Vegan Orange Chicken (Tofu)

Vegan Orange Chicken! The best vegan take on Panda Express Orange Chicken! Crispy battered tofu baked in the oven and smothered in a delectable sweet and spicy orange sauce! Serve with rice and veggies! Vegetarian & Easily gluten free!

Hold onto your hats folks this vegan orange chicken recipe will rival any Asian restaurant!! Not kidding!! The crispy tofu is so good you’ll think it's deep fried but it’s not!!

Add that to the orange sauce, made with freshly squeezed orange juice and whammo you’ve got yourself and amazing lunch or dinner that tastes like Chinese take out but with healthier ingredients and it's packed full of flavour and protein.

The batter I used for the tofu is an old stand by that I often used for deep frying. Well guess what!- it works like a charm in the oven too!! using way less oil! Yipeee!

And don’t worry this orange tofu recipe is Easy Peasy!! And ready in a jiffy! So there's no need to run out and buy Trader Joe's Brand or Gardein Orange Chicken! Say yes to Homemade😊

What is Vegan Orange Chicken made of?

This recipe is very similar to traditional Chinese Orange Chicken but I have substituted battered and baked tofu for deep fried chicken and it’s delish!! People have also used soy curls, seitan or cauliflower in place of chicken.

The Sticky Orange Sauce is made with orange juice, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, Tamari, cornstarch, chili garlic sauce and hoisin.

Is Orange Sauce Vegan?

Orange sauce can be vegetarian or vegan depending whether or not real butter, vegan butter or oil is added to the sauce.

How do you make Vegan Orange Chicken with tofu?

Preheat the oven to 400° Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, spray evenly with cooking oil spray and set aside.

For the tofu: press for 15 to 30 minutes: place tofu between layers of paper towel, add a heavy object on top (I usually use my cast iron frying pan)

While the tofu is pressing: Add all the orange sauce ingredients (except orange zest) to a medium heavy bottomed sauce pot. Whisk together until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside to simmer later.

Now add the batter ingredients to a medium bowl whisk together until smooth.

Cube the tofu and add to the batter and gently toss together making sure the tofu is well coated, or dip individually.

Place the tofu one by one on the baking sheet. Make sure the tofu pieces don’t touch and are well coated in the batter (the batter is my favourite part!) Evenly spray the tops of the tofu with more cooking oil spray. Sprinkle lightly with seasoning salt.

Bake for 14 minutes flipping half way through.

When the tofu is almost finished baking thicken the orange sauce: Bring the orange sauce to a simmer over medium heat until thickened, about two minutes, stir in the orange zest. Set aside

Add the baked tofu to the sauce and toss to combine making sure all the tofu is glazed in the sauce. Or serve along side the sauce for dipping, your choice.

Serve with cooked white or brown rice or fried rice, some sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Steamed broccoli, cauliflower, stir fried veggies and or Chow Mein is a nice addition also. Enjoy! For full recipe ingredients and instructions see recipe card below.

Ok let's make Vegan Orange Chicken, it's:

addicting

so full of flavour!

delicious weeknight meal!

perfect with rice and veggies

a great vegan copycat of Panda Express Orange Chicken

easy

great for lunch or dinner

kid friendly

Enjoy guys! Happy day to you? feel free to leave a comment and a rating below. I would love to hear from you.

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Want more Easy Homemade Vegan Takeout Recipes? Check these out: 

• Tofu Stir Fry Recipe
• Vegan Butter Chicken
• Best Peanut Noodles Ever
• Vegan Pad Thai (Tamarind)
• Vegetable Chickpea Indian Curry
• Sweet & Spicy Garlic Noodles
• Chinese Vegetable Chow Mein (Authentic Flavours)
• 20 Minute Vegan Lettuce Wraps

Vegan Orange Chicken (Tofu)

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★★★★★

4.7 from 3 reviews

• Author: Verna
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x

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Description

Vegan Orange Chicken: The best vegan take on Panda Express Orange Chicken! Crispy battered tofu baked in the oven and smothered in a delectable sweet and spicy orange sauce! Serve with rice and veggies! Vegetarian & Easily gluten free! 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Tofu:

• 1 package extra firm tofu, or pre pressed tofu*
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bakins soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ½ teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened soy milk
• cooking oil spray
• seasoning salt for sprinkling

For the Orange Sauce:

• ½ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed preferred (2 large navel oranges)
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, unseasoned
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce 
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon orange zest (added after sauce is thickened)

For Serving:

• sesame seeds
• thinly sliced green onions
• cooked rice
• steamed broccoli or vegetables (optional)

There is a gluten free (batter free) option in the notes section (just as tasty)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° Line a large baking sheet (mine is 11x21) with parchment paper, spray evenly with cooking oil spray and set aside.
2. For the tofu: press for 15 to 30 minutes: place tofu between layers of paper towel, add a heavy object on top (I usually use my cast iron frying pan) I recommend using pre pressed tofu if you're going to use the batter. For gluten free option without batter (in notes) use extra firm tofu
3. While the tofu is pressing: Add all the orange sauce ingredients (except orange zest) to a medium heavy bottomed sauce pot. Whisk together until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside to simmer later.
4. Now add the batter ingredients to a medium bowl whisk together until smooth. Cube the tofu and add to the batter and gently toss together making sure the tofu is well coated, or dip individually.
5. Place the tofu one by one on the baking sheet. Make sure the tofu pieces don’t touch and are well coated in the batter (the batter is my favourite part!) Evenly spray the tops of the tofu with more cooking oil spray. Sprinkle lightly with seasoning salt.
6. Bake for 14 minutes or until crisped to your liking flipping half way through.
7. When the tofu is almost finished baking thicken the orange sauce: Bring the orange sauce to a simmer over medium heat until thickened, while stirring, about two minutes. Stir in the orange zest. Set aside
8. Add the baked tofu to the sauce and toss to combine making sure all the tofu is glazed in the sauce. Or serve along side the sauce for dipping, your choice.
9. Serve immediately with cooked white or brown rice or fried rice, some sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Steamed broccoli, cauliflower, stir fried veggies and or Chow Mein is a nice addition also. Enjoy! For step by step photos see above post.

Will feed 4-6 people if served with rice and or vegetables.

Notes

• For Gluten Free Tofu (or batter free): Add the pressed and cubed tofu to a medium bowl, mix in a tablespoon of oil first and then add in a tablespoon of cornstarch and pinch of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly but gently. Preheat a large non stick skillet to medium heat. When hot add a tablespoon of oil and the tofu. Spread evenly in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes without stirring. Give it a a toss and cook for an additional couple of minutes or until crisped to your liking. Set aside until sauce is ready. Sauce: make sure the hoisin sauce and tamari are wheat free.
• Substitutions: maple syrup for brown sugar, sriracha for chili garlic sauce.
• Want the orange sauce tangier? add more vinegar or a tablespoon of lemon juice
• Want it sweeter? add a little more sugar
• Nutritional chart calories does not include cooked rice or vegetables

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 Minutes
• Category: Mains, Gluten Free
• Method: Stovetop and Oven
• Cuisine: Chinese / Asian

Keywords: vegan orange chicken, orange tofu, Panda Express, copycat, easy, sticky orange sauce, crispy tofu, battered tofu, take out, Chinese, asian, Chinese food,