Before I quit eating meat, whenever I would go to a Chinese restaurant, I would always get the orange chicken without hesitation. It was hands down my favorite Chinese dish. So of course when Taryn suggested we make orange tofu for the website, I was thrilled.
She made this orange tofu using a similar method to our popcorn tofu recipe, whereby the tofu is frozen and then defrosted to improve the texture, making it more similar to chicken. If you want this recipe to be very realistic, you could also make it using seitan, which is stringier and has a life-like chicken texture. We hope you enjoy it!
Crispy battered and fried tofu coated in a sweet orange chili sauce.
Ingredients
- 1&1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp green onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 package tofu, frozen overnight and thawed
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Drain and press the tofu. Break into small pieces and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add water, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, soy sauce, orange zest, sugar, ginger, garlic, green onion, and red pepper flakes.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir. Remove from heat.
- Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the tofu, toss and marinate for 1 hour.
- In another bowl with a lid, combine flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Using tongs, take pieces of tofu and place them in the bowl with the flour and cornstarch mixture. Cover with a lid and toss until all the tofu pieces are covered.
- Heat 1 cup of oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Gently fry tofu in small batches until golden brown on each side and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Meanwhile, add cornstarch to the saucepan with the sauce and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat and continue to stir until it thickens.
- Once all the tofu is done frying and the sauce is done, you can pour the sauce over the tofu and toss until combined.
Notes
This recipe is based on an authentic Chinese-style version of the dish. If you are used to American-Chinese takeout, this recipe might be more bitter and less sweet than you're used to. If you want an Americanized version, add more sugar and use less zest.
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