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.

Soy curls with peppers and mushrooms in a white bowl.

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
Ingredients + Substitutions
Instructions
Variations
Storage
Expert Tips
More soy curl recipes
📖 Recipe

Two bowls with vegan orange chicken inside.

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.

ingredients to make vegan orange chicken: orange, soy curls, broth, maple syrup, mushrooms, peppers, seasoning — *See recipe card for quantities.*

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.)

Soy curls soaking with marinade in mixing bowl.

Mix the marinade ingredients (except the cornstarch) in a bowl and add the soy curls to rehydrate them. (photo 1)

Sliced red peppers and mushrooms inside deep skillet.

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.

Sautéed mushrooms and peppers with soy curls inside skillet.

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)

Soy curls, peppers, mushrooms and orange sauce inside deep pan.

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.

Vegan orange chicken with red peppers and mushrooms and sesame seeds on top.

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 about it 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 Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

Buon appetito

Rosa

Vegan Orange Chicken [GF + Oil Free]