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Home » Recipes

Easy Air fried Tofu

Published: Dec 14, 2021 by Bree - 2 Comments - This post may contain affiliate links - This blog generates income via ads

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This article may contain affiliate links.

Sooner or later I had to jump into the air frying madness, fashionably late of course. At this point if you don't have an air fryer, you're the strange one, right? I can't keep up, usually.

Putting our focus once again on tofu! This amazing, protein packed, block of goodness is even perfect just plain and air fried! It's so easy to have a quick protein to pair with everything, including my sesame peanut sauce!

Jump to:
  • 🍲Ingredients
  • 📃Notes
  • 🔪Prepare
  • 🌡️Frying
  • 💡Tips & Information
  • 📝Serving Suggestions
  • ❓Frequently Asked Questions
  • 📖 Recipe

Why you'll love it:

  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free
  • Super quick and easy to make
  • An inexpensive treat
  • Packed with protein

I have actually had an air fryer for a while but I've spent a majority of this time learning how it works and testing things (and not testing things, I'm not always working).

What are you doing? Get an air fryer!

Tofu is, admittedly, one that took me a while to get the hang of and perfect. Well guess what y'all? I did it! And now I am going to share this with you and pretend that there's not several other recipes out there for this exact thing.

🍲Ingredients

top down view of ingredients.

📃Notes

Make sure to use medium firm/firm tofu. Do not use silken.

Feel free to try potato starch or tapioca starch as a replacement.

a combination of four pictures showing the process making air fried tofu.

🔪Prepare

Step 1: Place the cornstarch into a generous sized bowl. You want a bowl big enough to work around comfortably, and I say this as someone who constantly gets bowls that are too small for what I need.

Step 2: If you haven't already, break up the tofu into equal sized chunks. You could also just cut it into even squares if you want.

tofu browned in the air frying basket.

🌡️Frying

Place the tofu in the air fryer and try not to crowd it! If you have a smaller air fryer, like I do, you may need to work in batches.

Set the air fryer to 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Depending on your specific air fryer, times and temps may vary. If you are using parchment paper, I suggest checking half way and flipping the tofu around so that it gets cooked evenly on all sides.

💡Tips & Information

  • Make sure you drain and press the tofu for at least 30 minutes. Even patting dry after pressing. This is the secret to making sure the tofu is crispy.
  • When coating in corn starch, be sure to shake off any extra. While you'll still be able to see some of the cornstarch after air frying, it will be unnoticeable once you've paired your tofu with some sauce!
  • You can add any seasonings to the cornstarch if you want. Common seasonings include but are not limited to: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, cumin, and chili powder. Oh, and of course, nutritional yeast!
  • Do not crowd your tofu in the air fryer. If you have a smaller air fryer like I do, you may need to work in batches.

📝Serving Suggestions

  • Plain - Seriously, add a little bit of salt to your cornstarch and eating this air fried tofu is perfect as is!
  • Sauteed in a delicious sesame peanut sauce.
  • Dip your tofu pieces in sweet chili sauce!
  • An added protein to any salad.
  • Stir fried with vegetables.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get crispy tofu in an air fryer?

The secret is making sure you have a dry block of tofu! Drain and press the tofu for 30 minutes and then pat dry with a clean towel afterwards. This will ensure super crispy tofu every time!

Do I have to coat tofu before air frying?

Nope! You can cut your tofu into desired sized pieces and place it directly into the air fryer. It will give a different result visually, but you'll still get crispy and cooked tofu assuming you drained and pressed well.

What happens if you do not press tofu?

Well, I imagine it will just be mush in the air fryer but I have never tried to cook undrained tofu in an air fryer. I don't think I would recommend it.

📖 Recipe

close up of finished tofu for recipe card.
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes
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Easy Air fried Tofu

A super easy, super quick protein that you can do virtually anything with! Learn how to make perfect air fried tofu every time!
PREP TIME5 mins
COOK TIME10 mins
Draining Time30 mins
Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Japanese, Mixed
Vegan
2
Cal: 303
Author: Bree

Ingredients

  • 1 block firm tofu
  • ½ cup cornstarch*
  • pinch of salt - optional

Instructions

  • Drain your tofu super well and pat dry and then cut or break into even, bite-sized pieces.
    1 block firm tofu
  • In a medium bowl add the cornstarch (and salt if using) and mix together, then add in the tofu and coat each piece evenly.
    ½ cup cornstarch*,pinch of salt
  • Shake off any excess cornstarch and place into your air fryer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may or may not be able to fit all pieces in.
    1 block firm tofu,½ cup cornstarch*,pinch of salt
  • Air fry on 400 F for 10 minutes. If using parchment or foil, flip the tofu half way through.

Notes

  • Vegan
  • Gluten-Free
  • Substitute for tofu - While I have not used pumpkin seed tofu (pumfu), I'm sure it would work just as well like this. Another option would be Chickpea Tofu.
  • Drain Well - Make sure you drain and press for at least 30 minutes, and then pat dry with a towel afterwards.
  • Different Air Fryer - Your air fryer probably differs from mine, if you are not familiar with your air fryer, go with 5 minute increments on 400 degress F/200 degrees C until desired doneness.
  • Add ons - Absolutely play around with other seasonings in the cornstarch. I recommend things such as: cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.
Nutrition Facts are a rough estimate without considering extras. Please consult a medical professional for accuracy if needed.
This recipe belongs to Planty Of Eats

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Easy Air fried Tofu
Amount per Serving
Calories
303
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
11.6
g
18
%
Saturated Fat
 
1.1
g
7
%
Sodium
 
19
mg
1
%
Potassium
 
263
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
 
30.1
g
10
%
Fiber
 
1.1
g
5
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
19.7
g
39
%
Calcium
 
348
mg
35
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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  • Tofu With Sesame Peanut Sauce
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Asher

    December 20, 2021 at 11:16 am

    5 stars
    Made sure to try this with your peanut sauce. You saved our dinner plans!

    Reply
    • Bree

      February 10, 2022 at 6:44 am

      5 stars
      Wonderful!

      Reply

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