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This Orange Sesame Tofu Stir-Fry is a simple and tasty vegetarian meal. A flavorful, easy-to-make orange-sesame sauce comes together in just minutes.

My idea of the perfect weeknight meal? Something easy, with minimal prep or pans needed. Something hearty and filling. And something with plenty of fresh vegetables.

This Orange Sesame Tofu Stir-Fry fits the bill.

I hated tofu (or thought I did) until a co-worker of mine made me the crispiest, most flavorful, and most perfectly cooked tofu on the planet. Now, he was a much better chef than I and an expert on Asian cuisine, so this stir-fry is not going to come close to anything he would make. However, I think it’s pretty good.

Over the years, and with much trial-and-error, I’ve become much better at cooking tofu. Everyone has advice and their preferences when it comes to the subject, whether it’s to pan-fry, oven-bake, press it, marinate it, dry it, coat it, or what-have-you.

Here, I keep things simple. Extra firm tofu gets crispy and happy by being simply pan-fried in avocado oil. First, it gets drained and pressed—a must when it comes to tofu, no matter what you’re doing with it. I don’t marinate or coat the tofu. The sauce to this stir-fry is very flavorful and I like to keep the tofu as-is.

With that being said, if you’d like you can absolutely marinate the tofu or you can coat it in a thin layer of cornstarch for extra crisp.

I love the combination of fresh orange, nutty sesame oil, and Tamari here. The fresh citrus juice and zest cuts the saltiness and adds a bright, clean flavor. Freshly grated ginger also offers a lovely punch, and raw honey adds just a touch of sweetness.

Add some bell pepper, broccoli, and shiitake mushrooms, and you’ve got yourself a meal!

Serve the stir-fry over brown rice, quinoa, or riced cauliflower.

Here are some things you may need or want for this recipe:

Classic Series Carbon Steel Wok Set // Liquid Aminos // San-J Tamari Gluten Free Soy Sauce // La Tourangelle Toasted Sesame Oil

This post contains affiliate links but are always products I highly recommend.

Orange Sesame Tofu Stir-Fry

★★★★★ 5 from 7 reviews

Author: Tiffany La Forge
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2-3 1x
Category: supper, vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

This Orange Sesame Tofu Stir-Fry is a simple and tasty vegetarian meal. A flavorful, easy-to-make orange-sesame sauce comes together in just minutes.

Ingredients

Scale

8 oz extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons avocado oil (or cooking oil of choice)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Zest of one orange
1 tablespoon wild honey
4 tablespoons Tamari
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
3 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (plus more for serving)
Brown rice, quinoa, or riced cauliflower, for serving

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Instructions

Drain and press the tofu. Cut the tofu block into slices and spread out on several paper towels. Add more towels on top and set a cutting board or plate on top. Let sit 15 minutes to extract excess water.
In the meantime, make the sauce. Combine the Tamari, sesame oil, orange juice and zest, honey, ginger, minced garlic, and cornstarch. Whisk well and set aside.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a skillet until hot. Cut the tofu slices into small cubes and saute until golden and crispy. Remove the tofu from the pan and set on paper towels to drain.
Add the other tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the bell pepper, broccoli, and shiitake mushrooms to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are softened but still have a slight crunch.
Whisk the sauce once more to incorporate and add the sauce and the tofu back to the pan. Cook until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Add in toasted sesame seeds.
Serve the stir-fry over your choice of rice and top with additional toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

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Orange Sesame Tofu Stir-Fry

Here are some things you may need or want for this recipe: