Crispy Orange Tofu
Orange Tofu is a vegan taken on "Orange Chicken". It's crispy, chewy, and the sauce is so flavorful.
Ingredients
Tofu
- 14 oz (397g) firm tofu, pressed and cubed
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp oil, such as olive or avocado
Orange Sauce
- ½ cup orange juice
- 3 tsp orange zest
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- ¼ tsp red pepper flake
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- scallions (optional, for topping)
- sesame seeds (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Press the tofu. Remove tofu from package, wrap in flour sack towel or paper towels, and place heavy object on top such as a heavy skillet or some cookbooks. Let tofu sit like this while you gather the rest of the ingredients.
- Cube the tofu. Remove tofu from towels and place on a cutting board. Cut tofu in half lengthwise. Cut each half into thirds, you should now have 6 strips. Cut each strip into cubes.
- Coat in cornstarch. Place the tofu cubes in a bowl and toss to coat with the cornstarch.
- Pan fry the tofu. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Once hot, add the tofu so each piece is touching the pan. If your pan isn't large enough, do this step in batches. Cook the tofu for abour 2 minutes, and then flip to the opposite side. The tofu shouldn't move until it's ready so be careful not to flip too early. Once the second side has cooked, stir tofu around in the pan for 1-2 more minutes, for a total of 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Bake the tofu. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the tofu to the sheet. Place in 400° oven and bake for 15 min. If you prefer a less firm texture, skip this step.
- Make the sauce. While the tofu bakes, prepare the sauce. Add all ingredients to a bowl EXCEPT the garlic. Stir to combine.
- Finish the tofu. Once the tofu is done baking, remove from oven. Heat the pan from earlier at medium-high heat. I typicaly have enoguh residual oil from cooking the tofu, but if you need it, add a small amount, like 1-2 tsp. Once warm, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Once the garlic is cooked, add the sauce. Cook until the sauce bubbles and starts reducing, about 2-3 minutes. Add the tofu to the pan, toss to coat. Lower heat and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the tofu is dark and coated and the sauce is thick. Remove from heat. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions, serve immediately.