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    Vegan Orange Chicken

    January 5, 2022 By Rene 10 Comments

    This Vegan Orange Chicken is AMAZING! Made with soy curls and a homemade sauce, this is perfectly crispy and better than takeout.

    Jump to Recipe
    This Vegan Orange Chicken is AMAZING! Made with soy curls and a homemade sauce, this is perfectly crispy and better than takeout | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganchicken #vegantakeoutrecipes

    When I say I am in love with this recipe...I am IN LOVE with this recipe! I really mean it! Where have soy curls been all my vegan life?!? They have the perfect texture to create mock meat. And they crisp up when pan fried. I'm talking better than takeout, super delicious, amazing stuff! Plus the homemade orange sauce is tangy, slightly spicy and delicious! I can't say enough good things about this recipe.

    What are soy curls?

    If you're like me, and you're new to soy curls, let me give you the breakdown. They are made from soybeans (like tofu and tempeh), are non-GMO and are filled with protein and fiber. They come dehydrated, so they have a long shelf life.

    All they need is 10 minutes in boiling water, and they become rehydrated and ready to take on whatever flavors you want them to. They really resemble chicken pieces...it's kind of wild.

    The key to a great texture with soy curls, is to press as much water as possible out of them after they've soaked. So just grab them with your hands and give them a good squeeze.

    This Vegan Orange Chicken is AMAZING! Made with soy curls and a homemade sauce, this is perfectly crispy and better than takeout | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganchicken #vegantakeoutrecipes
    This Vegan Orange Chicken is AMAZING! Made with soy curls and a homemade sauce, this is perfectly crispy and better than takeout | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganchicken #vegantakeoutrecipes

    How to make Vegan Orange Chicken sauce

    While the soy curls are taking a soak, throw together the orange sauce. Just add all of the ingredients to a sauce pan and let the sugar dissolve. I purposely made the sauce less sugary - some recipes call for ½ cup sugar 👀 If you find the sauce isn't sweet enough, you can always add more sugar to taste.

    Combine corn starch and water in a small bowl and add it to the sauce. Let the sauce cook down for a few more minutes, or until thickened. Set it aside.

    This Vegan Orange Chicken is AMAZING! Made with soy curls and a homemade sauce, this is perfectly crispy and better than takeout | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganchicken #vegantakeoutrecipes

    How to make Vegan Orange Chicken

    Once the soy curls are soaked and pressed, toss them in a flour/corn starch mixture until coated. No need to overthink it - they should still have some residual water on them from soaking, so the flour mix should stick easily.

    Heat some neutral oil (think vegetable or avocado) in a pan over medium heat. Add the soy curls to the pan and cook until browned on both sides. You can work in batches, or do it all at once. As long as everything gets crispy!

    Once the soy curls have some crust, add ¾ of the sauce and cook for another few minutes, or until the sauce has started to caramelize on the soy curls.

    This Vegan Orange Chicken is AMAZING! Made with soy curls and a homemade sauce, this is perfectly crispy and better than takeout | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganchicken #vegantakeoutrecipes

    How to serve Vegan Orange Chicken

    Now it's time to eat! I like to serve my orange chicken over rice with green onions and a drizzle of the remaining sauce.

    You could also serve this with veggies - bok choy or broccolini would be my first choices.

    This recipe will shock anyone who has tried store bought vegan orange chicken and has been unimpressed. This stuff is the real deal and totally delicious!

    Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:

    • Chipotle Ginger Cashew Dressing
    • Sesame Soba Noodles with Crispy Tofu
    • Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowls
    • Kung Pao Tofu Bowls
    This Vegan Orange Chicken is AMAZING! Made with soy curls and a homemade sauce, this is perfectly crispy and better than takeout | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganchicken #vegantakeoutrecipes
    Print Pin
    5 from 6 votes

    Vegan Orange Chicken

    This Vegan Orange Chicken is AMAZING! Made with soy curls and a homemade sauce, this is perfectly crispy and better than takeout.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine asian
    Keyword dinner, entree, rice bowls, soy curls, takeout, vegan chicken
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 361kcal

    Ingredients

    FOR THE SAUCE

    • 1 cup orange juice
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon sriracha
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon ginger powder
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch

    FOR THE SOY CURLS

    • ½ bag soy curls
    • ⅓ cup flour
    • 2 tablespoons corn starch
    • neutral oil for frying

    FOR SERVING

    • rice, green onion

    Instructions

    • Add the soy curls to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, add all of the sauce ingredients (except the corn starch) to a pan over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved. Combine the corn starch and 2 tablespoon of water in a small bowl, and mix to combine. Add the mixture to the sauce and lower heat. Cook until thickened and set aside.
    • Drain the soy curls and rinse with cold water. Use your hands to squeeze out as much water as possible.
    • Combine the flour and corn starch in a bowl. Add the soy curls to the flour mixture and toss until all of the pieces are coated.
    • Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add the soy curls to the pan and cook until browned on both sides (working in batches if needed).* Once browned, pour ¾ of the sauce over the soy curls. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has caramelized and gotten crispy.
    • Serve the orange chicken over rice with the remaining sauce and green onion.

    Video

    Notes

    *I like to cook mine all at once, just be sure to move them around so that everything gets crispy. If your pan starts to dry out, add more oil as need.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 492mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 18g | Iron: 1mg

    This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!

    If you make this recipe be sure to snap a photo + post it + tag #thissavoryvegan and @thissavoryvegan!

    This Vegan Orange Chicken is AMAZING! Made with soy curls and a homemade sauce, this is perfectly crispy and better than takeout | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganchicken #vegantakeoutrecipes
    « Creamy Quinoa Gnocchi Soup
    Vegan Stuffed Pepper Soup »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sue

      July 21, 2022 at 7:17 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for dinner, followed the recipe exactly. It was delicious! We are new to soy curls, so when a recipe turns out we’re pretty excited. I cooked all the soy curls at the same time, overcrowding the pan, so they didn’t turn out crispy, but still delicious! Keeper 🙂 oh I did make one small modification, I sprinkled a little orange zest on the top.

      Reply
      • Rene

        July 27, 2022 at 8:22 am

        Yum! Love the addition of the orange zest!

        Reply
    2. Kathy

      January 27, 2022 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      This orange chicken is sooooooo good!!! I doubled it, and being pregnant I almost ate the whole thing. My husband and toddler loved it too! I love it with a side of steamed carrots and broccoli (throw a can of baby corn in there and it suddenly becomes a party)!!
      You are my go to for meal planning! Keep ‘em coming, girl! We love your recipes!

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 28, 2022 at 10:10 am

        Hi Kathy! Yay, so glad you liked it!

        Reply
    3. Jeannine

      January 16, 2022 at 5:21 am

      What size bag are you using for 1/2 of a bag of soy curls?

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 17, 2022 at 11:52 am

        I'm pretty sure they only come in 8 oz bags. So 4 oz.

        Reply
        • Jillian

          January 28, 2022 at 4:18 pm

          I buy mine from the bulk section of my local natural food store, so it's good to know!

          Reply
    4. Heather

      January 14, 2022 at 9:37 am

      What would be a good substitute if we can't have soy? Would something like cauliflower work?

      Reply
    5. Rebecca

      January 11, 2022 at 8:42 am

      Instead of water use no-chicken broth (ir no-beef depending on recipe) with soy curls. Squeeze out etc just like you suggested but soaking in the broth gives that extra boost of flavor!

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 13, 2022 at 11:51 am

        Great idea!

        Reply

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    I’m Rene! So-cal native, dog mom and lover of all things spicy. Learn more.

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