This Sticky orange tofu is a great vegan & Gluten-free meal recipe that comes together in 30 minutes! It’s an easy vegan meal recipe made with Crispy golden tofu (baked or air-fried) tossed in a sweet, tangy, & sticky orange sauce.
This crispy baked orange tofu (aka Vegan Sticky orange chicken) is way healthier than those Chinese takeouts as it is both an oil-free and refined sugar-free(sweeten with orange) dish.
Easy Orange Tofu Recipe
Honestly, I am not the biggest tofu lover nor it’s my go-to ingredient when cooking. But let me tell you, this vegan-friendly version of the orange chicken recipe takes things to a different level.
This homemade sticky orange sauce is quite simple whereas the tofu is air-fried or baked with a small amount of oil to crispy perfection instead of deep-frying it. This made this recipe a healthy meal option that is great for kids.
Why you’ll love this!
- It’s easy to make, and everything comes in under 30 minutes!
- This recipe is fully customizable & can be made with baked tofu, you can add veggies (saute them and add)
- Best Vegan, Dairy-free, Egg-free & Gluten-free meal option
- Very healthy than the takeouts- it’s oil-free, no refined sugar
- Jam-packed with flavors, sweet, a little spicy, & tangy
Ingredients For Crispy Orange Tofu
- Tofu: use the extra-firm tofu (it has less water content)
- Orange juice: Fresh squeezed orange juice
- Soy sauce or Tamari: make sure to use a certified tamari for a gluten-free version.
- Rice vinegar
- Maple syrup or honey: To make this recipe, heather use maple syrup or honey.
- Oil: for air frying the tofu, I have used extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, or sunflower oil also works.
- Sriracha or Red hot sauce: for a subtle spice flavor.
- Garlic: Use freshly minced garlic or garlic powder
- Cornstarch: For coating the tofu and for thickening the orange sauce.
How to Make Air-Fryer Orange Tofu:
This is my go-to method for air-frying tofu.
- Add all the marinade ingredients to a bowl, add the pressed tofu cubes into the marinade and add the seasonings, then toss it gently to coat the tofu cubes properly.
- Then gently place the tofu cubes on the air fryer basket in a single layer. Now cook the tofu cubes for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Make sure to shake the basket midway (at 5 to 6 minutes mark) or occasionally for even cooking.
- It’s so much easier than deep-frying plus it calls for very little oil.
How to Bake Orange Tofu :
- Drain the tofu: This is the essential step, as even the firmest tofu also contains lots of water. Start by placing some clean kitchen over a flat surface and place the tofu slabs side by side.
Cover them with another layer of kitchen towel on top of it. Place a chopping board on top of it, and stack a bunch of heavy pans or even books. Let the tofu slabs drain for at least 15-30 minutes. - Cut the tofu slabs & coat: Chop the tofu slab into equal 1-inch cubes, add them to a deep bowl. Drizzle some olive oil, add a few tbsp of cornstarch, and gently toss them to coat.
Add seasoning like salt, black pepper, & garlic powder. Toss the chopped tofu gently until everything is coated perfectly. - Bake: Finally, transfer the tofu cubes to a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer( make sure not to overlap the cubes). Bake the tofu cubes at 400° For 15 minutes. Then take out the baking sheet from the oven and flip each tofu cubes. Again place the baking sheet for another 15 minutes or until the cubes get evenly crisp and golden brown.
How to make Homemade Sticky Orange Sauce
Making the orange sauce for a crispy orange tofu recipe is very easy. You just need to take a bowl, add all the orange sauce ingredients, and mix them.
Now transfer the mixture to a pan and thicken it over medium heat. Once it gets thick, add the baked or air-fried tofu and mix them.
Mix until the tofu is heated and evenly coated with the orange sauce. And you’re done; Vegan Orange Tofu is ready to serve!!
Tips For The Best Orange Tofu Recipe:
- Don’t like tofu? Try using cauliflower or potatoes. Bake the cauliflower and mix them with this yummy orange sauce!
- Gluten-free version: make sure to use certified GF tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Tofu: make sure to use the extra-firm tofu to get more crispy pieces of tofu.
- Oil-free (healthy version): Try Air frying the tofu instead of deep-frying or pan-frying.
- Don’t skip the cornstarch: Coating the tofu with cornstarch helps tofu get a perfectly lovely and crispy exterior.
More Tofu recipes:
- General Tso’s tofu- Under 30 min Vegan recipe
- Crispy Air fried tofu
- Homemade cottage cheese – Under 30 mins
- Kung Pao tofu
- Crispy baked tofu bowl
- Air fryer tofu nuggets
- Teriyaki Tofu