Orange Tofu (Crispy, Sticky)

Sticky brown breaded tofu cubes are served on top of rice in a white bowl. It is sprinkled with chopped chives and sesame seeds. A hand is holding chopsticks to take one.

Orange Tofu (Crispy, Sticky)

This orange tofu recipe is another delicious vegan alternative to the popular Chinese take-out, orange chicken. Choosing tofu is the easiest and cheapest protein if you want to make a copycat at home. It is sticky, crispy, sweet, and zesty. You'll love it as much as I do.

Course Appetizer, Sauce, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword orange tofu

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 547kcal

Author Emese Maczko

Equipment

Ingredients

16 oz Firm tofu

Wet batter

½ cup Dairy-free milk
⅓ cup Chickpea flour
⅔ cup White rice flour
½ tsp Salt
⅛ tsp Black pepper
½ tsp Garlic powder

Dry batter

⅔ cup White rice flour or all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp Corn starch

Orange Sauce

3 Tbsp Corn starch
1 cup Orange juice
3 Tbsp Orange zest
½ cup Cane sugar
¼ cup Soy sauce or tamari
½ tsp Sriracha (or any other chili paste)
2 Tbsp Rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
2 cloves Garlic minced
1 Tbsp Ginger minced
1 Tbsp Molasses

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the batters

Wet batter → Take a shallow bowl and mix dairy-free milk, chickpea flour, white rice flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper with a whisk. It should have a texture of a thick pancake batter, slow-flowing but not too dense. In time, the flour may thicken the batter a bit, so add 1 tsp of water to thin it again.
Dry batter → Take another shallow bowl and mix white rice flour, corn starch, salt, and black pepper with a spoon.

Bread and fry tofu

Press tofu, then cut into ½ inch cubes.
Have both wet batter and dry mix in two separate shallow bowls.
Dip the tofu cubes first in the wet batter. Coat them evenly. I found it is easier to use your fingers to do that instead of using a fork or spatula.
Transfer gently the coated tofu cubes to the dry mix. Sprinkle the top and pat them gently. Make sure the mix sticks to them evenly.
Take a pot and add enough oil to cover the cubes. Heat it over medium/high heat. You can test whether it is hot enough by dropping a bit of coating in it. If it sizzles, you are good to go.
Stir them occasionally. It will take 3-4 minutes to fry them. Once the tofu cubes are nicely browned, take them out to a rack to drip the excess oil.

Prepare the orange sauce

Peel and mince ginger and garlic. Wash and grate some orange zest.
Take a small bowl and mix corn starch, orange juice (100%), orange zest, cane sugar, soy sauce, sriracha (or other chili paste), and white rice vinegar.
Take a saucepan and heat it over medium heat. Add oil and minced garlic, ginger and saute them for 1-2 minutes.
Add the mixture from the small bowl and mix well. Cook it for a couple of minutes until the corn starch is activated and the sauce starts to thicken.
Add molasses and stir well. Your sauce is ready now!

Serve it immediately

I recommend doing the coating per serving especially if you don't have a large enough pan or skillet.
Take ¼ of the orange sauce and add it to a warm skillet or pan. Add 1 serving of fried tofu cubes and mix well. Serve it on steamed or cooked rice.

Video

Notes

Can you use an air fryer?

Place the breaded tofu on the air fryer basket in one layer. Turn the air fryer on and set the temperature high. Fry for a couple of minutes.

Can you bake them in the oven?

I tested this recipe in the oven as well. Sadly, the coating will not be as crispy as when you fry them. But that is the case with every food. The difference between baking and frying is huge.

Nutrition