Orange Sauce Recipe
on Jul 15, 2020, Updated Jun 18, 2024
Sweet and tangy orange sauce is delicious in stir fry! It is easy to make at home, and perfect for bringing dishes like orange chicken and tofu with orange sauce to life in your own kitchen.
Making your own orange sauce is so easy!
Orange chicken was one of my favorite things to order takeout growing up. This recipe is inspired by the taste of something that you would buy at your favorite Chinese restaurant.
This recipe is what I used to make orange tofu, and vegan orange chicken (orange cauliflower) and it also makes a great sauce for veggie stir fry served over sticky white rice!
It is really so easy to make it yourself at home, and the flavor is amazing. I tested this recipe four times until the flavor was perfect. The end result is a flavorful, easy recipe that takes just 15 minutes to make!
What is orange sauce made of?
Homemade orange sauce is heavenly! This sweet sauce is made of orange juice, brown sugar, pure maple syrup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic, and minced ginger.
How to make orange sauce
First, you will start with fresh minced ginger and garlic. Not much, as we want the orange flavor to be the star of this sauce!
In a sauce pan, add 1 teaspoon of neutral flavored oil.mCook the minced garlic and ginger for around 2 – 3 minutes, until fragrant.
Next, add the orange juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat for 3 minutes. In a small bowl, make a slurry from 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water.
What is a cornstarch slurry?
A cornstarch slurry is simply a mixture of cold water and cornstarch which is often used as a thickening agent in asian inspired sauces.
Add the slurry to the sauce, and whisk for 5 minutes, until thickened. Your sauce is now ready to serve!
I can’t be the only one obsessed with orange sauce on rice! Honestly, that might be my favorite part of finishing my plate.
This dish is perfect for veggie stir fry, orange chicken, tofu with orange sauce, or crispy orange cauliflower. Try making this at home and let me know what you think!
Is this recipe spicy?
No, it is not spicy. If you want a spicier sauce, add red pepper flakes to taste. I suggest starting with 1/8 teaspoon and going from there.
Is this orange sauce gluten free?
Yes it is! As long as you use gluten free soy sauce, all other ingredients are gluten free.
More Stir Fry Recipes
Orange Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon olive oil , or other neutral oil
For the Cornstarch Slurry
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil or other neutral flavored oil in a sauce pan
- Add the minced garlic and minced ginger and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, until fragrant. Stir often to avoid burning
- Add 1/3 cup water, orange juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and soy sauce and heat for 3 minutes, stirring often
- In a small bowl, whisk the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water to form the slurry
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce and whisk to thicken, around 3 – 5 minutes
- Add orange sauce to your orange chicken, orange tofu, orange cauliflower, or use as sauce for stir fry veggies!
Joy, do you know if we can freeze this to use later? Any guess how long it would be good in the freezer? Going to try it this weekend.
I have never frozen it myself, but it is typically not recommended to freeze sauces that contain corn starch in them. You could make the sauce without the slurry, freeze that, then add the slurry when you are using it perhaps? I would say it would keep well in the freezer for at least 1-2 months.
really good. not sure what a clove of ginger is? do you break up the flowerets?
Fresh ginger root can be purchased in the produce section. For this recipe, you will peel the ginger and then finely dice it, then measure out 1 teaspoon!
it is very easy to make and delicious.
i used this amazing sauce with chicken breast pieces that I marinated in soy and orange, minced with a cleaver and made dumplings. I give it 5 stars!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing
Is that onion supposed to be in the ingredients?
There is not onion in this recipe, is it the bulb of garlic you are seeing perhaps?
Made this sauce and it was delicious!! Added some red peppers to make it spicy and everyone loved it. Thank you!
i love this recipe…………do you know if i can water bath can this recipe
thank you
I don’t have experience with canning so I can’t recommend it. If anyone else knows please comment here!
How long will it keep in the fridge?