Orange Glazed Tofu Roast

Turn simple block of tofu into flavour sensation with Orange Glazed Tofu Roast! Make this easy tofu ham your next roast dinner centrepiece!

Delicious and succulent tofu roast marinated and then glazed with sweet, salty and tangy orange glaze is to die for!

Whether it's vegan Sunday roast, Christmas or Easter dinner you're after, this super simple tofu ham recipe is definitely one to consider.

Jump to:

• ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe
• 📝 Ingredients and substitutes
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🥡 Storing
• 💭 Pro Tips
• 🍴 Serving Suggestions
• ❓ FAQs
• 📋 Recipe

✔️ Why you'll love this recipe

• Really easy, low effort recipe.
• Fantastic celebratory centrepiece.
• With a little bit of planning simple enough as midweek dinner.
• Perfect for getting ahead, just leave it marinating until needed.
• Delicious leftovers.
• Full of plant based protein, no faux meat in sight.

📝 Ingredients and substitutes

Here's what you will need to make my Orange Glazed Tofu Roast:

Tofu - Use firm or extra firm tofu block here (regular, not silken tofu).

In the UK I like organic Cauldron tofu as it's nice and firm and cheaper than other (especially already pressed) types of tofu.

Make sure you drain and press the tofu well to remove most of the moisture.

Orange Juice - The base of our marinade/glaze.

Orange Marmalade - For that extra concentrated orange flavour. I use my homemade marmalade which has bits of rind in it but you could use shredless one too.

If you don't have any marmalade to hand you can simply add a splash more orange juice or a little bit of your favourite orange liqueur.

Maple Syrup - For that sticky sweetness. Agave nectar or even golden syrup can be used here instead.

Brown Sugar - More sweetness with a touch of caramel. Other types of sugar can be use here as a substitutes although I would highly recommend sticking to brown.

Soy Sauce or Tamari - Salty notes. The amount can be adjusted depending on your taste preference as far as sweet and salty goes.

Garlic Powder and Onion Granules - Seasoning and flavour.

Smoked Paprika - Absolutely essential for that bit of smoky note, it's tofu ham after all.

If you've got liquid smoke in the cupboard, feel free to use 1 teaspoon here instead of smoked paprika.

🔪 Instructions

Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Start by pressing your tofu really well to remove excess moisture.

Add all of the ingredients for the marinade/glaze into the saucepan and warm them up gently on low heat until well combined and sugar has dissolved.

Score pressed tofu in a diagonal pattern about third down (take care not to go too deep as tofu block will fall apart).

Put scored tofu block into a container and pour over most of the marinade (how much will depend on your container). Store any leftovers in the fridge for later.

Cover with the lid and put in the fridge until needed (the longer the better). I would recommend preparing the marinade the evening before the day you are planing on baking it.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 190C(fan)/375F/Gas Mark 5.

Line small baking dish with some baking/parchment paper.

Remove tofu block from marinade and place it in a prepared dish.

Insert whole clove in the centre of each diamond (optional).

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes.

As the tofu roast is baking, pour the marinade the tofu block was sitting in together with any leftovers from the fridge into a small saucepan.

Bring to boil, lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes until marinade becomes reduced and sticky (we've turned it into glaze). Set aside.

After approximately 40 minutes in the oven, take tofu out and pour over all the prepared glaze.

Bake for another 5-10 minutes to create that sticky top.

Take tofu roast out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before removing the cloves and serving.

Enjoy!

🥡 Storing

Orange glazed tofu roast can be enjoyed both hot and cold.

If you have any leftovers they can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated or enjoyed cold as required.

💭 Pro Tips

Press the tofu thoroughly to get rid of excess moisture. This part is really crucial. I have recently got myself really handy tofu press but you can simply wrap it in a clean tea towel and weigh it down with a heavy chopping board + few tins. It works just a bit more faff.

The longer you can leave tofu to marinate the better. It really needs the time to get the flavour into it. The good thing is, it requires very little work on your part, just a little bit of planning. I like to marinate it at least overnight but go with whatever time you've got.

Score the tofu. It helps the marinade work its flavour magic. Take care not to cut too deep to prevent tofu from falling apart. Anything between ¼ to ⅓ way down should be fine.

Line your baking dish with baking parchment. You will thank me later when you don't need to scrub the dish.

Adjust flavours as per your preference. Add more soy sauce if you prefer your marinade/glaze more salty.

Double the recipe for the marinade/glaze if you like lots of sticky sauce to be served over with your tofu ham. The amount stated in the recipe doesn't yield enough to serve.

Bake two tofu roasts at the same time to save energy and enjoy leftovers!

🍴 Serving Suggestions

Serve orange glazed tofu roast as a full-blown vegan roast dinner with roast potatoes and delicious vegan onion gravy.

Don't forget delicious veggie sides like these roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar and walnuts or perhaps classic braised red cabbage.

Or for slightly different take on a roast dinner, try it with carrot and swede mash and Asian Brussels sprouts with miso!

Leftovers are delicious served in a simple sandwich (with a touch of marmalade) or cubed, heated up in a pan with some more glaze and served over rice with stir fried veg on the side.

❓ FAQs

Have you tried my Orange Glazed Tofu Roast? 
Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.

📋 Recipe