This Crispy Baked Orange Tofu is reminiscent of the popular Chinese dish. A sticky, sweet orange sauce is paired with the most amazing crispy BAKED tofu!

orange tofu on top of rice

This magical orange tofu recipe reminds me so much of my pre-vegan Panda Express orange chicken days! The sauce is to die for, and the tofu is baked to crispy perfection instead of being fried. I prefer baking tofu, as you can see from my Sticky Sriracha Tofu and Peanut Tofu.

It’s an easy weeknight meal, especially if you press your tofu beforehand! All you have to do is get some rice cooking, bake the tofu, make your orange sauce, then mix the crispy tofu in it.

My 4 year old is obsessed with this dish. He asks me every couple of days to make his “favorite tofu” (this recipe), so we eat it quite often around this house!

very close up shot of orange tofu

How to make Crispy Baked Orange Tofu

This is my favorite method for baking tofu.

Add your pressed tofu cubes to a large ziplock type bag (large plastic containers work well, too). Now add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and olive oil (or soy sauce for oil free). Close the bag and gently shake it around to coat the tofu.

how to make baked crispy tofu, in a ziplock bag

Place the tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for 15 more minutes until golden and crispy. It’s so much easier than frying, plus less oil too!

tofu collage of how to bake it crispy

Simple Sticky Orange Sauce

The orange sauce is made of simple ingredients:

  • Vegetable broth
  • Fresh squeezed orange juice (from a few oranges)
  • Sugar (or other sweetener)
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Low sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Sriracha hot sauce
  • & Cornstarch/water slurry

orange tofu sauce in a pan being warmed

Once the tofu is cooked and the sauce has thickened, add the tofu to the sauce and stir. That’s it!

crispy tofu in orange sauce in a pan

Special Tips & Instructions

  • Gluten-free: Use gluten free tamari instead of soy sauce.
  • Tofu-free: Try using cauliflower instead! Bake it just like you would the tofu, then mix with the sauce.
  • Sweetener options: Add less or more sugar to taste, or substitute pure maple syrup, agave or even coconut sugar.
  • Fry instead of bake: If you prefer, you can pan fry the tofu instead. Simply toss the tofu with cornstarch, then fry in a thin layer of oil.

orange tofu on top of rice on a white plate

Want more vegan take out recipes that are easy to make at home?

orange tofu on top of rice on a white plate
4.97 stars (62 ratings)

Crispy Baked Orange Tofu

This Crispy Baked Orange Tofu is reminiscent of the popular Chinese dish. A sticky, sweet orange sauce is paired with the most amazing crispy BAKED tofu! 
Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 5 large servings

Ingredients 
 

Crispy Baked Tofu:

  • (2) 14-16 ounce blocks extra-firm tofu
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, OR low sodium soy sauce for oil free
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Sticky Orange Sauce:

  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, from 2-3 large oranges
  • 1/2 cup organic sugar (may sub coconut sugar, brown sugar or pure maple syrup)
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water

For serving

  • 4-5 cups cooked rice
  • 2-3 tablespoons chopped green onions

Instructions 

Make the Crispy Baked Tofu:

  • Press the tofu by wrapping in paper towels (or a clean dry tea towel). Place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu, and put a couple of heavy books on top of that. Let the tofu press for at least 30 minutes if possible and up to an hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with oil.
  • Slice the tofu into 1 inch cubes and add them to a large ziplock bag, along with the olive oil (or soy sauce) and cornstarch. Close the bag, and shake gently to coat the tofu pieces. 
  • Arrange the tofu evenly on the prepared pan, and bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake for 15 more minutes, until the tofu pieces are crispy and lightly golden brown. Remove from oven.

Make the Orange Sauce:

  • In a large pan (large enough to fit the tofu and sauce), add all sauce ingredients except the cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil, and cook for a minute or two. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to combine, and then add to the pot. Stir over medium-high heat constantly for a couple of minutes, until the sauce thickens. 
  • Now add the baked tofu to the pan and stir to coat the tofu in the sauce. Remove from heat.
  • Serve over brown or white rice. Sprinkle with green onions and/or sesame seeds. Add a side of steamed broccoli or cauliflower if desired.

Video

Notes

  • Gluten Free: Make sure to use gluten free tamari, not soy sauce. 
  • Tofu Free: Try using cauliflower instead (roasted, just like the tofu!)
  • Adjust the sweetness: If you don't like too much sweetness, add less sugar or other sweetener of choice. Start with a few tablespoons, and taste until it's to your liking.
  • This recipe makes enough for 5 people. It does make great leftovers, but feel free to halve the recipe if desired.
  • Fry instead of bake: If you prefer, you can pan fry the tofu. Simply toss tofu cubes with cornstarch, and fry in a thin layer of oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1070mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Author: Nora Taylor
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!

*This recipe was originally posted in Jan. 2018 and has been updated with new photos and writing Dec. 2019.

 

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Comments

  1. Oh my!  This orange tofu is amazing. The sauce steals the show. I baked my tofu.  Absolutely delicious.  Will definitely make again and will definitely refer to others.  

    1. Thank you, Dinie, for sharing your review, and for sharing my recipe with others! I’m glad you love the orange tofu!

  2. This recipe is SO delicious! Thank you so much for sharing. I made this with tofu and cauliflower to add some veggies and I cannot get enough!

  3. Once again, you knocked this out of the park!!!!! I only had a little bit of organic store bought orange juice and one orange. I decided to zest the heck out of the orange and pureed it all together. It worked!! So flavorful!!
    Thank you for what you do!!
    Karyn

    1. HI Karyn. Thanks a lot for taking time to leave your review, it means a lot to me. I’m glad you love the tofu! Thank you!

  4. Hi,
    I’m going to make this tomorrow evening. I made the General Tso’s Tofu last night and it came out great….apart from the fact that the Tofu stuck to the parchment paper. 🙁 Is there a trick? I’m guessing it needs turning and flipping to prevent sticking?
    Thanks,
    Joanne

    1. You could spray the parchment paper with a little oil if you are having trouble with sticking. If the tofu is pressed well, then coated well, it shouldn’t stick much especially if it has baked long enough. It will form a crust on the outside as it bakes that helps it pop right off the parchment. But often I do spray with oil just in case anything sticks. Hope that helps!

  5. Noraaaa, this orange tofu recipe was perfect! Olive oil + cornstarch for baking gave this tofu the best texture. Can’t wait to make the sesame tofu next.

  6. Hi Nora;
    Just wanted to thank you for such an excellent recipe, the orange sauce has become a go to for us. Instead of tofu we have been using soy curls that we rehydrate with orange juice then dust with corn starch and pan fry before adding it to the sauce. I stir fry onions and a ton of broccoli and mix it all together, it tastes like take out. I use soy aminos and regular GF soy sauce. I’m  making this again tonight and the family is just so excited!

  7. This was really delicious. I used tangerine juice instead of orange juice, monk fruit sweetener and added a couple of teaspoons of honey to the sauce. I also pan fried the tofu in my well-seasoned cast iron pan and it had a beautiful crispy crust. I printed up this recipe as it will be one of my go-tos. Thank you!

  8. This was FANTASTIC! I only used 1 block of tofu because I divided the sauce over the tofu and some chicken my husband cooked. Served over white rice with steamed brocolli. This was such a simple recipe and tastes SO much better than take out! It’s going in our meal rotation. Thank you!

  9. Made this a couple times now. I like how simple and customizable it is. One time I accidentally added too much orange juice & broth (forgot I was halving the recipe!) – but then I just let it sit a little longer with the tofu in the pan on medium-high so it could caramelize and crisp up a bit. That was very good too.

  10. I really missed eating Orange Chicken, but ever since I decided to go vegan I always wondered if there was an alternative. Then I stumbled across your recipe! I was slightly skeptical about just how tasty this sauce and recipe was going to be. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how delicious and easy it was to make! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I will make this more than once per week!

    1. Yep, just regular sugar. Use organic to make sure it’s vegan, as some white sugar is processed with animal bones.

      1. Thanks! I’ve tried orange tofu before and this recipe was much better. Already planning to make it again soon!

  11. In all honesty this is the most delicious tofu recipe I’ve ever made. I half the recipe because I’m only one person but it still makes 2 meals. I zest the orange for even more flavor before squeezing the juice. Also I make the sauce first because when it cools it thickens on it’s own. I’ve made this many times for myself and each time it’s worth every minute of preparation!

  12. The sauce was very delicious! Mine stayed pretty thin- I’m wondering if it is because I used flour instead of cornstarch. Also, it didn’t get as orange as the pictures- maybe because I used bottled juice. Either way, it still had a nice citrus taste to it! And the tofu was very crispy. Next time I might do a couple min more to get it extra crispy, but overall I really enjoyed. Added in some vegetables since there was plenty of sauce to go around.

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed it! Yes, using flour instead of cornstarch would not get the sauce very thick at all, so I would recommend trying it with cornstarch next time, or even arrowroot. Bottled juice makes a difference as well. Thank you!

  13. one of our favorite dishes. We often dont crispify the tofu and also add a bunch of other veggies. Quick and delicious!

  14. I made this tonight for dinner and it was great. I would reduce by half the amount of corn starch in the sauce but otherwise would make this again!

  15. This is an amazing recipe! Thank you so much for sharing this it really is the bomb.

    I’ve always been a horrible cook, but this recipe really was easy to follow and delicious so thank you so very much.

  16. This is so easy and unbelievably yummy! i first tried it a few months ago, since then has become a favourite and i make pretty much every other week. Thank you so much!!

  17. This was sooo good! Tasted like orange tofu from my local Chinese place and really hit the spot. I added some lightly steamed broccoli and mushrooms into the sauce with the tofu to up the portion and health benefit a little. The whole family (even my dad who isn’t crazy about tofu) loved it! 

  18. Amazing! I threw in some orange zest to the sauce, too. Other than that, followed recipe exactly and it was restaurant quality. Thank you!

  19. This was easy and delicious!  I will bake tofu again, it was crunchy and just right for the sauce.

    1. Hi Nora! I am wondering if using orange juice would work okay instead of juicing oranges? I was thinking about making this and only have lots of pulp orange juice in hand. If you think it would make a big difference I will wait until I can buy oranges. Thanks!

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