This recipe is an excerpt from Lloyd Rose’s cookbook Crazy Good Vegan. Lloyd is a Montréal-based Canadian-Jamaican chef and longtime Best of Vegan contributor who shares his mouthwatering creations on Instagram and on his blog. This recipe is a veganized twist on classic Orange Chicken.
Vegan Orange Chick’n
This tofu chick’n has a crispy exterior with a divine sticky orange sauce coating. It’s sweet and spicy and very addictive. The orange zest is truly the ingredient that makes this dish special with high notes of citrus. I remember when I created this recipe, I made it for three days straight for others to try because it was just too good. I promise if you made a top five list of all the recipes inside this book, this Orange Chick’n would make the list!
What You’ll Need
- extra-firm tofu
- cornstarch
- ground white pepper
- kosher salt
- Canola oil or other neutral-flavored oil, for deep-frying
- freshly grated ginger root
- red pepper chili flakes
- minced garlic
- granulated sugar
- pulp-free orange juice
- white vinegar
- tamari or soy sauce
- orange zest
- sesame oil
- Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
- Chopped green onions, for garnish
How to Make this Vegan Orange Chick’n
Step one: prepare the tofu
Drain the water in the package from the block of tofu, then use your hands to tear the tofu into medium bite-sized pieces (see Tip). In a large bowl, combine the tofu pieces, cornstarch, white pepper and salt. Toss the tofu around in the bowl until all the pieces are coated.
Step two: deep-fry the tofu
Fill a deep pot with enough oil to deep-fry the tofu and bring the oil to 375oF (191oC). Deep-fry the tofu pieces for 5 to 7 minutes or until the exterior becomes crispy with a light brown color. Remove the tofu pieces from the oil with a slotted spoon, and place them on paper towels or a rack to drain.
Step three: make the sauce
In a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 teaspoon of the same oil that you used to deep fry. Add the ginger, red pepper chili flakes and garlic, and cook for about 30 seconds until the garlic turns slightly brown. Add the sugar, orange juice, vinegar and tamari, then stir until the sauce has reduced, about 5 minutes.
Step four: bring it all together
Add the tofu to the pan and gently stir until all the pieces are coated with the sauce. Mix in the orange zest and turn off the heat. Once the heat is off, mix in the sesame oil and serve hot with steamed jasmine rice and green onions.
TIP:
Tearing the tofu instead of slicing it makes for a great texture as the coating will get into all the nooks and crannies.
Vegan Orange Chick’n
Ingredients
- 14 oz 400 g extra-firm tofu
- 1/3 cup 43 g cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Canola oil or other neutral-flavored oil - for deep-frying
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
- 1/4 tsp red pepper chili flakes
- 1 tbsp 9 g minced garlic
- 1/4 cup 50 g granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup 60 ml pulp-free orange juice
- 1/4 cup 60 ml white vinegar
- 3 tbsp 45 ml tamari or soy sauce
- 1/8 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Steamed jasmine rice - for serving
- Chopped green onions - for garnish
Instructions
- Drain the water in the package from the block of tofu, then use your hands to tear the tofu into medium bite-sized pieces (see Tip).
- In a large bowl, combine the tofu pieces, cornstarch, white pepper and salt. Toss the tofu around in the bowl until all the pieces are coated.
- Fill a deep pot with enough oil to deep-fry the tofu and bring the oil to 3750º (191ºC). Deep-fry the tofu pieces for 5 to 7 minutes or until the exterior becomes crispy with a light brown color. Remove the tofu pieces from the oil with a slotted spoon, and place them on paper towels or a rack to drain.
- In a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 teaspoon of the same oil that you used to deep fry. Add the ginger, red pepper chili flakes and garlic, and cook for about 30 seconds until the garlic turns slightly brown. Add the sugar, orange juice, vinegar and tamari, then stir until the sauce has reduced, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tofu to the pan and gently stir until all the pieces are coated with the sauce. Mix in the orange zest and turn off the heat. Once the heat is off, mix in the sesame oil and serve hot with steamed jasmine rice and green onions.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Crazy Good Vegan by Lloyd Rose. Page Street Publishing Co. 2022. Photography by Sarah Kermalli.
About the Cookbook
In this brilliant collection, Lloyd Rose of the blog Plant Crazii shares his skill for simple & delicious vegan home cooking with 60 recipes that are beginner- friendly, frugal and quick to make.
Lloyd Rose is a wizard at using commonly found pantry ingredients and transforming them into flavor-packed plant-based meals. Where many plant- based chefs are calling for expensive and hard-to-find ingredients to mimic flavors and textures of animal products, Lloyd keeps it simple. He combines a handful of key ingredients with smart cooking techniques to make food that just plain tastes good, doesn’t break the bank and happens to be vegan. Inspired by his mom’s Jamaican heritage, Lloyd’s dishes are bold and rooted in tradition.
Plant-based home cooks who don’t have the time and budget for complex recipes will go crazy for Lloyd’s refreshing reminder that the best things in the kitchen are usually the simplest.
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You Might Also Like….
If you enjoyed this vegan orange chick’n recipe, you might also like this Pulled Barbecue Jackfruit by the same author. Click here for the recipe.
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Connect with Lloyd Rose on Instagram (@plantcrazii) and find more delicious recipes on PlantCrazii.com.
This Vegan Orange Chick’n is stunning, I think it improves my appetite, thanks to your recipe, I learned how to make it.
I am a vegetarian and this recipe is great!