Vegan Orange Chicken is a delicious take on Panda Express Orange Chicken. It is an easy tofu recipe that your entire family will love!
Vegan Orange Chicken Recipe
This delicious recipe will take you back to your Panda Express days, if you ever ate there. Orange Chicken is certainly a favorite from there and we’ve recreated it with a vegan twist.
We have gotten into the routine of having tofu in our menu plans at least twice a week. It is fun to make recreations of dishes we enjoyed prior to being vegetarian.
If you are a tofu lover, you need to try our other delicious tofu recipes. We have a quick and easy General Tso Tofu, a Honey Sriracha Tofu and a Pineapple Ginger Tofu.
Vegan Orange Chicken Ingredients:
orange juice – You can use freshly squeezed orange juice or you can use store bought.
orange zest – Don’t let zesting an orange scare you. It is quick and easy and adds so much flavor to this recipe.
coconut aminos – If you don’t like or don’t have coconut aminos, you can use soy sauce. If you are gluten-free make sure that the soy sauce is gluten free.
fresh ginger – Fresh ginger is a must in this recipe, just like the orange zest it ads so much flavor to this recipe.
extra firm tofu – You can use firm or extra firm tofu for this recipe.
oil – I like to use avocado oil, but you can use your favorite oil.
red bell pepper – (Optional for this dish) We love red bell peppers and the color contrast it provides in this dish. But you can use any color bell pepper you wish.
cornstarch – If you don’t have cornstarch, you can use a flour as a thickener. It will work but not quite as well as cornstarch.
cooked rice (to serve over) – Brown rice or white rice lends well to this recipe.
sesame seeds and green onions (for garnish) – These two items not only garnish and make the dish beautiful but they add to the robust flavor as well!
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you.
How to make vegan orange chicken
- Start by pressing your tofu for at least 10 minutes using the EZ Tofu Press. Then dice your tofu into bite sized pieces and set aside.
- Combine fresh orange juice, orange zest, coconut aminos and ginger. Stir to combine.
- Put tofu bites and orange juice mixture into a bag. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1-2 T of oil in a pan over medium heat. Remove tofu from marinade. Fry tofu for 2 minutes, add in optional diced bell pepper. Saute until tofu is golden brown.
- Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil and add in cornstarch. Stir to thicken. Once liquid begins to thicken remove from heat.
- Add orange sauce to the tofu pan. Stir to coat.
These numbered steps match the numbers photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe card below.
My family has mixed feelings about the red bell pepper, so for some of my family I served them with the peppers picked out. You might notice that in some of the pictures. The pepper is totally optional!
WHAT TYPE OF JUICE SHOULD I USE FOR ORANGE TOFU?
For this vegetarian tofu recipe, I used fresh oranges to get my orange juice. You can use a hand juicer or an electric juicer to get the job done.
WHAT EXACTLY IS ORANGE TOFU?
Orange Tofu is a recipe made from firm or extra firm tofu. You can air fryer, skillet fry or bake the tofu and then toss it with a sweet Orange Sauce. This recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
IS PANDA EXPRESS ORANGE SAUCE VEGAN?
Yes, it is actually vegan! You can buy Panda Express Orange Sauce on Amazon or Walmart. While it is vegan, it does contain wheat.
WHAT IS VEGAN ORANGE CHICKEN MADE OF?
Orange juice, orange zest, coconut aminos, fresh ginger, extra firm tofu, oil, red bell pepper (optional), cornstarch, cooked rice, sesame seeds and green onions. Vegan Orange Chicken is made with simple ingredients, you may already have in your kitchen.
HOW TO PRESS TOFU
There are two ways to press tofu. You can use a Tofu Press or you can press your tofu by balancing heavy objects on top of it.
I prefer the tofu press method. It has been almost a decade that I have been using the EZ Tofu Press. I use it weekly and it continues to do an amazing job!
The EZ Tofu Press takes the liquid out of your firm or extra firm tofu easily, quickly, and with less mess than using plates and cans. This press utilizes simple mechanics and quality materials to ensure that it’s long-lasting and easy to use.
HOW LONG TO PRESS TOFU
I press my tofu (using the EZ Tofu Press) for 10-12 minutes. I turn the knobs tighter on the press every 3-4 minutes.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH ORANGE TOFU
There are so many other foods that you can serve with this tofu recipe. I would suggest pairing Air Fryer Edamame with this recipe. It makes a great combo!
If you are eating this orange tofu recipe without the rice because you want a little more than plain rice, we’ve got you covered! You can try our Air Fryer Fried Rice as a small side!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey - If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Facebook, too!
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Vegan Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 c fresh orange juice
- 1 T orange zest
- 5 T coconut aminos
- 1 T fresh ginger grated or diced
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 2-3 T oil
- 1 c red bell pepper deseeded and diced (Optional)
- 2 T cornstarch
- 2 c cooked rice
- sesame seeds or green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Start by pressing your tofu for at least 10 minutes using the EZ Tofu Press.
- Then dice your tofu into bite sized pieces and set aside.
- Combine fresh orange juice, orange zest, coconut aminos and ginger. Stir to combine.
- Put tofu bites and orange juice mixture into a bag. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1-2 T of oil in a pan over medium heat. Remove tofu from marinade. Fry tofu for 2 minutes, add in (Optional) diced bell pepper. Saute until tofu is golden brown.
- Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil and add in cornstarch. Stir to thicken. Once liquid begins to thicken remove from heat.
- Add orange sauce to the tofu pan. Stir to coat.
- Divide rice among 4 plates. Top with orange tofu and bell peppers. Garnish with green onions or sesame seeds.
- ENJOY!
We have been spending a lot more time in the kitchen, cooking as a family lately. It has been fun to involve the kids with recipe research and cooking! We found your recipe and we made it this week along with your vegan beef stew! It was a success and a hit with everybody!