Air Fryer Crispy Tofu Recipe: Quick, Easy, Vegan & Totally Crave-worthy by Chef Gigi
You don't have to be vegan or vegetarian to enjoy a good tofu recipe – and there are so many to choose from! From crispy tofu to stir-fried tofu to tofu ham to General Tso's tofu to tofu tacos to grilled tofu, there's a tofu recipe for everyone. This easy air fryer tofu recipe has a rich Asian-inspired sauce and will keep you coming back for more.
Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the curds into solid blocks. Tofu can be soft, firm, medium-firm, extra firm, super firm and silken. You can buy tofu at almost any grocery store these days and in Asian markets.
To make this crispy tofu, you'll need medium to medium-firm tofu, potato or cornstarch, honey, crushed ginger, fresh garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, sambal oelek or sriracha sauce and green onions, for garnish. The tofu cooks in the air fryer while you make the simple sauce. The crispy tofu is coated in the sauce and served immediately.
Serve the tasty tofu as a vegan or vegetarian main dish or as a snack or appetizer. You could even use it on salads.
Cuisine: Asian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 2 to 4
Ingredients
- 16 ounces tofu, medium or medium-firm, drained
- 1/2 cup potato starch or cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek or sriracha
- sliced green onions, for garnish
Here's how to make it
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F.
- While the air fryer is preheating, wrap the drained tofu in a few layers of paper towels or clean cheese cloth. Place on a plate and weigh down tofu with something heavy, like a glass casserole dish. Drain for a minimum of 10 minutes and up to 30. A longer drain time is better.
- While the tofu drains, combine the potato starch and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Unwrap the tofu and pat dry once more. Cut into 1-inch cubes and add to the starch mixture. Use your fingers to toss until coated gently.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place the tofu in the air fryer basket, shaking off any excess starch while transferring and enduring space between each piece. Spritz the top with nonstick cooking spray. Cook until tofu becomes slightly puffed, about 10 to 12 minutes. Using tongs, gently turn the tofu pieces over. Continue to cook until lightly browned in some spots and crispy, about 10 minutes.
- While the tofu air fries, make the sauce in a small skillet by combing the remaining ingredients except for the chili paste (sambal) and the sesame seeds. Heat slowly over medium heat, occasionally stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly and clings lightly to the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chili paste.
- Remove the crispy tofu to a large bowl. Pour the sweet and spicy soy glaze over the tofu and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving plate, top with chopped green onions and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
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