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.
Lynn
Easy and tasty. Love finding ways to use soy curls.
Rosa
So glad you enjoyed Lynn!
Kate
I was looking for recipes that use soy curls when I found this. Easy and delicious. My omnivore partner gave it two thumbs. This will go in our favorites file, and is definitely a dish I will serve to guests. I think this is fourth recipe of yours that I have made and they have all been superb. Thanks for another excellent recipe!
Rosa
Thanks so much for your lovely comment Kate. I’m absolutely thrilled you’ve been enjoying my recipes so much. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
Rosa L.
Rosa, it’s so good! If my mom approves, that’s when you knoooow it’s good haha. So flavorful, juicy, and so yum. Thank you!
Rosa
Haha, love that! Thrilled you both enjoyed it, thanks for the review. 🙂
Vickey
Looking forward to trying this, thanks! Think I’ll call it “Orange Chick-free”, or “Orange Chick Lived”.
Rosa
Enjoy! Please report back once you try it.
Sharon
This recipe is superb! I’m recommending it to everyone!
Rosa
Aww, thanks so much Sharon! Thrilled to hear that. 🙂
Jessica
I’ve been vegan for over 24 years and this is one of the most delicious things I’ve had, ever!
Thank you so much!
Rosa
Wow! Thanks so much for the compliment, Jessica. Thrilled you enjoyed. 🙂
Jamie Pizz
OMG. This is amazing. I added some spinach, onions, cashews, chopped garlic, and diced ginger – plus some hot chili sauce at the end. It was amazing! One of the best things I’ve had in awhile since doing no oil cooking. The soy curls were so tasty. I’m definitely doing this again and can’t wait to add other ingredients, as well. It just came together.
Rosa
Love those additions, sounds fabulous. So glad you enjoyed Jamie. 🙂
Vee
Amazing recipe! I only had soy chunks, so I sliced them up to make soy ‘curls’. Used apple cider vinegar (1/2 the amount) instead of white vinegar. Threw in some pineapple chunks. Tastes amazing!
Rosa
Thanks for the feedback Vee. So glad you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
Jill
This has been on my list of things to try for weeks now, and I finally made it tonight. It’s SOOOO GOOD! It’s like what get from a restaurant but so much better and so much fresher! My husband, who is new and a bit resistant to the WFPB No Oil lifestyle, loves it also! This will be in our regular rotation for sure!
Rosa
Thank you very much for the lovely review Jill! I’m thrilled you both enjoyed. 🙂
Jessica
Hi, Jill, I said to my husband tonight, while we were eating this (we’ve both been vegan for 24+ years), that to me, it tasted like a super delicious meal from a great vegan restaurant…my husband replied, “No, it doesn’t…it tastes way better than that.” 🙂 It’s sooooo good!
PK
Made this tonight. First time using soy curls I bought a year ago.
Husband never says anything is good. He said it was good and I could use them in a sweet and sour recipe. I almost thought some other man was in my kitchen. 😉 Soy curls are a game changer for me with this WFPB (Whole Food Plant Based) way of life. Your Orange ‘Chicken’ is a keeper and going in my recipe file. Thank You.
Rosa
My pleasure, thrilled you both enjoyed and thanks very much for sharing! 🙂