Inspired by Friday night takeout, this orange tofu recipe is healthy and simple. Crispy tofu covered in sweet sticky orange sauce served over rice makes an impressive dish!
Pressed and cubed extra firm tofu is essential to this recipe, as it will hold up better when being deep fried while also absorbing less moisture from its surroundings.
Light soy sauce or tamari are ideal for this recipe; alternatively, rice vinegar could also work just as well.
Orange Sauce
The orange sauce used to create this vegan-friendly Chinese takeout version features zesty ginger and garlic flavors, orange juice, and no added sugar – making it easy to create at home while offering an attractive alternative to fried chicken or sweet and sour pork dishes.
Spice up your orange tofu even further by adding some heat with red pepper flakes or Sriracha sauce. To thicken it further, adding one tablespoon of cornstarch will do the trick, but be careful to add it when your liquid is warm as stirring in too early may result in lumps!
This recipe is quick and easy to put together, with orange tofu being made up to one day ahead. Rice should then be cooked as the vegetables will need time to steam in the saucepan. Leftovers of either can also be added back in when needed if necessary! It is best to prepare all components ahead of time; both ingredients can then be stored in the refrigerator until needed.
Start by placing cubed tofu into a mixing bowl, and adding liquid aminos (soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos). Press, pat dry, and cut into bite-size bits; this tofu should bake up nicely and become crispy on the outside! Heat enough oil in your skillet or saute pan to cover its bottom, and spread your tofu bits across it in one layer; flipping halfway through cooking time will keep them crispy until done.
While tofu is baking, prepare the orange sauce ingredients separately in another saucepan. After tofu has finished baking, mix the orange sauce into it and let simmer for several minutes to thicken, before taking off of heat and adding your garnish of choice – such as scallions or pepper to serve!
This vegan orange tofu makes an irresistibly tasty side or main course dish! Enjoy it by itself or spoon over some fresh green vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, snap or snow peas, zucchini or mushrooms for an enjoyable and filling dish!
Tofu
Tofu is an easy and delicious way to add more protein into your diet without gluten, dairy or cholesterol – and is free from these three factors as well. Not only that but its versatility lends it itself to numerous culinary uses as it’s quick to prepare! Plus it’s great for sneaking more vegetables into meals as an effective carrier of flavor and nutrients into the body!
This simple recipe features fried tofu that can be made in only three steps at home – similar to orange chicken from Chinese restaurants! Press your tofu with your hands to drain excess liquid before cutting it into cubes and coating each one in cornstarch before frying in a shallow pan so it cooks evenly.
If you prefer not to fry your tofu, or would rather limit how much oil is used in this recipe, an alternative baking option exists: simply coat each cube of tofu with cornstarch as instructed and bake at 400deg F for 20-30 minutes – flipping halfway through!
Orange sauce can be created by combining several ingredients:
Orange Juice – freshly squeezed is best and reduces sugar usage, but any store-bought juice will work just as well. Tamari or Soy Sauce (Soy has lower sodium content than Tamari and provides a savory contrast with orange juice and sugar. Brown Sugar (Cane or Castor sugar will do), although brown is richer and has stronger flavors; Garlic & Ginger both fresh or ground work great as seasoning agents.
Heat your oil until it reaches 370 degrees F in a shallow pan, and then add the tofu and cook until each side is golden brown. While that is cooking, combine all the sauce ingredients in another pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisk in cornstarch slurry as directed, until thick enough to stick onto tofu when spooned over by spooning, then combine everything back together again when finished and toss with the tofu as directed before tossing with tofu before tossinging and serving over white or brown rice/quinoa/cowberries/quinoa/etc!
Vegetables
This orange tofu stir fry is an easy and fast plant-based version of sweet and tangy orange chicken you might find at Chinese takeout restaurants, making it the ideal solution for anyone trying to reduce takeout consumption or simply eating healthier overall.
It’s easy to customize this dish by changing up the combination of vegetables that go into it – for instance, broccoli florets, red and green bell pepper, carrots, snow or snap peas, mushrooms and zucchini all make excellent ingredients in this recipe. As an extra touch, consider experimenting with adding Asian-style hot sauce like Sriracha as either an addition or serving it alongside as a side condiment.
Make this meal even simpler: press the tofu and chop all vegetables up to one day ahead and store in airtight containers in your fridge, while also prepping and storing the sauce separately until needed. Use dark soy sauce whenever possible – its deeper, richer flavors make it better suited to this recipe.
For this recipe, you will require some or all of the following ingredients:
Garlic gives any stir fry an irresistibly aromatic quality and helps create its distinctively savory profile.
Orange Juice – fresh or canned orange juice are both suitable choices; just be sure to opt for one without pulp.
Rice Vinegar adds a tangy punch and helps thicken orange sauce for an authentic sauce taste.
Soy Sauce provides the salty base for stir fry sauce and brings another dimension of flavor.
Cornstarch plays two vital roles in this dish, creating an irresistibly crunchy tofu exterior while simultaneously thickening the orange sauce as it cooks.
Once everything is ready, creating the sheet pan dinner is a simple matter. Spread vegetables and tofu evenly on a large baking sheet before pouring orange sauce over them all. Give everything a gentle toss so everything gets coated evenly before placing the sheet pan in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until veggies are tender and tofu is nicely golden brown – garnish with green onions or toasted sesame seeds as desired before serving over rice!
Rice
Vegan orange tofu recipe that’s both sweet and tart with an amazing balance of textures is sure to please. Perfect as part of a complete meal over rice or noodles; or add more broccoli, bell pepper or green onion if desired! Also easily made in 30 minutes: the tofu cubes need only be pressed and coated in starch prior to baking; while its sauce ingredients simply need whisked up together then simmered with the simmered tofu base – perfect weeknight dinner!
Orange Sauce features a moderately sweet taste with its combination of ginger, garlic and orange juice. It is made without using refined sugar; for additional sweetness you could substitute light brown or coconut sugar instead. Sriracha adds spice; for those preferring less heat you could also skip this ingredient or use milder ones instead.
Garlic and ginger add zesty flavor and bite. Fresh is best, but minced dried garlic or ginger powder works just as well. Turbinado sugar is recommended, although white or brown sugar will work in its place; rice vinegar should also be considered; sherry or wine vinegar work just as well; for those allergic to soy, liquid aminos could be substituted instead of soy sauce for more convenient meal prep!
Start by prepping the vegetables before mixing together the tofu, orange sauce and sesame seeds for this Asian orange tofu dish – it’s easy and delicious, making this perfect for weeknight dinners!
Preheat oven to 400degF (205degC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat tofu in cornstarch, dark soy sauce and black pepper before spreading evenly across pan and baking for 20-25 minutes until crispy – flipping halfway through! This orange tofu pairs beautifully with either quinoa or brown rice dishes, as it contains no eggs or dairy – plus this recipe makes four servings.