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By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 03/07/2024
4.98 from 145 votes
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This Vegan Orange Tofu recipe is a vegan adaptation of the classic Chinese Orange Chicken.
It’s made with crispy baked tofu pieces coated in a sweet, sticky, spiced orange sauce and served with jasmine rice. This dish brings your favorite takeaway home with a healthier twist!
Table of contents
I love making vegan-friendly versions of classic lunches and dinners, like my Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger, Szechuan Tofu, Tofu Scramble, or Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower.
Tofu is such a great ingredient that can be used for both savory dishes like this or make delicious sweet treats like my Tofu Mousse.
What’s Orange Tofu?
Orange tofu is a Chinese-style vegan meal made of breaded firm tofu baked in the oven and coated in a sweet, sticky spiced orange sauce.
It’s a plant-based version of the classic Chinese orange chicken recipe, also healthier as the authentic recipe deep fry the proteins.
Ingredients For Baked Orange Tofu
All you need are a few ingredients and a bit of patience to prepare the tofu and bake it.
- Firm Tofu Block – firm tofu is a must for this recipe, or the tofu will crumble apart in the dish.
- Cornstarch – or corn flour.
- Olive Oil or sesame oil or any oil you have on hand.
- Garlic Powder – Or fresh crushed garlic.
- Orange Zest – Gather the orange peel of the orange you use for the orange sauce and chop finely. This is optional but delicious.
How To Make Tofu Orange Chicken
It’s very easy to make this orange tofu vegan recipe at home.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients above. This is the tofu marinade that you will use later to coat each tofu piece.
- Before you start, prepare the tofu by pressing the tofu blocks to release all its water. Wrap the blocks between pieces of absorbent paper and squeeze between two chopping boards placing heavy weights on the top board – can be a 1 kg jar of bean or water bottle.
- Set aside 20-30 minutes until the block has released all its water.
- Now that the tofu released all its water cut into cubes of 1 cm/0.4 inch, or pulled apart roughly to mimic chicken texture even more.
- Coat the tofu cubes with marinade and lay the tofu pieces on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway, until golden brown and crispy.
How To Make Orange Tofu Sauce
While the tofu cubes are baking, prepare the sweet orange sauce.
Orange tofu orange sauce ingredients
The ingredients you need to make the orange tofu sauce are:
- Coconut Oil or Sesame Oil – I love sesame oil because it brings delicious flavors.
- Fresh Orange Juice – freshly squeezed is the best.
- Garlic – fresh or ground.
- Ginger – fresh or ground.
- Rice Vinegar or White Vinegar.
- Soy Sauce or tamari sauce if you need a gluten-free option.
- Brown Sugar – You can adjust the amount of sugar based on your palate. Start with 1/3 cup and increase by 2 tablespoons for a sweeter sauce.
- Cornstarch – To create a thicker sauce.
- First, make the slurry by whisking the corn starch and cold water in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Over medium heat, warm the coconut oil, and quickly stir fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant in a large skillet.
- Now stir in orange juice, white vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar, and bring to a light simmer. Keep stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
- Then, whisk in the slurry and keep cooking on low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickened. Remove from heat.
- Finally, use a slotted spoon to transfer the crispy cubes of tofu into the large skillet.
- Stir in the sticky orange sauce until the tofu cubes are evenly coated.
Serving Orange Tofu
This easy orange tofu recipe is delicious with a side of:
- White rice like basmati rice or jasmine rice.
- Brown rice for more fiber.
- Quinoa for a boost of plant-based protein and fiber.
- Cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
- Steamed broccoli – orange tofu and broccoli match well together! You can even stir the steamed broccoli in the sauce and serve on rice.
Also, add some of these flavorings on top of the tofu before serving:
- Finely chopped scallions,
- Roasted sesame seeds
- A pinch of chili flakes
Storage Instructions
This orange chicken-style tofu can be stored for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can freeze the tofu with orange sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge the day before. Rewarm in the microwave on a plate until hot or in a large skillet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does Orange Tofu Taste?
This vegan orange chicken tofu tastes like the real thing, but it’s cruelty-free!
The tofu cubes are crispy, and chewy, and the sauce is sticky, sweet, and full of Asian cuisine flavor from garlic, and ginger sauce with a delicious tangy orange flavor.
Can I Make Spicy Orange Tofu?
If you love spicy food, you can boost the spiciness of the tofu orange sauce by adding:
– drops of sriracha sauce
– pinch of chili powder or chili flakes
– fresh finely chopped chili
– more garlic!
Can I Replace The Tofu?
If you don’t like tofu, you can make orange cauliflower using the same recipe.
First, cut the cauliflower florets into small 4-inch pieces.
Then, coat in as you will do for tofu and bake until the cauliflower is soft and tender in the center and outside is crispy.
Can I Air Fry The Tofu?
Sure, you can use an air fryer instead of an oven to cook the tofu.
Follow your air fryer setting to cook the tofu until crispy and golden brown.
Can I Pan Fry The Tofu?
Usually, yes you can pan fry coated tofu. But to make crispy orange tofu, I don’t recommend the pan fry method.
The tofu won’t crisp on the outside as much, and the center will stay moist.
More Vegan Meal Recipes
If you love cooking easy vegan meals, I have plenty more delicious recipes for you to try.
Below I listed our favorite comforting vegan dinner ready in less than 30 minutes.
Vegan Eggplant Rollatini
Peanut Noodles
Orange Cauliflower
Szechuan Tofu
Teriyaki Noodles
Did You Like This Recipe?
Leave a comment below or head to our Facebook page for tips, our Instagram page for inspiration, our Pinterest for saving recipes, and Flipboard to get all the new ones!
Vegan Orange Tofu
This easy Orange Tofu Recipe with crispy tofu pieces coated in sweet, sticky orange sauce.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
Resting Time: 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 317 kcal
Author: Carine Claudepierre
4.98 from 145 votes
Ingredients
US Customary – Metric
Tofu marinade
- 2 blocks Firm Tofu - 14 oz, 400g each
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4 tablespoons Cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 3 tablespoons Orange Zest - from 1 orange
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Orange sauce
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 3 Garlic Cloves - crushed or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger - or 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 cup Orange Juice
- ⅓ cup Soft Brown Sugar - up to 1/2 cup if you love it very sweet
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Rice Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2-3 tablespoons Cold Water
To serve – per plate
- 1 cup Jasmine Rice
- 2 tablespoons Scallions - finely chopped
- 1 pinch Chili Flakes
Instructions
Prepare the tofu
Wrap the tofu block with absorbent paper and place it between two chopping boards, adding a few books on top of the top board to add pressure. Set aside 30 minutes to release all the tofu moisture.
Marinate tofu
Cut the tofu block into cubes of (about 0.4 inches/1cm) or roughly pull apart the tofu to create irregular pieces of tofu – this mimics chicken texture the best!
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients: olive oil, cornstarch, garlic powder, orange zest, and salt.
Add the tofu chunks into the marinade and combine with a spoon.
Lay the tofu pieces onto the prepared baking sheet into a single layer, make sure the tofu pieces don't touch each other or overlap.
Bake on the center rack for 20-30 minutes, flipping them halfway. Meanwhile, prepare the curry sauce.
Orange sauce
Heat a large skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Over medium heat, melt coconut oil, then stir in garlic, ginger, and cook over low heat to prevent the garlic from burning. Cook until fragrant for about 1 minute.
Add orange juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Bring to a light simmer, occasionally stirring, until the sugar dissolves – about 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk water and cornstarch in a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry into the hot orange sauce and keep simmering, occasionally stirring, until the sauce thickens – about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Toss the crispy hot tofu in the sauce until coated.
Serve over cooked jasmine rice and garnish with scallions pieces or chili flakes to add a spicy touch.
Storage
Store in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 448mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 241IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg
About The Author
Carine
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, photographer, and published author of a cookbook and founder of The Conscious Plant Kitchen with my husband Damien.Learn more about us.
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High-Protein Vegan RecipesMealsRecipes
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I’m always looking for vegetarian/vegan recipes and I will definitely try this crispy orange Tofu recipe.
Reply
Omg, this recipe is so so good! I didn’t have oranges, so I took tangerines, but omg, sooooo goodReply
I’m not vegan or vegetarian, just a tofu lover and this recipe is really really good!!! The only thing I changed was the coconut oil which I swapped for sesame oil. The tofu did get crispy in the oven and wasn’t at all soggy even after sitting in the sauce for a while. Tofu is so much cheaper than boneless chicken thighs so I will definitely be using this recipe from now on!Reply
Just made this for lunch.delicious. Better than I expected.
I didn’t have an orange to zest but used dehydrated lemon peel.
After marinating, I rolled the tofu in Panko for extra crispy.
I had shelf stable orange juice (sugar added) in the cupboard and used that. It all worked.Reply
Hi! Can I use olive oil or vegan butter instead of coconut oil?
Reply
Yes, you can. The most flavorsome alternative is sesame oil.
Reply
Can you use something instead of soya sauce as me and my two very young children are allergic to soya.
Reply
If wheat is the problem, you can use Tamari sauce – it’s gluten-free.
Otherwise, you can try just adding a touch of salt.Reply
I really loved this tofu recipe, but it didn’t give me that classic “orange chicken” taste or texture. Next time I’ll add more sugar and add something spicy. I served it with steamed broccoli and carrots and loved the pairing. I’m not sure where I went wrong but my tofu didn’t get very crispy even after 30 minutes in the oven at 400F after drying for 1 hr … next time I might experiment with the air fryer, a higher temp, or more cornstarch… any advice? Thanks for the recipe!Reply
You can increase the oven temp to 420F, or turn to convection mode, which is similar to air frying tofu. I don’t think you need more cornstarch tho, it’s more the temperature that make it crisp. Also make sure your tofu is well drained if too moist it won’t crisp either. For spiciness, try a touch of sriracha or chili oil !
Reply
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!Reply
Can u substitute the rice vinegar for apple cider vinegar ?
Reply
Absolutely, rice vinegar is a bit sweeter so maybe you need to add a touch of sugar to balance the flavor
Reply
Texture is perfect, I used one block and it worked fine. I did reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup.Reply
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