Crispy Orange Tofu (vegan)

Prepare the tofu by pressing the liquid out. Once pressed, tear the tofu into large bite-sized chunks. Mine were all roughly an inch long and varied in size a little. Don’t worry too much about the size and shape. The idea is for it to have rough edges to give the tofu a little more texture and to hold onto flavors a little better.

Make the sauce by combining the orange juice, zest, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to a bowl or large measuring cup. Whisk to combine.

Place the tofu chunks into a large bowl and sprinkle on the cornstarch, a good pinch of fine sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Toss to combine so that the tofu is mostly covered.

Heat 1/2 an inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the tofu and cook for about 10 minutes, tossing often so that it gets browned on all sides.* Once done, remove tofu from the skillet and set aside.

To the same skillet, add in the orange juice mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 4 minutes. Once it starts to thicken, add the tofu pieces back into the skillet and cook for 1 more minute.

Serve with rice or your favorite side and ENJOY!

Cooking the tofu: you can also bake the tofu following these directions and then add the sauce on.

As desired, you can use less oil but it won’t turn out quite as crispy.