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Sticky Orange Tofu

by
orangetofu3

This has been one of our absolute favorite recipes to make lately! Combining our easy crispy tofu recipe with the most delicious orange sauce makes for the perfect dish. It’s honestly better than any takeout we have had! Plus, the sauce requires only 7-8 ingredients (that are staples in our household anyway!) and the crispy tofu requires just three. So easy!

Start by making our easy crispy tofu! All you do is dice the tofu, pat dry, toss it in cornstarch and then fry it up in oil. Look at how crispy and delicious it looks! Seriously our favorite way to fry tofu.

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Then, you make the delicious and sticky orange sauce. This makes a double batch of tofu, so it’s perfect for family dinners. If you don’t want it all at once, you can make one block of tofu and save half the sauce for later! We promise, you’ll want to have this dish twice in one week, it’s that good.

All you need for the sauce is:

water

juice from an orange + its zest

rice vinegar

low sodium soy sauce (or tamari to make gluten free)

agave or maple syrup

white sugar (can replace with agave or maple syrup for a healthier option)

fresh ginger root

minced garlic

and cornstarch

To make the orange sauce, all you do is add all of the sauce ingredients (minus the cornstarch) to a large saucepan on low-medium heat and whisk. Then, mix in a cornstarch slurry, bring to a boil and then back to a simmer, whisking often. Stir in the easy crispy tofu, top with some sesame seeds and green onions (red pepper flakes if you like spice) and boom, you’re done! We love this dish served on a bed of white rice and a side of roasted broccoli! It is absolutely delicious.

Love this recipe? Try out some of our other favorite better-than-takeout dishes:

Sweet & Sour Tofu (a fan favorite!)

Drunken Noodles

Korean Style Broccoli Wings

Sticky Orange Tofu

Skip the takeout and make this instead. Our orange tofu recipe will please the entire family, vegan or not!
5 from 11 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetizer, dinner
Cuisine asian
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

For the crispy tofu

  • 2 16oz (32oz total) blocks of tofu
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup cooking oil

For the sauce

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tbsp orange zest zest from one large orange
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice juice from one large orange
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari to make gluten free
  • 1/4 cup agave or maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup white sugar can replace with agave or maple syrup for a healthier option
  • ½ tsp minced fresh ginger root or a few shakes of ground ginger
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp corn starch + 3 tbsp water mix thoroughly in a small bowl to create a slurry

For topping

  • 2 tbsp diced green onion
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or desired amount
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions
 

Make the easy crispy tofu:

  • Drain the tofu and pat dry with a towel or paper towel.
  • Cut the tofu into small cubes. Pat the cubes dry again.
  • Place the cornstarch in a large mixing bowl.
  • Place the tofu pieces into the bowl and shake around so that all the pieces are covered in cornstarch (alternatively you can coat each piece separately).
  • Heat half the oil on a non-stick large frying pan over medium-high heat.
  • Place half the tofu in the pan.
  • Allow the tofu to crisp on the bottom side, and then flip them around and allow to crisp on every side. Take tofu off and set aside in a bowl.
  • Repeat the previous 3 steps for the second half of the tofu.

Make the sauce:

  • Place a large saucepan on the stove on low-medium heat
  • Add the first 8 sauce ingredients (all but the cornstarch slurry) to the pan and stir thoroughly.
  • Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and bring to a boil.
  • Turn down the heat and cook on low-medium for about 5 minutes, whisking often. The sauce will thicken and get sticky.

Serve:

  • Stir the crispy tofu into the sauce and and serve on top of white rice, if desired. Top with green onion, red pepper flakes and sesame seeds.

Notes

This makes a double batch, so keep that in mind! If you don’t want it all at once, you can make one block of tofu and save half the sauce for later.
Keyword asian, orange, rice, tofu
Categories:
    • Angela Hodges
    • July 6, 2020
    Reply

    Could you use lemons instead! My Dad bought a whole bag of lemons so I’m trying to use them up. Making your lemon poppyseed muffins too!

      • Linda
      • March 10, 2023
      Reply

      5 stars
      The is the best Orange Garlic Ginger sauce I’ve found! Great for lots of different meals. Thanks so much for sharing.

      • Joan
      • June 18, 2023
      Reply

      5 stars
      This is so good. Makes a huge amount. I divided by 4 and still have leftovers (I cook for one). Make sure to have veggies on the side.

    • Rachel
    • August 13, 2020
    Reply

    5 stars
    One of my all time favorite dishes. Even my non-vegan parents go crazy for it!!

    • Stephen Brandell
    • September 23, 2020
    Reply

    5 stars
    Delicious!! I couldn’t believe how good it was the first time, so I made it again the very next day! Easy to make – do it already!

    • Mimi
    • February 11, 2021
    Reply

    I don’t fry but was thinking the Tofu might work in an Air Fryer!?

      • Kim
      • March 4, 2021
      Reply

      5 stars
      The sauce is so delicious! I am already thinking of other foods to use it on. I think shrimp and scallops would be fantastic

    • Kristen
    • May 11, 2021
    Reply

    5 stars
    this is delicious!! The sauce is sooooo good. And the crispy tofu-i can’t get enough! This will go into rotation as a regular dinner recipe. Thanks so much!

    • Allison
    • May 15, 2021
    Reply

    5 stars
    This recipe is SO good! Tofu cannot be made any better than this. If you aren’t a fan of orange or citrus flavor, I’d suggest cutting the orange zest/juice down some, maybe in half because it’s very strong. Add this recipe to your arsenal for another great tofu dish to change things up from the sweet and sour tofu (which is also FANTASTIC). My non-vegan family and friends love this recipe paired with rice and spring rolls. They don’t even complain that I’m preparing vegan food for them, that’s how good it is. Thank you 6VS!!!

    • Allese
    • January 19, 2022
    Reply

    5 stars
    Holy cow this is good! My family is NOT vegetarian or vegan by any stretch and this recipe was deemed a winner. I haven’t been able to find a good orange stir fry sauce until now!

    • Vegan mom 2
    • March 30, 2023
    Reply

    5 stars
    Literally better than take out.

    • Tara
    • October 30, 2023
    Reply

    5 stars
    My first time cooking any dish with tofu and I’m so glad it was this dish. I followed directions exactly as written with exact ingredients. My tofu was crispy and the sauce was AMAZING!

    • Joan
    • January 16, 2024
    Reply

    5 stars
    This is so good. One of my favorite recipes ever.

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