Does orange chicken actually contain oranges, or does the name purely come from the hue of these sticky-sweet glazed and fried chicken morsels? Regardless of its origins, the dish has become synonymous with fast-casual Chinese-American restaurants.
Invented in 1987 by Chef Andy Kao exclusively for Panda Express, orange chicken is typically made with bite-sized pieces of boneless, skinless dark-meat chicken that are battered, fried, and “wok-tossed” in a thick, sticky, sweet-and-spicy orange sauce. Plant-based versions have been replicated in vegan restaurants and across the blogosphere, but Panda Express’ 2022 launch of Beyond the Original Orange Chicken made it official.
“As the creator of The Original Orange Chicken, Panda has significant brand equity in this staple American Chinese comfort food,” chef Jimmy Wang, Executive Director of Culinary Innovation at Panda Express, told VegNews when the dish first launched. “We co-developed Beyond the Original Orange Chicken with Beyond Meat to capture the irresistibly crunchy texture of our signature entrée, while still giving our guests a plant-based option of the dish they know and love.”
Panda Express
Since then, Beyond The Original Orange Chicken has been relaunched several times. Most recently, it returned in the summer of 2024, but at the time of writing, it is no longer available.
To put it mildly, fans are disappointed and eager for it to return. There is even a petition demanding that Panda Express bring it back with more than 3200 signatures. “This dish wasn’t merely a meal,” the petition reads. “It was an experience, a flavor that many of us have grown to love and now deeply miss.”
But you don’t have to go without. While we wait for vegan orange chicken to (hopefully) return to Panda Express locations, you can still find similar versions at a few vegan restaurant chains. Native Foods, for example—with locations in Palm California and Colorado—offers a very similar crispy Orange Cauliflower. And don’t be surprised to find it on the menu of your local Chinese or Asian fusion go-to spot, either.
You can also make it at home, of course. Here’s everything you need to know about vegan orange chicken, from where to buy it to some of our favorite recipes.
The vegan orange chicken worth adding to your cart
Gardein
1 Gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick’n
Gardein has been producing these vegan orange chicken morsels for years. From these sweetly glazed tenders to its Spicy Gochujang-style Chick’n Wings, this long-standing vegan company has the chicken game locked in.
Shop Target
Vegetarian Plus
2 Vegetarian Plus Vegan Orange Chicken
If you order any meat analogs at a vegan Asian restaurant, there’s a good chance they are made with Vegetarian Plus plant-based meat. This established brand operates in both wholesale and retail, and it makes a very convincing vegan orange chicken.
Trader Joe’s
3 Trader Joe’s Chicken-less Mandarin Orange Morsels
This grocer goes out of its way to not say what it’s really trying to say—take its Almond Beverage Chocolate Bar (aka vegan milk chocolate bar), for example—but this roundabout title is really just vegan orange chicken. Grab this bag from the freezer section along with frozen veggies and rice for a delicious meal at home.
Vegan orange chicken recipes you’ll make on repeat
Vegan orange chicken can be prepared in several ways, using various ingredients to replicate the dish’s “meat.” While storebought options tend to rely on soy- and seitan-based proteins, at-home recipes can be made with tofu or cauliflower (really, there’s nothing that cruciferous veggie can’t do).
Baked or fried, all of these exceptional vegan orange chicken recipes will satisfy any hankering for takeout.
Patricia Granek
1Sticky Orange Tofu
When liberally coated in homemade orange sauce, fried tofu can be just as indulgent and satisfying as fried chicken. It’s also incredibly easy to make from home—just whip up your sauce with staples like orange juice and maple syrup, fry your tofu, and combine.
Get the recipe
Edgy Veg
2
Orange Chicken With Soy Curls
Soy curls are dehydrated strips of non-GMO soy that really do taste like chicken when prepared properly. They’re super chewy and savory, not to mention a nutritional powerhouse. A generous three-quarter-cup serving is only 100 calories but contains 10 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and 0 grams of saturated or trans fat. This might be the healthiest orange chicken ever.
Get the recipe
Belly Rules the Mind
3 Asian Orange Cauliflower
Attention, everyone with an air fryer: this is your chance to use it. This vegetable-forward recipe can be gluten-free, and the sauce packs a ton of flavor with fresh garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Dare we say it’s better than the original? You’ll have to make it to find out.
Get the recipe
The Curious Chickpea
4 Crispy Orange Seitan and Broccoli
This mashup of orange chicken and beef and broccoli might just be your new favorite Americanized Chinese food dish. The broccoli adds a delightful crunch element that breaks up the monotony of glazed seitan-based chicken. Serve the wonderfully sweet and fiery mixture over white rice for a weekday-ready meal.
Get the recipe
Veggies Don’t Bite
5 Baked Vegan Orange Cauliflower
While not fried, this battered, seasoned, and glazed orange cauliflower is delightfully crackly and crispy. The secret is the soda water in the dredge. Adding something carbonated to your batter will help anything obtain that extra bit of crispiness—even without oil. Of all the ways to prepare cauliflower, this one ranks in the top 10.
Get the recipE
Abbot’s Butcher
6 Easy Plant-Based Orange Chick’n
This gluten- and soy-free recipe offers a healthier alternative to traditional deep-fried and sugar-glazed orange chicken. Made with Abbot’s Butcher allergen-friendly plant-based Chick’n, all you have to do is whisk up the simple sauce and sear everything in a pan (or wok, if you have one). Toss in some fresh or frozen veggies and serve over minute rice, and you’ve got a nourishing meal in under 30 minutes.
Get the recipe
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
JUMP TO ... Latest News | Recipes | Guides | Health | Subscribe
Tanya Flink is a VegNews writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the plant-based lifestyle, and only recommend products we feel make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may include links where we might earn a small commission, but in no way does this effect the editorial integrity of VegNews.
