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    Home » Sauces, Dips and Condiments » Sweet and spicy orange sauce

    Sweet and spicy orange sauce

    Published: Apr 8, 2020 · Modified: Oct 21, 2022 by Jessica

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    This sweet and spicy orange sauce comes together within 15 minutes and can complement so many meals! You will love the zesty flavors coming from the fresh orange and its ability to coat the ingredients with a beautiful shiny and sticky texture. Also easy to adjust the spicy level to your taste.

    Close up on a spoon behind hold by a hand showing a sweet and spicy orange sauce falling from the spoon into a bowl containing g more of the sauce.

    Chinese food to me is the Asian version of American comfort food. All the steamy hot saucy and savory dishes, with crispy but still tender veggies. All of this on a carb loaded bed of rice or noodles. Not even to mention the deep fried doughy cabbage and noodle rolls. You now see what I mean by comfort food, right?

    And one of these comfort meal is the classic Chinese orange chicken, which I never get since, well, it's chicken. Soooooo, I thought I would make my own orange sauce!

    What you will need to make this sweet and spicy orange sauce:

    • Fresh Navel orange
    • Chili sauce
    • Toasted sesame oil
    • Maple syrup
    • Fresh garlic
    • Rice vinegar
    • Corn starch
    In a white bowl, you can see an orange sauce. The bowl is on a white plate. Also on the side, there is a small spoon covered in the sauce.

    A few notes when making this recipe

    - Use freshly pressed orange juice. This will make a huge difference in the taste of the sauce. You don't need any fancy equipment to do this, simply slice the orange in quarter in squeeze it with your hands!

    - Choose a Navel orange. They are sweeter, larger and juicier than some other oranges, which is what you want for this sauce.

    - You will need chili sauce to get the spicy kick. Try to get a sauce that keeps the chili flakes intact for added texture and look.

    - Toasted sesame oil gives the sauce a deeper flavor, so try not to omit it. If you only have regular sesame oil (untoasted), use this one!

    In a white bowl, you can see a close up of a sweet and spicy orange sauce. On the side, there is a spoon covered with the sauce.

    How to eat this sweet and spicy orange sauce

    This sauce is more versatile than you think!

    - As a base for a saucy dish: Simply roast cubes of tofu and combine them with this sauce. Or, pour the sauce over steamed veggies, like broccoli, baby bok choy or oven-baked breaded cauliflower.

    - As a dipping sauce: Serve this sauce in a bowl, so people can dip sticks of roasted tofu, cauliflower wings, vegan egg rolls, asian style spring rolls or even vegan sushi!

    - As a sandwich sauce: This sauce would be great for an asian style sandwich: use a roll type of bread, then add wilted but still crisp cabbage with cilantro and roasted tofu, then drizzle this sauce over. It would be a perfect way to use any leftovers.

    I hope you will love this sauce as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate this recipe to let me know how it was.

    And let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss any updates!

    Close up on a spoon behind hold by a hand showing a sweet and spicy orange sauce falling from the spoon into a bowl containing g more of the sauce.

    Sweet and spicy orange sauce

    5 from 5 votes
    Try to pair this versatile sweet and tangy sauce with tofu, vegetables, asian noodles or simple brown rice and you will get a simple delicious meal complex in flavor.
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time5 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Servings 4
    Author Jessica Laroche

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tbsp corn starch
    • 4 tbsp water
    • 1 tsp orange zest
    • ½ cup orange juice - about 1 large orange
    • 1 large clove of garlic - about 1 tsp, crushed
    • 1 tsp chili sauce or sambal oelek
    • ¼ cup rice vinegar -
    • 4 tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
    • ½ tsp salt

    Instructions
     

    • Combine the corn starch and the water in a medium bowl. Mix well with a fork.
    • In a small sauce pan, add the rest of the ingredients and warm on medium-high heat whisking frequently until you reach a gentle boil (about 3 minutes).
    • Then, add the corn starch mixture to the pot (you will need to mix very well the cornstarch mixture before transferring) and whisk well for about 30-60 seconds, still at medium-high heat, until the sauce thickens.
    • Let the sauce cool down in the fridge for about 20 minutes before eating, if possible. I find the flavors to be deeper after resting in the fridge for a little bit. The sauce will stay good in the fridge for 4 days. Serve with brown rice, roasted tofu and veggies.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sonia says

      September 26, 2020 at 10:42 am

      5 stars
      Ça fait déjà plusieurs fois que je la fait !
      Délicieuse. À faire et refaire

      Reply
      • plantbasedjess says

        September 26, 2020 at 9:54 pm

        Je suis contente que tu l'aimes! 🙂 Merci pour le commentaire!

        Reply
    2. Denice says

      March 15, 2022 at 9:47 am

      5 stars
      Yummy! I left out the oil because we are trying to be oil-free and it was still delicious. Used it for as stir fry sauce and my guests wanted the recipe.
      Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        March 15, 2022 at 9:50 am

        Oh that's great Denice! Thanks for your comment 🙂

        Reply
    3. Martine says

      February 03, 2023 at 1:59 pm

      5 stars
      Cette sauce à l'orange est succulente. Je l'ai dégustée sur du tofu accompagné de basmati et de brocoli et j'étais au paradis. À refaire encore et encore 😊

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        February 03, 2023 at 2:34 pm

        Salut Martine! Merci pour ton commentaire! Je suis contente que tu l'aies aimé, c'est si délicieux avec du tofu 🙂

        Reply
        • Anonymous says

          February 25, 2023 at 11:41 am

          5 stars
          Bonjour Jessica!
          Ta sauce à l'orange est tellement bonne que je crois que je suis devenue accro.
          Est-ce que tu crois que je pourrais doubler la recette et en congeler une partie pour en avoir sous la main quand j'ai une fringale?
          Je te remercie et je te souhaite une belle journée! 😊

          Reply
          • Jessica says

            February 25, 2023 at 3:19 pm

            Bonjour! Je suis contente que tu aimes la recette! On est accro ici aussi 🙂 C'est une bonne question, j'ai jamais essayé de la congeler. Je pense que ça marcherait, quoique la texture risque de changer en la décongelant (je me demande si la sauce sera plus liquide une fois dégelée). Je vais essayer de doubler la recette la prochaine fois que je la fait pour en congeler une partie et ajouter plus d'info à la recette... Merci pour ton commentaire!

            Reply
            • Martine says

              February 25, 2023 at 4:26 pm

              5 stars
              Merci beaucoup Jessica 😊

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    Profile picture for Plant Based Jess in the kitchen.

    Hi there! I’m Jessica, a pasta obsessed French Canadian now living in beautiful Maine. I’m a mom of two, experienced foodie and ninja meal planner. I believe everyone can make stress-free plant-based meals with wholesome ingredients that your family and friends will love. 

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