This Asian style orange sauce is an easy way to make a quick and healthy meal that your whole family will love! Make up this sweet and savory sauce in minutes to make vegan orange cauliflower, orange "chicken," or orange tofu! Your kids will devour it and beg for more! If you miss orange chicken from Panda Express or your favorite Chinese restaurant, this recipe is for you!
You'll love this recipe because it's...
- quick and easy to make.
- made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
- gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan so everyone can enjoy it.
- a great dipping sauce for spring rolls, fried tofu, and fried cauliflower nuggets.
- great for getting your kids to eat their veggies!
What you will need to make your own homemade orange sauce:
- Orange Juice - fresh squeezed tastes best and allows you to use less sugar, but you can use any store-bought orange juice.
- Sugar - to make it a sweet sticky sauce. (You can adjust the sugar to suit your taste. You can also use maple syrup or agave nectar instead).
- Vinegar - for some acidity to cut the sweetness. You can use white vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar.
- Soy Sauce - for an authentic flavor. For gluten-free use Tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos.
- Sesame Oil - for a classic Asian flavor. (optional)
- Potato Starch - to thicken your sauce. You can also use corn starch, however, I think that potato starch gives it a better texture that doesn't get gloppy once it starts to cool.
- Garlic - for flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes or Chili Garlic Sauce - for some spice. (optional) (I find the chili garlic sauce in the Asian section of the grocery store).
- Ginger - for flavor. Freshly grated ginger will give your sauce a little kick and a more authentic flavor, but it is optional.
How to make Chinese style orange sauce:
- Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and stir with a whisk.
- Turn the heat on to medium and stir the sauce frequently.
- Once it starts to bubble stir continuously and allow to boil for 30 seconds.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. (It will thicken some more as it cools off a little).
How do I make the orange sauce refined sugar-free?
You can easily swap out the sugar for maple syrup, agave nectar, or any other natural sweetener of your choice. You can also use sweet fresh-squeezed orange juice and leave the sugar out completely.
What do I do with this orange sauce?
- Use as a dipping sauce for simple vegan spring rolls.
- Pour over cauliflower nuggets, fried tofu, or your favorite stir fry.
- You can also use the breading for my cauliflower nuggets to make a coating to make a vegan "orange chicken."
- Toss with cooked rice noodles and veggies.
Try some of my other vegan Asian inspired recipes:
Be sure to follow me on Instagram or Pinterest for daily vegan inspiration and recipe ideas! Tag me at #thehiddenveggies! I love to see what you made too!
A Chinese style orange sauce to serve over rice to make vegan orange chicken, tofu, or cauliflower.
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup if you use fresh-squeezed orange juice.
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos for gluten-free.
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger optional
- 1 tsp garlic chili sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp potato starch or corn starch
- 1 dash turmeric (optional for color)
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Put all of the ingredients into a small saucepan and stir.
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Turn on heat to medium, and stir frequently until it starts to boil.
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Allow it to boil slowly for about 30 seconds and then remove from the heat.
- Use 2 tbsp of potato starch for a thicker sauce.
- Use 1 tbsp of potato starch for a thinner sauce.
- The sauce will thicken as it cools.
