Air Fryer Tofu
The air fryer has made all things crispity, crunchity easy to recreate in home kitchens everywhere. This tofu recipe is a perfect example! To get crispy tofu you'd typically need to heat up a bunch of oil, worrying about over cooking or a messy cleanup. But, the air fryer makes getting perfect golden brown tofu a cinch.
The basic steps of this recipe are to marinade the tofu, dredge it in cornstarch, air fry and then toss in sauce. What marinade and sauce is entirely up to you but we happen to love this soy marinade and spicy sauce (that might remind you bang bang shrimp). But you could just as easily toss the tofu in barbecue sauce, or a sauce of equal parts ketchup and gochujang. The options are endless!
Just make sure you shake off the excess cornstarch so that the tofu doesn't have a dusty exterior. Otherwise this recipe is foolproof. Tried making it? Let us know how it came out in the comments below!
onion powder
garlic powder
paprika (regular, hot or smoked)
(14 oz.) block firm tofu, cut into 1 ½” cubes
low sodium soy sauce
toasted sesame oil
cornstarch
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
mayonnaise
Thai sweet chili sauce
sriracha
cloves garlic, grated
Steamed white rice, for serving
Scallions, sliced for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Toss tofu cubes, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Toss well, cover, and transfer to the fridge to marinate for 20 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat air fryer to 400ºF. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, salt and black pepper.
- Working in batches if necessary, toss tofu in the cornstarch mixture until thoroughly coated. Shake off excess cornstarch and add tofu in a single layer to the air fryer basket
- Spray the cubes with a bit of cooking spray and air fry the tofu for 15 minutes, tossing half way through, until it is golden and crispy.
- Prepare the sauce: While the tofu cooks, in a large bowl, whisk together mayo, chili sauce, sriracha, and grated garlic. Season to taste with salt and set aside.
- When all the tofu is cooked, add the tofu and toss in the sauce. Serve over white rice, and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.
