I have been in love with sheet pan tofu as of late. It is so easy to make with amazing results. Last fall I posted my sheet pan tofu with honey harissa sauce recipe, and now I have another version for you, sheet pan orange tofu with broccoli.
I remember eating orange chicken take-out before I stopped eating most meats, and this recipe is so much better! The authentic orange flavor of the sauce from fresh-squeezed oranges is the star of the show.
When I was first developing this recipe, I thought squeezing fresh oranges for the sauce was unrealistic for a quick easy meal. Bottom line, I was wrong! It really doesn’t take that much effort and I usually have the oranges on hand during winter anyway.
The one down side to this meal is that the sauce must be simmered instead of just stirred together. Other than that the recipe is easy and fun. I love ripping the tofu by hand, it makes you feel like a kid again, only better because I have a healthy delicious meal on the way.
Tips and Tricks for the Sheet pan Orange Tofu with Broccoli recipe:
- Use any orange-adjacent fruit. I have tried this recipe with clementines, mandarins, blood oranges and navel oranges, and they were all delicious. Use what you already have on hand.
- This is a great recipe for those bargain bin oranges past their prime. Those oranges are likely very juicy, and because you are not peeling and eating them, you can cut out any spots that are too far gone and still utilize the juice of the rest of the fruit easily.
- Serve with cooked rice. If you have to cook the rice along side making everything else, it will increase the total time. Instead, I make large batches of rice and freeze the leftovers. You can microwave rice from frozen in just a few minutes, keeping this meal fast and easy.
- Pressing the tofu. I have given up on the traditional method of pressing tofu under a weight. It is time consuming, and the results are not that different from just squeezing out excess liquid. I do this by hand over the sink in just a minute or two. Just press between two palms (like you’re praying with tofu in your hands) until the liquid reduces to a slow drip.
- 16 oz block tofu, ripped
- 2 TBS cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 ½ cups broccoli
- Splash olive oil
- Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cup cooked rice
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice (about 2 clementines, or 1 large orange)
- 2 ½ TBS reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 ½ tsp each: honey, sriracha, sesame oil
- 3 garlic coves, minced
- 3 TBS water
- 1 ½ tsp cornstarch
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Gently squeeze out excess water from the tofu over a sink or bowl and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Rip into 1 inch pieces.
- Whisk together 2 TBS corn starch and ¼ tsp table salt. Toss with the tofu and spread on one end of a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Flip over, keeping the tofu on one side.
- Toss broccoli with a splash olive oil and black pepper to taste. Place on the baking sheet opposite the tofu. Bake both the tofu and broccoli for 15-20 minutes, or until both are showing signs of browning.
- Meanwhile, whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, honey, sriracha, sesame oil, and minced garlic in a small skillet. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together water and corn starch. Poor the cornstarch slurry into the sauce mixture in the skillet, whisking continuously to combine. Cook over medium heat until it bubbles. Turn down to a simmer and let bubble very gently for about 3 minutes, or until it starts to look more clear than opaque (this means the cornstarch is cooked).
- Spread the cooked brown rice over three plates. Top with the roasted broccoli and tofu. Drizzle evenly with the sauce. Serve.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.
