Sticky Lemon Tofu

Crispy tofu with a zingy, sweet, and super flavorful sticky sauce over rice makes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Serve with your favorite garnishes and you’ll feel like you’re eating takeout, but it’s actually much healthier!

Inspired by Chinese takeout “lemon chicken” but made with tofu instead. Meatless, nutritious, and you can choose to add veggies, as you wish.

The tofu can be baked or fried, depending on your preference, either way resulting in delicious, crispy bites of tofu that are just asking to be covered in a sticky lemon sauce. I prefer baking them, it’s healthier and the oven does the work while I work on the sauce. Either way is delicious and simple, though!

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Sticky Lemon Tofu

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

For the Crispy Tofu

• 1 14oz / 400g block of firm or extra-firm tofu

• 1 Tbsp / 14g oil

• 1 Tbsp / 17g soy sauce

• 1/4 cup / 40g cornstarch

For the Lemon Sauce

• 1/2 cup / 119g chicken broth or water

• 1/4 cup / 56g lemon juice

• 2 Tbsp / 34g soy sauce

• 3 Tbsp / 60g maple syrup

• zest of 1 lemon

To sautè

• 1 Tbsp / 14g oil

• 2-3 green onions, sliced

• 1 Tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

For Serving

• Rice

• Garnishes such as sliced green onions, sesame seeds, red chili flakes, and/or lemon slices

Directions:

Make the Crispy Tofu

1. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.

2. Slice tofu into squares and toss together with the oil, soy sauce, and corn starch until evenly coated.

   Pan fry:

3. Heat a large fry pan and add tofu. Fry for a few minutes until golden, then flip tofu over. Add more oil to pan as needed to get a nice golden crust on the tofu. Remove from heat when done.

   OR Bake:

4. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto a parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F / 205°C for about 30 minutes, or until light golden and crispy. Ideally, flip tofu halfway through baking.

Make the sauce

1. Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce; set aside.

Sauté

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. (Can be the pan you used for the tofu if you pan-fried it).

2. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.

3. Add lemon sauce ingredients to pan and bring to a simmer.

4. Add in tofu, carefully stir to evenly coat tofu in sauce. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.

5. Serve with rice and garnishes, as desired.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Veggies can be added to this dish if desired. I like snow peas and broccoli, which can be added at the very end with the tofu into the sauce. Put a lid on and let the veggies steam for a few minutes, or until desired tenderness is achieved.

• If pan frying the tofu, you can flip the tofu with tongs, or simply sauté/flip the tofu using the pan. The second way is faster, but requires a bit more skill and you have less control over which sides of the tofu land down.

• Use whichever kind of cooking oil you prefer. I simply write “oil” since specifying often gets people thinking they must use a specific oil, when really you can use any high-heat cooking oil (peanut oil, avocado oil, some use olive oil, etc.)

• Instead of maple syrup you can also use 1/4 cup / 50g of sugar or brown sugar. Or, 3 Tbsp / 63g of honey, which lends a slightly different flavor.

Yield 2-3

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

40 Min

Total time

55 Min

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Sticky Lemon Tofu

Crispy tofu nuggets tossed in a super flavorful sticky lemon sauce inspired by Chinese takeout Lemon Chicken, served over rice.

Ingredients

For the Crispy Tofu

• 1 14oz / 400g block of firm or extra-firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp / 14g oil
• 1 Tbsp / 17g soy sauce
• 1/4 cup / 40g cornstarch

For the Lemon Sauce

• 1/2 cup / 119g chicken broth or water
• 1/4 cup / 56g lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp / 34g soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp / 60g maple syrup
• zest of 1 lemon

To sautè

• 1 Tbsp / 14g oil
• 2-3 green onions, sliced
• 1 Tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

For Serving

• Rice
• Garnishes such as sliced green onions, sesame seeds, red chili flakes, and/or lemon slices

Instructions

Make the Crispy Tofu

1. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.
2. Slice tofu into squares and toss together with the oil, soy sauce, and corn starch until evenly coated.
3. Pan fry:
4. Heat a large fry pan and add tofu. Fry for a few minutes until golden, then flip tofu over. Add more oil to pan as needed to get a nice golden crust on the tofu. Remove from heat when done.
5. OR Bake:
6. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto a parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400°F / 205°C for about 30 minutes, or until light golden and crispy. Ideally, flip tofu halfway through baking.

Make the sauce

1. Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce; set aside.

Sauté

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. (Can be the pan you used for the tofu if you pan-fried it).
2. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Add lemon sauce ingredients to pan and bring to a simmer.
4. Add in tofu, carefully stir to evenly coat tofu in sauce. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.
5. Serve with rice and garnishes, as desired.

Notes

• Veggies can be added to this dish if desired. I like snow peas and broccoli, which can be added at the very end with the tofu into the sauce. Put a lid on and let the veggies steam for a few minutes, or until desired tenderness is achieved.
• If pan frying the tofu, you can flip the tofu with tongs, or simply sauté/flip the tofu using the pan. The second way is faster, but requires a bit more skill and you have less control over which sides of the tofu land down.
• Use whichever kind of cooking oil you prefer. I simply write “oil” since specifying often gets people thinking they must use a specific oil, when really you can use any high-heat cooking oil (peanut oil, avocado oil, some use olive oil, etc.)
• Instead of maple syrup you can also use 1/4 cup / 50g of sugar or brown sugar. Or, 3 Tbsp / 63g of honey, which lends a slightly different flavor.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

476.8

Fat

23.04 g

Sat. Fat

2.04 g

Carbs

47.45 g

Fiber

2.93 g

Net carbs

44.51 g

Sugar

20.62 g

Protein

21.78 g

Sodium

1742.63 mg

Cholesterol

1.18 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 serving if recipe serves 2. Does not include rice or garnishes.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/3/15/sticky-lemon-tofu

Sticky lemon tofu, chinese takeout lemon chicken

dinner

Asian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

This Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry is deliciously salty, satisfying, and nutritious.

My family makes this recipe quite a bit, it’s quick and easy, providing protein and vegetables and a carb, if you serve it over rice.

If you’re watching your salt intake, you might prefer to use a low-sodium soy sauce and broth. Using low-sodium ingredients allows you to have more control over how salty your dish is, whether or not you actually may need low-sodium for health reasons.

This dish is also delicious meat-ified…by that I mean, with chicken instead of tofu. I’m not a vegetarian, and I love this recipe both ways. If making with chicken, you’ll want to cut it into cubes or bite-sized pieces. You can still coat the chicken in the cornstarch, and proceed with recipe as written. You’ll simply want to cook the chicken thoroughly, before adding in the garlic and ginger and finishing the stir fry. Voila! Meat-ified.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Serves about 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 14oz / 400g container of extra-firm tofu

• 2 Tbsp / 15g cornstarch

• 1 cup / 237g vegetable or chicken broth

• 3 Tbsp / 42g soy sauce

• 2 tsp / 10g sugar

• oil, for pan

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups broccoli florets

Directions:

1. Open and drain tofu. Wrap tightly in paper towels, place on a plate or cutting board, and place a weighted object on it, such as a bowl. Once the paper towel is soaked through, change them out for fresh paper towels. Repeat until paper towels remain mostly dry. Slice tofu into approx. 1/2” / 1cm cubes. Toss in a medium bowl with the cornstarch.

2. Combine broth, soy sauce, and sugar; set aside.

3. Generously drizzle an iron skillet or other non-stick pan with oil; place over medium-high heat.

4. Fry tofu until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Flip the tofu, and fry other side until golden brown, another 3-5ish minutes.

5. Lower heat to low; Add ginger and garlic and stir, until fragrant and sizzling, about a minute.

6. Add in broth mixture and stir occasionally, until it starts to simmer.

7. Add in broccoli, cover, and let sit for 2 minutes for “al dente” broccoli, or a couple more minutes for softer broccoli.

8. Turn off heat and serve over rice.

Suggested toppings: red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, etc.

Jenny’s Notes:

oven baked tofu

• In an ideal world the tofu is prepared a bit in advance, so it has ample time to release as much water as possible. However, you can also wrap the tofu just 2x in paper towels. It only takes a couple minutes and still gets a good amount of water out. You may need more cornstarch in this case since the tofu will be moister, and that’s perfectly fine. Frying time may also take a few minutes longer, for the water to evaporate and get a proper crisp on the tofu.

• If you prefer to bake tofu instead of frying: Prepare tofu as in step 1, than transfer onto a silpat or parchment paper lined cooking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 400°F / 205°C for 25-30 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Stir tofu once or twice during baking time. Add tofu into simmering sauce, let simmer for a few minutes, then add in broccoli to finish.

• This is wonderful with red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, cilantro, and green onions sprinkled on top for garnish.

stir fry, tofu, broccoli, takeout, Chinese takeout, vegetarian dinner

dinner

Asian

Yield: 3-4

Author: Jennyblogs

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Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Crispy tofu with lightly crunchy broccoli in a salty stir fry sauce makes for a quick and satisfying dinner that is as good as take-out!

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Ingredients

• 1 14oz / 400g container of extra-firm tofu
• 2 Tbsp / 15g cornstarch
• 1 cup / 237g vegetable or chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp / 42g soy sauce
• 2 tsp / 10g sugar
• oil, for pan
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups broccoli florets

Instructions

1. Open and drain tofu. Wrap tightly in paper towels, place on a plate or cutting board, and place a weighted object on it, such as a bowl. Once the paper towel is soaked through, change them out for fresh paper towels. Repeat until paper towels remain mostly dry. Slice tofu into approx. 1/2” / 1cm cubes. Toss in a medium bowl with the cornstarch.
2. Combine broth, soy sauce, and sugar; set aside.
3. Generously drizzle an iron skillet or other non-stick pan with oil; place over medium-high heat.
4. Fry tofu until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Flip the tofu, and fry other side until golden brown, another 3-5ish minutes.
5. Lower heat to low; Add ginger and garlic and stir, until fragrant and sizzling, about a minute.
6. Add in broth mixture and stir occasionally, until it starts to simmer.
7. Add in broccoli, cover, and let sit for 2 minutes for “al dente” broccoli, or a couple more minutes for softer broccoli.
8. Turn off heat and serve over rice.
9. Suggested toppings: red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, etc

Notes

• In an ideal world the tofu is prepared a bit in advance, so it has ample time to release as much water as possible. However, you can also wrap the tofu just 2x in paper towels. It only takes a couple minutes and still gets a good amount of water out. You may need more cornstarch in this case since the tofu will be moister, and that’s perfectly fine. Frying time may also take a few minutes longer, for the water to evaporate and get a proper crisp on the tofu.
• If you prefer to bake tofu instead of frying: Prepare tofu as in step 1, than transfer onto a silpat or parchment paper lined cooking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 400°F / 205°C for 25-30 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Stir tofu once or twice during baking time. Add tofu into simmering sauce, let simmer for a few minutes, then add in broccoli to finish.
• This is wonderful with red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, cilantro, and green onions sprinkled on top for garnish.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

223

Fat

11 g

Sat. Fat

1 g

Carbs

16 g

Fiber

3 g

Net carbs

13 g

Sugar

2 g

Protein

16 g

Sodium

1322 mg

Cholesterol

2 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 3 servings, not including rice or garnishes.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2023/8/18/tofu-and-broccoli-stir-fry

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Sticky Sesame Tofu

Lightly pan-fried, crispy tofu nuggets tossed in a sweet and salty, sticky sesame sauce and served over rice. Extra delicious when served with hot pepper flakes, green onion, sesame seeds, and broccoli.

This Sticky Sesame Tofu is like Sesame Chicken and General Tso’s Chicken all wrapped up in one. Except it’s tofu, and not chicken, which makes it a vegan recipe. I’m not vegan, I just happen to love tofu. BUT this recipe can also be made with chicken! Simply pan fry it until cooked through, then proceed with the recipe as written.

Some notes about this recipe:

1. The tofu I would get in Italy, seems to come in 380g packages instead of the 400-450gish (14-16oz) like in the States, which means that recipe proportions will be a tiny bit different. The photos you see on this post are when I used the Italian 380g package of tofu, but I used to make half the sauce recipe as written below. If you are using a smaller than 380g block of tofu, you could consider cutting this recipe in half, to keep it more “sticky” and less saucy.

2. Tofu in Italy also comes in a vacuum-packed container and not in water like in the States. This means the tofu starts out less watery and is easier to dry. Usually one heavy duty napkin or paper towel is sufficient for pressing.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from Alexa Fueled Naturally

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Sticky Sesame Tofu

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

For the Crispy Tofu

• 1 box / roughly 400g firm or extra firm tofu, drained

• 1/2 cup / 60g cornstarch

• 2 Tbsp / 28g peanut oil or other high-heat oil, plus more as needed

For the Sticky Sesame Sauce

• 1/2 cup / 120g soy sauce or tamari

• 6 Tbsp / 90g tomato purée

• 6 Tbsp / 76g brown sugar, or 6 Tbsp / 120g maple syrup

• 2 Tbsp / 30g rice vinegar

• 2 tsp sriracha or 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 2 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 2 tsp / 10g cooking oil

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tsp / 10g sesame oil

For Serving (optional):

• rice

• steamed broccoli

• avocado, sesame seeds, sliced green onion, lime wedges, red pepper flakes, cilantro
  

Directions:

Make the Crispy Tofu

1. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.

2. Place corn starch in a medium bowl. Slice tofu into squares and toss in the corn starch until evenly coated.

   Pan fry:

3. Heat oil in a large fry pan and add tofu. Fry for a few minutes until golden, then flip tofu over. You can do this with tongs, or simply sauté/flip the tofu. The second way is faster, but requires a bit more skill and you have less control over which sides of the tofu land down. Add more oil to the pan as needed to get a nice golden crust on the tofu. Remove from heat when done.

   OR Bake:

4. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto a parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400°F / 205°C for about 30 minutes, or until light golden and crispy. Ideally, flip tofu halfway through baking.

Make the Sticky Sesame Sauce:

1. While the tofu is frying or baking, prepare the sauce. In a bowl stir together soy sauce, tomato purée, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sriracha, and ginger.

2. Heat cooking oil in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add tgarlic and cook until just starting to turn golden, 1-2 minutes.

3. Add the soy sauce mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce just starts to thicken. Stir in the sesame oil.

4. Add tofu to sauce and toss until evenly covered; serve immediately with rice, broccoli, and garnishes, if desired.

Jenny’s Notes:

• If you don’t have rice vinegar, use any vinegar you have on hand.

• You can add more sriracha or red pepper flakes if you want it extra spicy, or omit if you don’t like spice.

• If not serving all the tofu right away, it’s best to store it separately from the sauce if you wish to keep the tofu crispy.

vegan, sticky sesame sauce, tofu, Sesame chicken tofu, General Tso's chicken tofu, sweet and sour

Dinner, Main

Asian

Yield: 2-3

Author: Jennyblogs

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Sticky Sesame Tofu

Lightly pan-fried or baked, crispy tofu nuggets tossed in a sweet and salty, sticky sesame sauce and served over rice. Tastes like Sesame Chicken or General Tso's Chicken, but vegan!

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

For the Crispy Tofu

• 1 box / roughly 400g firm or extra firm tofu, drained
• 6 Tbsp / 45g cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp / 28g peanut oil or other high-heat oil, plus more as needed

For the Sticky Sesame Sauce

• 1/2 cup / 120g soy sauce or tamari
• 6 Tbsp / 90g tomato purée
• 6 Tbsp / 76g brown sugar, or 6 Tbsp / 120g maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp / 30g rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sriracha or 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp / 10g cooking oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tsp / 10g sesame oil

For Serving (all optional):

• rice
• steamed broccoli
• sesame seeds, sliced green onion, lime wedges, red pepper flakes

Instructions

Make the Crispy Tofu

1. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.
2. Place corn starch in a medium bowl. Slice tofu into squares and toss in the corn starch until evenly coated.
3. Pan fry:
4. Heat oil in a large fry pan and add tofu. Fry for a few minutes until golden, then flip tofu over. You can do this with tongs, or simply sauté/flip the tofu. The second way is faster, but requires a bit more skill and you have less control over which sides of the tofu land down. Add more oil to the pan as needed to get a nice golden crust on the tofu. Remove from heat when done.
5. OR Bake:
6. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto a parchment paper or silpat lined tray. Bake in a preheated 400°F / 205°C for about 30 minutes, or until light golden and crispy. Ideally, flip tofu halfway through baking.

Make the Sticky Sesame Sauce:

1. While the tofu is frying, prepare the sauce. In a bowl stir together soy sauce, tomato purée, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sriracha, and ginger.
2. Heat the cooking oil in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until just starting to turn golden, 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the soy sauce mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce just starts to thicken. Stir in the sesame oil.
4. Add tofu to the sauce and toss until evenly covered; serve immediately with rice, broccoli, and garnishes, if desired.

Notes

• If you don’t have rice vinegar, use any vinegar you have on hand.
• You can add more sriracha or red pepper flakes if you want it extra spicy, or omit if you don’t like spice.
• If not serving all the tofu right away, it’s best to store it separately from the sauce if you wish to keep the tofu crispy.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

528.96

Fat

23.06 g

Sat. Fat

3.34 g

Carbs

75.64 g

Fiber

3.65 g

Net carbs

71.48 g

Sugar

39.53 g

Protein

8.86 g

Sodium

3296.34 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 2 servings of tofu with sauce, not including rice or garnishes

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2020/6/28/sticky-sesame-tofu

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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