Sweet, tangy, and inspired by Chinese orange chicken, my vegetarian Orange Tofu is a weeknight staple! The tofu is baked until crisp and golden, and overall the recipe requires only 15 minutes of active time.
This orange tofu is officially my go-to tofu recipe for when I want to impress guests! It's also a great option for those who are new to tofu.
The orange sauce is sticky, tangy, sweet, and gently spicy. I really wanted to make a sauce that is sweet without being cloyingly so, so I tested this many times over the past few months.
A few tips
- The orange sauce can be made up to 48 hours in advance. I recommend storing it before cooking it.
- I love to pair orange tofu with fried rice or on this cold cucumber edamame noodle salad. When I make rice for other recipes I double the portion and use the second half the next day for fried rice.
- The red pepper flakes are optional. One teaspoon makes the sauce gently spicy, while 2 teaspoons is probably better for those who enjoy a little bit of heat in their food.
- I typically use the air fryer option from my salt and pepper tofu recipe as the base when I make this.
- My partner and I split this recipe between just us two. You can stretch the sauce by adding an extra block of tofu, but I think it's worth enjoying every drip of sauce and doubling the entire thing.
Okay, let's get cooking! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do.
Recipe
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Sticky Orange Tofu
Ingredients
For the tofu
- 1 block extra-firm tofu
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the orange sauce
- 1 large navel orange juiced and zested (¼ cup orange juice)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes adjust based on spice preference (I use 2 teaspoons)
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger I use a Microplane
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Wrap the tofu in a paper towel and squeeze gently to remove some of the water, or use a tofu press for 5 minutes. Cut into roughly ¾-inch cubes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil and kosher salt. Add the tofu, tossing to coat. Add freshly ground black pepper, to taste, tossing again.
- Transfer to a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Leave room between each piece of tofu. Bake at 400F for 30-35 minutes, until golden and crisp, tossing the tofu halfway through.
- Meanwhile, make the orange sauce. In a jar or small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, zest from the orange, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, optional red pepper flakes, toasted sesame oil, grated ginger, and grated garlic.
- In a separate jar, whisk together 1 teaspoon corn starch with 1 teaspoon water. Stir this into the orange sauce.
- When the tofu is almost done, add the orange sauce to a sauce pot or wok. Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce to a gentle simmer over medium-low. Simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened enough to the coat the back of a spoon without sliding off.
- Transfer the baked tofu to the orange sauce, tossing to coat. Serve over rice or noodles. Enjoy!
Notes
- I only tested this recipe with navel oranges, but I imagine it would be delicious with Sumo oranges as well. One navel orange typically yields ¼ cup of juice.
- To grate ginger and garlic: I use a Microplane citrus zester. The smallest holes on a box grater also work. If neither of these are available, just mince the garlic and ginger finely.
- Air fryer option: Air fry the tofu at 375F for 18-20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
Nutrition
Mr. Wilson of the moment
This recipe posts find Mr. Wilson doing his best Garfield imitation, grumpy face and all.
Dianne Braun says
So yummy! I made this for dinner tonight, served it with wild rice blend and steamed broccoli. It was a hit. For the first time, following your directions, my tofu was crispy. Thank you Cassidy.
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
Yay for crispy tofu! 🙂
Jennifer says
I second everything Eryn said! It’s so flavorful!! I’ve made it two days in a row and may go for a third. So incredibly delicious!!
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
Yay! Thanks so much for the review! 🙂
Eryn Underwood says
This recipe is to die for... one of my all time favorites! Perfectly sweet, spicy, and filling – way better than takeout. I doubled the recipe but next time I think I might triple it!
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
It is totally triple-batch worthy! Thanks so much for the review!