Crispy Vegan Mango Chicken

It DOES taste like chicken, but with a fresh summery meat-free vibe. This crispy vegan mango chicken is sweet, savory, spicy, and is your soon-to-be summer replacement for the traditional orange chicken and you won’t miss the meat at all.

I’m Chinese and growing up never understood why Americans were so obsessed with this fake Chinese food that looked nothing like what was made at home- except the steamed white rice.

I REALLY didn’t understand orange chicken. That’s just not a thing!!!

But then, one day in middle school, after some shopping at a chain mall in Michigan, my mom and sister decided to try out Panda Express in the food court. I gotta admit, I felt a little betrayed that my Chinese immigrant mom would succumb to the trashy mall food court foods AND pay for a cuisine when she could 1. Make it at home and 2. Make it way better tasting.

We ended up ordering some chow mein, orange chicken, firecracker chicken, and shrimp. I was just excited about the fortune cookie… but I gotta admit, it did smell really good. And I was hungry.

We all were really curious to finally try this coveted pseudo-Chinese dish Americans claimed to be their favorite Chinese food, and so we all ate a piece of the orange chicken.

…

Holy $#!t. I get it now.

No, this was not like ANYTHING my mom made or that any we ever ordered from an authentic Chinese restaurant had. But it was SO GOOD. Sweet, crispy, juicey, tangy, and savory… so niced coated in a sticky orange glaze. My sister and mom felt the same way and Panda Express quickly became our most frequented fast food place soon after.

Since becoming vegan over 4 years ago, I’ve had plenty orange chicken substitutes, but one Thai place in particular, Thai by Trio (formerly Trio House) by USC in Los Angeles, really hit home for me with their vegan mango chicken.

Now I’ve created a homemade substitute that is great paired with brown rice and my miso glazed eggplant recipe (coming soon). Afterall, I’m American-born so I guess it’s not that surprising I love a dish that combines by two ethnicities.

Vegan Mango Chicken

Time: 15-20 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs Sambal Oelek (less if you want it less spicy)

• 3 tbs Soy Sauce

• 1 tbs Dark Soy Sauce

• 1 tsp Rice Vinegar

• 1/2 tbs Potato Starch

• 16 oz Vegan Chicken or Super Firm Tofu

• 6-8 Pieces of Sliced Ginger

• 3 Scallions (bottom half for the sautee, green tops for garnish)

• 1 Large Mango (about 1.5 cups chopped)

• 1/4 Cup Potato Starch

• 3-4 tbs Olive Oil

Directions:

• Whisk together the first 5 ingredients to create the sauce, set aside. Next, chop the ginger and scallions, reserving the top green parts for garnishing, and set it aside. Dice the mango and set aside in a separate bowl.

• Roll-cut the vegan chicken into bite size nuggets and then toss in a large bowl with the potato starch to coat each piece. Add more starch if necessary.

• In a large pan or wok, heat 2-3 tbs oil to medium-high heat and toss in all vegan chicken pieces. Coat the pieces in the oil by shaking the pan or using a wooden spoon to toss. Once pieces are lightly browned, set aside on a plate.

• In the same pan, now empty, add the remaining oil and saute the ginger and bottom half of scallions until the flavor has released (about 1 minute). Continuously stir to avoid burning the aromatics. Add in the chicken pieces, mango, and sauce. Toss to coat and heat for another 2 minutes.

• Plate and garnish with remaining scallions. Serve with brown rice and a side of veg to enjoy!

---