Name: Crispy Air Fryer Tofu
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1 12oz brick extra-firm tofu in water; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp pink himalayan sea salt; dash of black pepper; 1.5 tbsp corn starch

A how-to guide for making Crispy Air Fryer Tofu! Tofu cooked in the air fryer comes out crispy on the outside without drying out the inside! This simple recipe will have you prepping tofu in the air fryer over and over again!

After making tofu in the Air Fryer I will never return to any other method! It’s so much easier than baking or pan frying and comes out so perfect inside and out. Even if you are not a tofu lover like me, you have to give this recipe a try and you’ll see how good tofu can be!

How to prep tofu for the air fryer

I highly recommend getting a tofu press if you don’t already have one. They are fairly inexpensive and they make pressing tofu a breeze! If you don’t have one, you can wrap the brick of tofu in paper towels and press it under a heavy book or something flat of similar weight (you will have to change the paper towels a few times until all the excess water is out). This step is important because tofu is usually sold in water to keep it fresh. In order to get crispy tofu you have to press out any excess water, otherwise it will be tough to fry and come out soggy. I recommend pressing your tofu for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours for best results.

Once the tofu brick is pressed, slice it into cubes. You can decide how big or small to make the cubes depending on what you are using the tofu for.

In a medium sized bowl gently toss the tofu with olive oil. Tofu is fragile, that is why I suggest using extra firm tofu and also tossing it gently so the cubes don’t break up.

Next add salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to season the tofu. Again, gently toss it to evenly coat.

Sprinkle the tofu with corn starch. This may seem gross, but it is what makes the tofu extra crispy. Gently toss the tofu to coat it in the corn starch, making sure all the corn starch dissolves.

Now the tofu is ready for the air fryer! Fry at 400°F for 15 minutes.

What to do with air fryer tofu

Crispy air fryer tofu is flavorful and delicious on it’s own straight out of the air fryer. Tofu is essentially a meat substitute because it is high in protein. It’s perfect to add to a salad, a rice or grain bowl or mix into a stir fry!

Try it in my Sweet and Sour Tofu recipe!

Crispy Air Fryer Tofu

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Author: Laura
Total Time: 2 hour 15 minutes

Print Recipe

Description

Ingredients

Scale

1 12oz brick extra-firm tofu in water

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pink himalayan sea salt

dash of black pepper

1.5 tbsp corn starch

Instructions

Remove the brick of tofu from it’s packaging and drain the water

Place tofu in a tofu press*, and put it back in the refrigerator, for best results press the tofu for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

Slice the tofu into cubes**

Place the sliced tofu in a medium-sized bowl

Pour in the olive oil, toss lightly to coat tofu evenly

Add the onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper, toss lightly to coat evenly

Sprinkle tofu with corn starch, toss one more time to coat

Preheat air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes

After 5 minutes, spray the basket with non-stick cooking spray

Add the tofu, spread it out so the pieces are not touching each other

Air fry for 15 minutes

For best results eat tofu right away***

Notes

*I highly recommend getting a tofu press if you plan on making tofu often. The press is fairly inexpensive and makes pressing tofu a breeze! If you don’t have one, you can wrap the brick of tofu in paper towels and press it under a heavy book or something flat of similar weight (you will have to change the paper towels a few times until all the water is out).

**Depending on what you are going to do with the tofu you can decide how big of small to slice the cubes

***If you are adding it to a salad, you can wait for it to cool before using

Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Tofu
Method: Air Fryer

Keywords: #airfryertofu, #tofurecipes, #airfryerrecipes, #crispytofu

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If you make this Crispy Air Fryer Tofu let me know how you like it! Leave a star rating and comment here! If you snap a photo, I’d love to see it – share it over on Instagram and tag me @sprinklesandseasalt!

More About Air Fryers

Every time I post a new air fryer recipe I get asked whether or not I think an air fryer is worth the investment. My answer is 100% YES! Of all the “extra” appliances I have in my kitchen it is the one I use most often! There are tons of uses for your air fryer that don’t even require cooking, like warming up leftover pizza or heating up frozen foods!

WHAT IS AN AIR FRYER AND WHY USE IT OVER DEEP FRYING OR BAKING?

An air fryer is a countertop kitchen appliance that uses hot air as opposed to oil to “fry” foods. In some recipes a small amount oil is used, but the use of hot air eliminates the need to use a lot of unhealthy oil as you would in a deep fryer to yield a similar crunchy, crispy “fried” texture.

Baking is also often used as an alternative to deep-frying. The air fryer cooks foods faster than an oven and yields crispier results due to the small compartment (basket) for cooking and hot air convection process.

WHICH AIR FRYER SHOULD I BUY?

You have a lot of choices when it comes to picking out an air fryer.

You could go with an affordable option like this air fryer by Dash. This was my first air fryer. I like the large basket and it’s easy to use. However, air frying is it’s only capability and it is not small, it takes up a lot of room on the counter top or in storage in your kitchen.

I was gifted the Ninja Foodi which has 9 different functions including air frying, pressure cooking, dehydrating and slow cooking. I like that it is multifunctional and the air frying function works really well. The downfall is that it is expensive, but if you are looking to consolidate a lot of your cooking appliances into one it is definitely the way to go!

I have also heard good things about the Cuisinart Air Fryer Convection Toaster Oven, it doubles as a toaster oven and is a more natural item to keep out on your countertop.

It can be overwhelming trying to decide which air fryer is best or which one is going to work for you. I suggest you consider how often you are going to use it, where you are going to store it and if there are other kitchen appliances you need or want to consolidate when making your decision.

Looking for more Air Fryer Recipes? Check these out!

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