I adapted ChefDaddy’s chicken recipe to make it vegan using store-bought plant-based nuggets. Make it kid-friendly by omitting the chiles and serving crushed red pepper on the side.
Ingredients:
- 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen meatless chicken nuggets (such as MorningStar Farms®)
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 2 stalks green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated
- 6 whole dried red chiles
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 orange zest
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 cups hot cooked brown rice
- 3 cups steamed broccoli
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, or to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place frozen nuggets on a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. Flip nuggets and continue to bake until heated through and crispy, 7 to 9 more minutes. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
While the nuggets are cooking, heat peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in white parts of green onions, red chiles, garlic, and orange zest. Cook, stirring, until chiles and garlic are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add sugar, soy sauce, broth, vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger to the wok. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
Whisk together water and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir into the sauce. Return to a boil and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove and discard orange zest.
Stir nuggets into sauce to coat. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring frequently, until nuggets are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve nugget mixture over rice with broccoli. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green parts of green onions.
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Servings: 6 – Yield: 6 servings
Nutrition:
Calories:516.4
