Vegan Orange Chicken and Skip the Takeout

Indulge your takeout cravings at home with this easy-to-make Vegan Orange Chicken recipe that only takes five minutes to prep and twenty minutes to cook.

We gave the classic meat-centric dish a vegan makeover and traded chicken and dairy for Gardein's Ultimate Plant-Based Chick'n Nuggets and Earth Balance's Buttery Spread. These alternatives taste just as good, if not better, than the real thing and have the same consistency and texture they could fool anyone.

This is the perfect recipe if you're trying to convince your carnivore loved one to eat more plant-based. Serve the 'chicken' with steamed rice and broccoli to complete the presentation and delicious tastes.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Vegan Orange Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pkg (14.7 oz each) Gardein® Ultimate Plant-Based Chick'n Nuggets
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance® Original Buttery Spread
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 orange, zested and juiced (about 1/4 cup juice and 1 teaspoon zest)
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon scallions, thinly sliced (green and white parts separated)
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, greens and whites separated
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar

Instructions

1. Cook Gardein® Ultimate Plant-Based Chick'n Nuggets according to package directions. Keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch and water together until well blended. Add orange juice, zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Mix well and set aside.
3. Melt Earth Balance® in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add scallion whites and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and continue to sauté until fragrant, another 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and carefully pour in orange juice mixture. Sprinkle in sugar and stir to dissolve. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Add Gardein® Chick'n Nuggets and toss to evenly coat with sauce. Remove from heat and scrape into serving bowl.
6. Garnish with green onion and serve plant-based orange chick'n immediately with white rice, if desired.

TIPS
Serve with P.F. Chang's® Home Menu Steamed White Rice and Birds Eye® Steamfresh® Broccoli Florets, found in the frozen section of your grocery store.

Nutritionals 

Calories 430 | Total Fat 16g | Saturated Fat 0.8g | Sodium 1870mg | Total Carbohydrate 45.9g | Dietary Fiber 6.4g | Total Sugars 12.8g | Protein 23.9g | Calcium 77mg | Iron 3mg | Potassium 373mg |