Are you looking for a quick high protein meatless meal? Here’s one that fits the bill. It’s easy to make, packs plenty of flavor and low-fat muscle building protein. This grilled jalapeño orange glazed tofu with red onions and fennel is sure to please everybody, including professed tofu haters!
Years ago, I tore a recipe for grilled chicken and fennel from Sunset magazine, at the time imagining how delicious the fennel and marmalade sauce would taste with tofu instead of chicken.
It’s pretty safe to say that if a particular sauce goes well with chicken, it will also complement grilled tofu. For example, tandoori, barbecue, mole, and curry–these all are flavorful sauces that wake up tofu, and chicken. You will love the way spicy sweet orange dances with charred red onions, especially on tofu!
When we received three small tender bulbs with their long stalks and bright green feathery fronds in our weekly farm share box, I pulled out the saved grilled chicken and fennel recipe.
This is my vegetarian version of that magazine recipe, with tofu in lieu of chicken, and blood orange jalapeño marmalade for the orange glaze. The original recipe just calls for ‘marmalade’, but I think you’ll agree that this sauce is extra tasty with a bit of spicy heat.
If you don’t have jalapeño marmalade, substitute orange marmalade. Mix in minced seeded jalapeño chile, red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper, just enough heat to make it interesting, but not so much that the spice overwhelms the sauce.
Look for the pale green fennel bulb, with leaves that look a lot like dill, in both supermarkets and farmer’s markets.
8 reasons why you want to make this jalapeño orange glazed tofu with red onions and fennel!
- This dish takes 35 minutes to make, from tying on your apron to sitting down at the table.
- Robbie says the grilled texture is—well, kind of like chicken. He says make this again soon.
- Oranges and grilled onions with chile spice is a marriage made in heaven.
- You don’t have to turn on the oven.
- One serving (3.5 ounces) of tofu has almost 9 grams of protein.
- Tofu is loaded with calcium and iron too.
- OK. I love tofu. Especially when it’s grilled.
Mildly sweet fennel is common in Italian cooking, where it’s roasted and braised, grilled and sautéed. Fennel’s faint anise flavor is delicious in risotto and salads too. You might like this recipe featuring raw and thinly sliced fennel with orange slices in a green salad. Here’s another fennel recipe—an easy salad with basil and mint.
You can order specialty jalapeño jellies direct, from Pepperlane here in Utah.
Make it a fabulous week–get in the kitchen and cook something delicious!
Thanks for being here. To get my latest recipe posts and exclusive monthly newsletters, subscribe here. (I hate Spam too and will never share your email with anyone.)
- Follow me on Instagram! It’s my favorite!
- Peruse my Pinterest boards for more vegetarian recipe ideas.
- Find daily vegetarian and healthy living ideas on my Facebook page.
PS If you make this recipe and love it, please consider leaving a blog post comment. Your comments help other readers learn more about the recipe.
This post may contain affiliate links. When you purchase products via my links, it doesn’t cost you anything and I earn a tiny commission, which helps me continue to provide free content here on Letty’s Kitchen. Thank you!!
Jalapeño Orange Glazed Tofu with Red Onions and Fennel
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) package organic firm tofu
- 1 red onion , sliced into ¼-inch thick rings
- 1 fennel bulb , sliced about ¼-inch thick, plus ¼ cup fennel fronds
- ¾ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup jalapeño orange marmalade (see note)
- 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
- Zest of one orange
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)
Instructions
- Place the tofu block on its narrower side. Cut into 8 rectangles about 3/8-inch thick.
- To press out excess water, place the rectangles on a towel-lined cutting board and cover with another clean towel. (Use tea towels—the ones without terrycloth nubs.)
- Place a 9 x 13-inch pan over the covered tofu. Place something heavy in the dish–I use my blender. After 5 minutes the tea towels will have absorbed excess water, and the tofu pieces will be easy to pick up.
- In a bowl, toss the onion rings and fennel slices with the first ¾ teaspoon salt and the first 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Place the pressed tofu pieces in the pan you used to weight the tofu. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and olive oil.
- Heat the grill to high (450°F.).
- Mix the marmalade, tamari, orange zest and juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Set aside.
- On a vegetable grill rack with holes narrow enough that the vegetables don’t fall through, grill the onion and fennel until they are soft and have char marks.
- Remove from the grill.
- Place the tofu on the same grill rack, or directly on the grill if you are sure they won’t fall through. Grill until the tofu is golden on both sides. In the last minutes, brush with some of the jalapeño orange sauce.
- To serve, spread the onions and fennel in a serving dish. Arrange the tofu on top and drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with fennel fronds.
- Serve with couscous, quinoa or brown rice.
