade
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- ½ cup orange juice freshly squeezed (approx. 1 large orange)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce if not avoiding gluten
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
For serving
- vermicelli noodles, brown rice, or quinoa
- sesame seeds
- green onion
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients, EXCEPT the cornstarch or flour and whisk well. Then stir the soy curls into the bowl and let them soak for 10-15 minutes. Make sure they all get covered with the marinade.
- Meanwhile, add your sliced mushrooms and peppers to a large skillet. Dry sauté to soften and reduce them for 4-5 minutes. You shouldn't need any oil or water since the mushrooms will release their own liquid. If anything is sticking, add a splash of water.
- With a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the soaked soy curls to your skillet with the veggies and RESERVE the sauce. Make sure to fish out the curls from the bowl, and do not dump them in. Sauté for 5 minutes to brown the edges of the soy curls.
- Meanwhile, add the cornstarch to the bowl of sauce and stir to combine. Then pour the sauce into the pan with the curls and veggies. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes to thicken the sauce, and serve.
Notes
- For a saucier stir fry, double the marinade recipe.
- Make sure to use low-sodium vegetable broth for the marinade, since the Tamari/soy sauce has a lot of salt. If you don’t have low-sodium broth, use half a cup of the broth with half a cup of water.
- For lower sodium, use low-sodium Tamari or low-sodium soy sauce.
- Soy curls are not the same as soy chunks. Most natural food aisles or health food stores will have soy curls. Or you can buy them on Amazon.
Kw
This was fabulous! Added extra veggies, carrots and zucchini.
Over brown rice vermicelli noodles.
Every one loved it!
Rosa
Thrilled everyone loved it, and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
Kate Reed
As with so many of your recipes that I have tried, this is easy and straightforward to make. Every time I make it, it is a hit. My omnivore partner frequently requests it. It freezes well, also. Delicious and worth all the five stars!
PS. I have made this many times and can’t believe I haven’t commented on it yet. Many thanks for your excellent recipes.
Rosa
Aww thanks so much Kate! I’m thrilled to hear that and appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
Karen
This is so delicious! One of my favorite soy curl recipes! I’m so thankful I found your site as it is helping me transition into a whole food plant based diet.
Rosa
Thanks very much for the review, Karen. I’m so glad you found me and thrilled to be helping. 🙂