Quick and Easy Crispy Air Fried Tofu

Name: Quick and Easy Crispy Air Fried Tofu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 13 oz medium firm, firm or extra firm tofu; 1.5 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free); 1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast; 1 tbsp corn starch

September 4, 2019 By Lisa Kitahara 31 Comments

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This Quick and Easy Crispy Air Fried Tofu is the BEST way to prepare tofu! Only 4 ingredients needed and made in less than 30 minutes. Dress with your favourite sauces or enjoy on its own for a delicious high protein meal. Vegan, Gluten-Free & Oil-Free.

crispy air fried tofu in a bowl on parchment paper

Have you gotten your hands on an air fryer yet? If not, you totally should. Air fryers are AMAZING. Seriously, it's one of my most used appliances. It somehow magically makes everything super crispy and delicious without using any oil! I love using my air fryer to make fries, Cauliflower Wings, Caramelized Bananas, Candied Sweet Potatoes, Tempeh & Tofu!

Using an air fryer is actually very easy, it works very similarly to a convection oven-- but it's faster and IMO makes everything crispier (aka more delicious).

If you're new to air frying, I think this Quick and Easy Crispy Air Fried Tofu is the perfect recipe to get you started! Let's get right into it.

ingredients to make air fried tofu nutritional yeast soy sauce corn starch and extra firm tofu on a board

Ingredients for Crispy Air Fried Tofu

What kind of tofu to use for air frying and baking

Extra firm, firm, medium firm and soft tofu can all be air fried and baked. I know a lot of people say you should use extra firm or firm tofu for a meat-y texture but actually, I love making crispy tofu with traditional soft medium firm tofu too! It almost has the texture of tofu puffs that are often deep fried. I once accidentally left a pack of soft traditional tofu out to thaw, forgot to use it and stuck it back into the freezer because I hate wasting. The next time I got around using it, I noticed it created meat-like layers without breaking apart. I tried this method with a third freeze and had even more tightly packed layers. This also works with medium firm tofu with a bit of a textural bite in comparison to the soft traditional tofu. Experiment and see which one you like best!

In addition, you'll also need:

Tamari - I'll honestly use whatever my mom buys that month but for my non-gluten free friends YES you can you soy sauce!
Nutritional Yeast - this helps with crisping up the tofu while also adding some extra yummy flavour
Corn Starch - the KEY to making crispy tofu! *especially for oil-free*

This is just the base recipe. You can of course (and I encourage you to), add more seasonings and spices like garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin... whatever you fancy. If I'm making a more asian styled dish, I'll also add in some sesame oil *yummy factor x100*.

How to Make Crispy Tofu in the Air Fryer

Step 1: Press your tofu! There are a couple of ways to press tofu: old fashion stack books on it, using a tofu press, freezing and thawing and boiling the whole block. This helps with absorbing the tamari way faster and adding more flavour. As well, creates a much better texture after being air fried (think light and puffy). If pressing the tofu, leave it for about 30 minutes.

extra firm tofu in a bowl with soy sauce, corn starch and nutritional yeast

Step 2: Cut the tofu into ½-3/4 inch cubes. Then add the tofu into a bowl along with the tamari. You can just mix and toss with some utensils, but I find the easiest way to make sure each piece is coated is by placing a lid on top and shaking the bowl. Sift in the corn starch and add in the nutritional yeast and shake the bowl again the coat all the pieces evenly.

flavoured extra firm tofu in air fryer basket

Step 3: Place the tofu into the air fryer basket and air fry for around 7 minutes. Shake the air fryer basket and then air fry for another 7-8 minutes or until perfectly crispy!

TIP: Pre-heat your air fryer to 380 F right before you start flavouring the tofu. This will cut down the air frying time by a couple of minutes.

FAQ ON AIR FRYING TOFU

Which air fryer should I buy? I've owned a total of 4 air fryers and I LOVE the one by Cosori! It has a non-stick basket and actually has a built in shake reminder which is so handy. It's also touch screen which is really nice. I also really like the one from OMARC-- however, it is pretty large (can be good or bad depending on how much space you have in the kitchen and how much you prepare).
What temperature to air fry tofu? I always set my temperature to around 380-390 fahrenheit.
How to flavour air fry tofu? You can flavour your tofu by letting it sit in a marinade for 10-15 minutes-- but be sure to coat it in some corn starch for CRISPY tofu! OR you can just use the recipe on this blog post and add in some spices to your liking.
How to store air fried crispy tofu? This crispy tofu is best eaten right out of the air fryer, however you can store it in an air tight container for up to 3 days. Anything after that, the tofu tends to get dry.
How to re-heat crispy tofu? Heat in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl for around 30 seconds. Or, you can re-heat it in the air fryer at 200 F for around 5 minutes.
How to Serve air fried tofu? For a quick meal, I love eating this crispy tofu on its own with some rice and vegetables-- or add some into a poke bowl. To jazz is up I'll add toss the tofu in some BBQ sauce or some spices. If I'm feeling fancy I'll stir fry it in some teriyaki sauce, sticky lemon sauce, orange sauce or sweet chili sauce!

I hope this recipe has left you inspired to using your air fryer more or purchasing one of your own!

If you recreate this Quick & Easy Air Fried Tofu recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!

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