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.
Jill says
Hi I can’t wait to try this!
Can it be done in the air fryer ?
Sophie and Paul says
Hope you love it as much as we do Jill! You should be able do the tofu in the airfryer instead of frying it, although I'd still add a little oil to help it crisp up and not stick. Heat your airfryer to 200°C /400°F and then airfry the coated tofu for 11-15 minutes until golden brown, tossing halfway through. Cook the sauce in a pan as normal and then mix in the airfried tofu. Enjoy!
Wendy says
This was so yummy. Definitely recommend it.
Sophie and Paul says
So happy you enjoyed it Wendy!
Denise says
I wanted to try something different with tofu! OMG!! your recipe is great! We will definitely be having this again! First we have to try the Sticky Orange recipe first!! Thank you
Sophie and Paul says
We're so happy to hear that, Denise 🙂 Hope you'll enjoy the Orange Tofu equally <3
We're working on a recipe e-book dedicated to tofu, where hopefully you'd find many more new ways for you in it to cook tofu!
MP&HG says
great flavours and simple . easy to follow instructions too
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much for your lovely feedback!
jude says
joining the many others in proclaiming this dish divine. i used agave syrup instead of sugar and as one commenter suggested, i tore the tofu into pieces. thanks, guys, for totally satisfying my lemon, sticky, tofu needs.
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Jude!
Fern says
One of our go-to favourites by now. Made at least five times already and am back again to get my groceries. It is absolutely delicious!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks for your lovely feedback Fern! Hope you enjoy it again and again 🙂
Lydia says
My daughter is vegetarian and sometimes doesn’t really eat enough protein. We have made this recipe twice now and we both absolutely love it. Great way to enjoy tofu and get that veggie protein. It really is so tasty. We use fresh lemons too. Thank you 😊
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Lydia, So happy you and your daughter loved it! For more yummy ways to enjoy tofu I can recommend our Breaded Tofu or Tofu Wraps. My vegetarian nephew also loves our Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese which is another great kid friendly protein rich meal!
Chris says
Great dish. Third time I have made it, and this time my sauce came out perfect.
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks Chris! Delighted to hear you enjoyed it so much. It's one of our favourites too 🙂
Maj says
I make this all the time! Such an easy and delicious recipe. I usually double the sauce and throw in some veggies for a more complete meal.
Sophie and Paul says
So happy to hear that Maj! We particularly enjoy it with veggies like tenderstem broccoli or pak choi. Happy cooking! Sophie
Sarah says
WOWWWWW this was so delicious! I'm so glad I found this recipe, thank you!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Sarah, enjoy it again soon!
Angela says
My favourite sticky lemon tofu recipe, we make this at least twice a month. In fact it’s currently on the hob waiting on the rice to boil.
Linda says
Really good!!!! reduced the sugar a little and added some pepper flakes...killer recipe!!!!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks Linda! 🙂 Great idea with the pepper flakes! Enjoy!
Clare says
made this tonight and it was easy and delicious! Next time I'll do a little less sugar and a bit more cornflour on the tofu but that's not a criticism of your recipe , just my preference.
Found the recipe on Pinterest, thanks for sharing it!
Helen Brookfield says
YUMMY!!! So delicious. Do yourself a favour and make this!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks for your amazing recommendation Helen!
Reina says
I just made this recipe. It is soooo delicious. I used soy curls instead of tofu, and it is one of the best recipes I have tried in awhile, thanks! I am going to try the orange one next!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much for your lovely comment Reina! Glad it worked so well with soy curls too 🙂
Meg says
This is a great and easy recipe! I prepped the garlic/ginger and lemon juice/zest while the tofu was frying and this made creating the sauce even faster. I froze my tofu overnight and thawed during the day, it gives the tofu a nice texture. Normally I just fry my tofu without the cornstarch, but adding this step made for a crunchier tofu, two thumbs up! I also used fresh lemon from my garden - a must! - The lemony sauce is so good, I was licking the pan clean! XD Served with stir fried veggies and jasmine rice - Thanks for the new go to dinner recipe!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Meg for your wonderful feedback! How amazing to have lemons in your garden 🙂 Happy cooking!
Jan T says
My oh my! This was wonderful! I was fortunate to find Yuzu flavored tofu, which is an Asian citrus fruit. Wow, did that make it taste great. It's worth looking for this tofu if you can get to a large Asian market. I think it would make a great dessert, too, but that's another topic. I love this. Easy, and really delicious. I substituted monkfruit sweetner for half of the sugar to keep the sugar content down. Thanks for this wonderful recipe. It will definitely be made again and again.
Sarah says
Really loved this - the sauce was the perfect blend of sticky, sweet and citrus tangy. The tofu was chewy and delicious. I saw a top tip online which suggested tearing rather than cutting your pressed tofu and I tried this for the first time today. It turned out great - looked more "chickeny" and held the cornflour coating well.
Sophie and Paul says
So awesome to hear you loved it Sarah! And that's such a great tip - thanks for sharing.
PJ says
I wish I had seen this before I ate dinner. It's on my MUST DO list. I have the tofu and all the ingredients and I can't wait to make it. Your video is very helpful also, thank you for sharing.
Katherine says
Have used this recipe at least 10 times and it is SO ***** GOOD. Buying a tofu press definitely saved me and I encourage you to get a cheap one if you can! Also I usually don’t include the lemon zest or the pepper (don’t like them!) and it still turns out delicious. Never commented on a blog post before but I have to give them credit, it’s a good recipe and one of my go-tos
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks Katherine, how flattering 😊 Hope you'll enjoy many more meals of this! And if you feel like mixing up just a little bit, try our Sticky Orange Tofu or our Sweet Chili Tofu too! 🙂