Air Fryer Tofu – Crispy & Flavorful!
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Super crispy and flavorful, this Air Fryer Tofu is worth getting an air fryer for! The tofu pieces get incredibly crispy as if they were deep fried, with just a smidge of oil. No more tofu sticking to an oily pan!
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This air fryer tofu is completely worth getting an air fryer for, even if you never make anything else in it! I’m a huge fan of tofu and have it in some form a couple of times a week, and using the air fryer is a game changer. Mostly because it makes delicious, crispy and flavorful tofu FAST. No more tofu sticking to an oily pan, or carefully flipping over every piece on a baking sheet. With the air fryer, you simply shake it here and there. It seriously couldn’t be easier!
Of course, if you are like me you will find yourself making all sorts of things in the air fryer, like french fries, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and more. I make my kid’s vegan nuggets in there now as well, and they love it! It’s also fantastic for re-warming leftovers that you want to crisp back up again, such as tempeh bacon or pizza.
How to press tofu fast:
You can always use a tofu press if you have one, which lets you press a block of tofu in under 15 minutes. But if you don’t have a press, this is the next fastest way to press the water out of tofu.
To press it very quickly, remove the tofu from the water pack and cut into cubes. Place the cubed tofu on a flat surface like a cutting board, lined with paper towels (or a clean tea towel.) Cover with more paper towels, a baking sheet, and then place something heavy on top like a cast iron skillet. This way, you only need to let it press for about 15 minutes while you make the marinade.
Want to avoid pressing tofu altogether? Buy the super-firm tofu in a vacuum pack, and there is no need to press.
How to make air fryer tofu:
While the tofu is pressing, make your simple marinade. The marinade consists of:
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (or use tamari for gluten free)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
That’s it. There really is no need to add cornstarch here, but if you wanted to, you could. The tofu gets plenty crispy in my opinion without it. Toss the tofu cubes with the marinade to coat, and let them sit for about 15 minutes, or longer.
After 15 minutes, place the tofu cubes in your air fryer in a single layer, so they do not touch. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to do this in 2 batches. This is the only downfall of the air fryer in my opinion; it’s not big enough! Well, at least for my family of 5. But that’s okay, it’s still totally worth it.
* I bought the Chefman TurboFry Air Fryer a few months ago and LOVE it. I totally recommend it, AND it’s a great price. It’s quiet, simple and doesn’t take up much space on my countertop. It’s also light enough to store in a pantry and easily take it out when you want to use it. *
Cook it at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally after 10 minutes. The tofu is done when it is golden, even a little black in places but not burnt. It should be nice and crispy!
Want more tofu recipes?
- Marinated Tofu (the best tofu ever!)
- Easy Baked Tofu Nuggets (pretty sure you could make these in the air fryer, too!)
- Sticky Sriracha Tofu
- Orange Tofu
- Peanut Tofu
Air Fryer Tofu - Crispy & Flavorful!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces extra-firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Quick press the tofu: Cut the tofu into cubes. Place them evenly on a flat surface such as a cutting board lined with paper towels or a clean towel. Cover with a layer of paper towels, set a baking sheet on top and then something heavy, like a large book or cast iron skillet. Press like this for 15 minutes. Or use a tofu press.
- In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil.
- Add the pressed tofu cubes to a bowl and drizzle the marinade over them. Toss gently to coat the pieces. Let the tofu marinate for about 15 minutes, longer if desired (up to 8 hours in the refrigerator).
- Place the tofu cubes in the air fryer, in a single layer, so the pieces don't touch. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook half the tofu at a time. Cook at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally after 10 minutes. Cook until the tofu is golden and crispy, but not burned.
Notes
- Gluten free? Use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- May use olive oil instead of sesame oil, but I love the flavor sesame oil adds. For oil free, you may omit it but it may not get as crispy.
- If you have leftover tofu, simply re-heat in the air fryer for 5 minutes to re-crisp!
Nutrition
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23 Comments on “Air Fryer Tofu – Crispy & Flavorful!”
better than I have ever had it turn out in oven!
That’s great!
I have used your “best marinated tofu ever” recipe a few times now and my family and I LOVE it. I have a batch marinating in the refrigerator as we speak. I want to try it in the air fryer tonight instead of pan frying. I have a question. I know it’s crispy on the outside. Is it tender on the inside?
Yes, it is, as long as you don’t overcook the tofu. Hope that helps! I’m glad you enjoy the marinated tofu!
I’m new to air frying and was hesitant to try tofu. It turned out perfect! Even my “meat and potatoes” husband had seconds, and it has been added to the rotation. Always looking for something new because he says we eat the same thing over and over. Not true and I write the menu on the calendar to keep track. Thanks for a new recipe. Served it with brown rice.
This was my first making tofu so I was a little nervous/hesitant, but this recipe was easy and delicious! I did have to cook it in batches in my 4 Qt. Ninja Air Fryer, but it only took about 20-25 minutes total, so probably was the same amount of time as baking in one batch, or potentially faster. After I air fried it, I tossed it a skillet with your Sticky Sriracha sauce and served with brown rice and sugar snap peas. Looking forward to making this again, it seems like it’ll be super versatile too. Thanks so much!
You’re so welcome!!
Just as stated. Best ever! Son has been vegan for about 5 years years now and he agrees! He literally said, “OMG. This is the best tofu ever”! Superful flavorful. Great texture. Nice and crisp! Thank you for literally the Best Tofu Ever!
You’re so welcome!! I’m so glad you like it!
I can’t believe how good this is and such a great meat alternative. My 24 year old loves it, the 15 y.o picky did not. This is a new favorite!
So good!
You listed this recipe as having 76 calories in one serving. What is the serving size? It was a delicious and easy way to make tofu.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! 1 serving is simply 1/4th of the entire recipe.
So simple and so good…..no more tofu crusted wok!!!
I have made this recipe several times and adore it. I was nervous about eating tofu and using an air fryer beforehand. Many thanks!
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoy this recipe!
This recipe looks amazing. I have questions regarding prep: Is there a reason to cut the tofu prior to pressing? I have a tofu press and cutting first would be problematic, it seems. I ask because I have varying success with tofu. Does size of cubes matter in air fryer particularly, as I used long thinner rectangles before and it never crisped.
Thank you. I trust your recipes as a fledgling vegan quite often!
You can definitely use a tofu press if you have one. Cutting the tofu before pressing just cuts down on the time needed to press it, but of course you can’t do that with a tofu press. Smaller cubes are good instead of long thin rectangles, I think anyhow, because they will get nice and crispy all around easier. Try smaller pieces. Hope you enjoy!
Great recipe! The texture is amazing & it’s easy to modify the marinade as you wish.
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Made this tonight and absolutely loved it. I had a hard time finding a recipe that didn’t coat the tofu in cornstarch before air frying. This did it! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
You’re welcome! So glad you liked it.
What is leftover tofu? Ha ha. We always gobble this up in one sitting.
Wow, I can’t believe how simple and DELICIOUS this is! Thank you.