Crispy Sticky Orange Tofu Recipe (Super Easy)

Sticky Orange Tofu is a delicious dish of crispy and golden brown shallow fried tofu cubes drizzled in a sticky orange sauce, served on brown rice and edamame, with slices of orange and lemon. It's a zingy hit of citrus as we go into Spring!

This is like a Chinese takeout recipe from your favourite local Chinese restaurant, only better and easier, because it will be served hot from the pan. Crispy cubes of tofu with a sticky and sour orange sauce, it's the perfect dish for a weeknight dinner. The whole family will enjoy it, and it's ready in 20-30 minutes.

Another simple and Asian takeaway tofu recipe you'll like is this Pad See Ew - sweet stir fry sauce with crumbled tofu, it's delicious.

Ingredients you'll need to make Sticky Orange Tofu

To make this Easy Orange Tofu recipe, you'll need the following ingredients:

For the sticky sauce

• 2 oranges - we want to use fresh orange juice from oranges rather than bottled orange juice as it will taste better.
• 2 lemons
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1.5 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 3 tbsp white sugar (brown sugar is okay too).
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ bunch green onions
• 2 cloves garlic

For the crispy tofu

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 600 g firm tofu or extra firm tofu
• ¼ cup cornflour (corn starch)
• ½ tsp salt and pepper

To serve

• 1 cup frozen edamame beans
• 450 g microwave brown rice

Full details are on the recipe card.

Substitutions and Add-ins

• Rice - you can use cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option, or jasmine rice or white rice if you like.
• Stir-fried Vegetables - you can serve with stir-fried vegetables of your choice like bell pepper or broccoli.
• Sweetener - you can use maple syrup instead of white sugar if you like.
• Oil - I use vegetable oil for frying, but you can use olive oil too.
• To finish - you can serve it with finely sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.

How to make Sticky Orange Tofu

1. Juice the oranges and lemons, and add orange zest if you like. Combine the juices with remaining sauce ingredients rice vinegar, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, white sugar, cornflour, and salt in a jug. Slice any remaining lemon or orange into wedges.
2. Slice the firm tofu block into 1-2 cm cubes and toss in a large bowl with cornflour, salt, and pepper to coat.
3. Finely slice green onions, separating the whites and greens. Mince the garlic. Measure out frozen edamame beans and bring a kettle of water to boil.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and shallow fry tofu in a single layer for 2 minutes on each side until golden. Place the fried tofu on a paper towel-lined plate, or use clean kitchen towels. For best results, make sure you turn the heat down to medium heat once you've flipped the tofu, as the oil will be very hot at this stage and can easily burn the tofu.
5. Wipe out excess oil from the pan using paper towels, leaving just enough to sauté. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add minced garlic and the white parts of green onions.
6. Lightly whisk the sauce ingredients in the jug. Pour the sauce into the pan and simmer until it thickens, stirring for about a minute, then turning down to low heat. Add the fried tofu pieces and toss to coat in the orange sauce. Remove from heat.
7. Heat microwave rice and pour boiling water over edamame to defrost, then drain. Combine rice and edamame in a serving bowl.
8. Serve the orange tofu immediately on top of the rice bowl. Garnish with green onion greens and lemon and orange wedges on the side. Enjoy!

Kid-Friendly Variations

• Kids may prefer elements served separately. They also might like their tofu without the orange and lemon glaze.

How to Store Sticky Orange Tofu

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Do not freeze.

Equipment

You will need a kettle, a non-stick frying pan, paper towels, a stovetop, a microwave.

More Tofu Recipes

If you like this Sticky orange tofu recipe, you'll also love this Crispy Tofu with Soba Noodles, it's crispy tofu served with a sweet and sour hoisin sauce and fresh vegetables. Or for a really easy tofu dinner, this Rainbow Rice Tray Bake is a winner. Finally, if you haven't tried it yet, this Tahini Miso Noodles with Crispy Tofu Recipe has that white pepper flavour that is just sooo good.

Recipe