Bite size sticky tofu pieces in a tangy and sweet lemon sauce. This Chinese inspired lemon tofu is ready in less than 30 minutes and is plate licking good!
Our vegan lemon tofu is:
- An awesome plant-based version of Chinese lemon chicken
- Zingy, sweet and sticky
- A quick weeknight dinner that’s deliciously satisfying
- Easily made gluten free if you use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce
- AND better than takeout!
The tofu
Choose extra firm tofu for this recipe. You can use less firm tofu if you press it first to remove the excess water.
This tofu press is really handy if you haven't got one!
Silken tofu will not work - if you have some, we recommend using it for this gorgeous Vegan Tiramisu instead!
To make it more flavourful the tofu is first marinated in some soy sauce, then covered in a coating of cornflour seasoned with salt and pepper.
It's then shallow fried in a large frying pan to give it a golden, crispy crust.
We often make this recipe with homemade tofu, made with lemon juice as the coagulant. For even more lemony flavour!
The lemon sauce
Sweet, sour and umami flavours combine into a mouthwatering sauce that coats the tofu.
The sauce starts with garlic and ginger as a base, then adds lemon juice, zest, vegetable stock, soy sauce and sugar.
Cornflour mixed with a bit of water thickens it up into a sticky sauce which generously covers the tofu.
Step by step
- Cube the tofu and drizzle over the soy sauce
- Cover in cornstarch and season with salt and pepper
- Fry until golden brown
- Fry the finely chopped or minced garlic and ginger for a minute
- Add the lemon juice, zest, stock, soy sauce and sugar, then mix in the cornstarch and water
- Simmer and stir until the sauce has thickened to a sticky texture
Variations and substitutions
Don’t fancy tofu? This recipe also works great with diced mushrooms too!
Want a change from lemon? Try orange juice and zest instead, or use our Sticky Orange Tofu recipe. YUM!
No cornflour? Cornflour/cornstarch can be substituted with the same amount of arrowroot powder.
If you can’t get hold of either, then try plain flour as a coating for the tofu. If you use it in the sauce, use double the quantity flour, as it doesn’t have as much a thickening effect as cornflour.
Don’t want to fry the tofu? Bake until crisp in the oven at 200C for around 30 mins or air fry for 10-15mins.
Want a refined sugar free option? Just replace the sugar in the recipe with agave or maple syrup. Taste the sauce to get the level of sweetness that you prefer.
Serve it with
Our vegan lemon tofu goes great with plain white or brown rice, or noodles and some lightly cooked seasonal veggies.
Carrots and pak choy are our favourites. Some crispy sugar snap peas would also be yummy!
A sprinkle of sesame seeds and some chopped spring onions goes really well on top of the tofu.
It’s also amazing with our Vegan Egg Fried Rice!
Try these other vegan tofu recipes!
Vegan Tofu Bacon (it's super good)
Chickpea Flour Tofu (make your own soy-free tofu)
Easy Vegan Carbonara (ready in 15 minutes)
📖 Recipe
Sticky Lemon Tofu
Ingredients
For the crispy tofu
- 1 pack (300 g) extra firm tofu
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the lemon sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped or minced
- 1 piece ginger 1 inch/3cm long, finely chopped or grated
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- ¼ tsp stock powder or bouillon
- ¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water
Instructions
- Drain the tofu and cut it into bite size cubes.1 pack (300 g) extra firm tofu
- Place the cubes in a mixing bowl, drizzle the soy sauce over them and stir gently.1 tbsp soy sauce
- Then add the cornstarch, season with salt and pepper, and stir until the tofu is coated evenly.¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
- In a large frying pan on medium-high heat, heat up the oil. When it's hot add the coated tofu cubes and fry until they are golden brown. Turn them over using tongs or a spatula to get the tofu evenly fried.2 tbsp vegetable oil
- When the tofu is cooked, transfer it to a plate so you can use the pan to make the sauce.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add more oil to the frying pan, followed by minced garlic and ginger. Fry for 1 minute.1 tbsp vegetable oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 piece ginger
- Then add the water, stock powder, lemon juice, zest, soy sauce and sugar and stir together.¼ cup (60 ml) water, ¼ tsp stock powder or bouillon, ¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Finally mix the cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water, and add this slurry to the pan while stirring. Simmer the sauce until it's thick and sticky. Stir frequently.2 tsp cornstarch
- Combine the tofu with the sauce and serve with rice, noodles or veggies of your choice. Garnish with spring onions or sesame seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
Toni says
Hiya! I was wondering if I could bake the tofu (with the soya sauce, cornstarch, etc) and then add it to the marinade at the end? For a slightly healthier option. 🙂 This sounds delicious, I can't wait to try it.
Sophie and Paul says
Hiya Toni, We haven't tested it, but it should work ok. You might not need so much cornstarch. Ideally still use some oil either on the baking tray or together with the soy sauce otherwise it could get a bit dry (although with the lemon sauce it should still be yummy!). Bake at 200C/400F until golden (up to 30 minutes) and turn over once. Fingers crossed it works for you! 🙂 Sophie
Leland says
The sauce was better than any restaurant I’ve eaten at. The sweet and tart flavors are beautifully balanced. This is going to become a regular dish at my place. I love that it only requires simple/common ingredients, it was easy to cook, and that it tastes delicious. Thank you for the share.
-Leland
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much, Leland! 🙂
Nathan Dallaire says
Just made a video review! Was so good!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTXPHa0tw14
Sophie and Paul says
Awesome you loved our recipe so much to do a video review! Good luck with you vegan cooking adventure Nathan! 🙂
KT says
This was absolutely exceptional! We've been looking for new recipes for a while and this knocked it out of the park! The tart of the lemon is perfectly balanced, and the ginger is just enough to compliment but not overpower.
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks KT! Hope you enjoy it again and again!
Alex says
This was absolutely delicious- simple and tasty and even my son ate it. Partner said it tasted like takeaway. (I swapped the cornflower for arrowroot as I’m paleo)
Will def make again
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks Alex! Glad you all enjoyed it. Good to know arrowroot works! 🙂 Cheers
Jackie says
Just made this for dinner. Oh my goodness, I loved it. Thank you!
Sophie and Paul says
So pleased to hear you loved it, Jackie 🙂
Yanet says
I followed the recipe exactly as it is and it was delicious! Thank you for posting. :))
Sophie and Paul says
Glad you enjoyed it so much Yanet. We love this recipe too - we can also recommend our tofu bacon if you are a tofu fan!
Sharan says
I loved this recipe since I love anything lemon. I used more fresh lemons and air fried the tofu. Otherwise went by recipe. It was absolutely delicious and hit the spot. Thank you for sharing this!
Lex says
If you're looking at this recipe and trying to decide if you want to make it or thinking that you don't like tofu this is your sign to make this recipe. I eat tofu all the time with lots of different methods and this is my FAVORITE recipe. I love the tang and with some nice rice it makes for the perfect dinner. Sometimes I add some drained canned water chestnuts and bamboo shoots or some broccoli in, very customizable recipe. A++
Sophie and Paul says
We're honoured to have such a recommendation from you Lex, thanks a million! Love your ideas for customising it too.
p.s. Updated your comment with 5 star rating as requested! S&P
Annett says
That's amusing - I was about to write - oh my goodness, that was delicious - when I saw a very similar comment by Ann... So, I'll just say 'ditto' 😉 - really tasty, easy to make, convinces those who don't normally like tofu (for when I have non-vegan guests).
Thanks very much
Anne says
Oh my goodness, this was AMAZING! My family could not stop raving about it. I made a batch and a half for the four of us and the whole thing was inhaled. They are already making plans for me to make it again very soon!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks Anne, glad you all liked it! It's our favourite way to cook tofu 🙂
Lucy says
Wow!!! I’m a newly vegan 16 year old so this was my first time making tofu at home and it was way easier than I anticipated 🙂 SO delicious and simple, and my entire family loved it! Thanks for this awesome recipe
Sophie and Paul says
Yes! That's awesome to hear Lucy. There's so many yummy ways to cook tofu, our tofu bacon is one of our favourites too! 🙂 Sophie
Irit says
Can i susbstitute the sugar with maple ?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Irit, We haven't personally tried it, but another reader said they used maple and they loved it. When substituting maple for sugar it's usually recommended to use 3/4 the amount, so in this case you could try 3 tbsp of syrup instead of 1/4 cup sugar. You can also simply adjust to taste. Also, with maple the sauce might need to cook for a little bit longer to reach sticky consistency. We hope you enjoy it!
David Taplin says
Pretty dam good! Cheers!
Sophie and Paul says
So happy you enjoyed it David. It's one of our favourites 🙂
Bill says
Delicious ,easy and quick to make. I reckon the sauce can be used elsewhere
Sangini says
Just tried this for dinner last night! It was super delicious and so so flavourful!
Had it with rice and some stir fried veggies on the side 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Sophie and Paul says
Thank you, Sangini! We agree, it's sooo yummy...
Take care!
Patricia says
Just cooked my first receipt with you...Sticky Lemon Tofu.. Hugely enjoyable.
Am now looking forward to making the soft garlic 'cheese' and the mushroom pate.
My daughter introduced me to your site when she told me how to make your dandelion honey, which was amazing.
I'm not a vegetarian but as I get older,I'm in my 70's, I think it makes sense to eat more plant based food. Your wonderful receipts are helping me do this.
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Patricia,
so glad you enjoyed the Sticky Lemon Tofu! And even more that we can help you with your shift to more plant-based food 🙂 It means a lot to us to know that our recipes can have such a positive impact on someone's life.
Love, Sophie & Paul
Neil says
Just made this and it was both tasty and easy to make
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Neil! We're so glad you enjoyed it. It's on our menu for this week, now we finally have some tofu again. Sophie 🙂
madison says
Hi this looks great! One question before I make: the sauce mentions soy sauce, but it's not in the ingredients list. How much do I add?
Thanks!
Sophie and Paul says
Hey Madison, Thanks so much for spotting that. It's 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. I'll update it now. Sophie 🙂
Icela says
Hi, this looks delicious!!! I have 2 questions though. What do you mean by stock powder and what is corn flour? Can't wait to try this. I'm on an Asian food kick and stir fry kick 😋 Thank you!
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Icela, thank you!
It really is yummy. Stock powder is what you mix with water to make veggie stock aka vegetable broth, it's not absolutely essential it just adds more flavour to the sauce. Corn flour is the same as cornstarch. You could subsitute it for arrowroot powder, or experiment with using plain flour instead, though you will need more for the same thickenening effect on the sauce, and it won't be so clear. We are also loving Asian food right now - Just published some Japanese teriyaki mushrooms which are so good!
Happy cooking
Sophie