Sticky Orange Tofu
Orange tofu is a plant-based take on the popular Chinese-American chicken dish. My version features chewy tofu with slightly crispy edges, coated in a thick, sticky sauce that's packed with orange flavor. Savory, sweet, and sour!
Ingredients
Tofu
- 14 ounces (400 g) firm tofu
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil
- 1/4 cup (40 g) cornstarch
Orange Sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) fresh orange juice
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice (or vinegar)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Cointreau (optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped orange zest
- 1 tsp chopped lime zest
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp (10 g) cornstarch diluted in 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to
355 °F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly oil the parchment paper. - Prepare the tofu. Rinse the tofu under cold water and pat it dry. Slightly press it using kitchen paper towels to remove some of the moisture. Next, crumble it into 1 ¼-inch (3 cm) pieces and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the salt and oil and toss to coat.
- Toss with cornstarch. Then add the cornstarch and toss again until each piece is coated. Transfer to the baking sheet and spread into an even layer, leaving at least 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) between each piece.
- Bake. Bake the tofu for 30 minutes, flipping it halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Once hot, add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Pour in the orange juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, lime juice, Cointreau (if using), orange and lime zest, salt, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the cornstarch slurry and stir to combine. Cook for another minute or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Add the tofu. Finally, add the golden-brown tofu pieces to the sauce and simmer for another 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve immediately over white rice, and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions!
- You can store the tofu in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
About the sweetness. Orange tofu is supposed to be sweet, sour, and salty. While some recipes may call for up to 1/2 cup of sugar, I use only 3 tablespoons of maple syrup here. We found it to be the right balance of sweet, salty, and sour. Only two tablespoons made the sauce slightly too sour for our taste, and more was too sweet. You can obviously adjust that to your liking.
Dice or crumble the tofu! Nothing is set in stone. I like to crumble the tofu into chunks so it becomes even crispier during baking, but feel free to dice it into cubes if you prefer. Just make sure your cubes/crumbles are not too small. Aim for about 1 ¼-inch (3 cm) pieces.
Serve immediately. Seriously, if you want your tofu sticky, saucy, and with crispy edges, you'd better serve it right after cooking. After a while, the tofu will absorb the sauce and lose its crispiness.
Craving more vegan deliciousness? Discover hundreds of plant-based recipes at www.fullofplants.com
Want step-by-step photos and all the juicy details for this recipe? Just scan the QR code below!
