Air Fryer Tofu

This simple recipe is one of those ‘non-recipes’! With a crispy exterior and soft inside, Air Fryer Tofu is perfect to snack on, enjoy with a sauce/dip, or add to any grain bowl. Not only nutritious, but also delicious. Enjoy!

If you’ve been around the blog for awhile, you’ll know that the air fryer is not my favorite appliance. Hands down an air fryer will make a perfect baked potato and French fries. And more recently I even had success making my air fried kale chips. Which got me thinking, could I create ‘extra crispy’ tofu through the use of the convection oven? Many recipes online use a marinade and/or cornstarch as their ‘secret’ ingredients. These other methods work, however, this recipe is beyond simple and only uses cooking spray to create a ‘crispy’ tofu.

Many people are often perplexed by tofu. They wonder how they should prepare it but also how can you give it flavor. I think the beauty in tofu is that it takes on whatever flavor you want it to. However, there is truth that it can seem daunting in how to prepare it in a way that will be enjoyed. Through the years, I’ve spent plenty of time sauteing the tofu and turning it from side-to-side. However, in this ‘heat and eat’ time of my life, I needed a quick and easy go-to dinner that could be ready quickly! Enter this air fryer tofu.

Ingredients: Air Fryer Tofu

• Extra-Firm Tofu: This is the easiest to work with as it does have a lower moisture content and holds up well even when the water is pressed out, yielding a great texture. Firm tofu can be swapped for the extra-firm, however, it will require more time to press more water out. If time is of the essence, opt for extra-firm tofu.
• Neutral Cooking Spray: This is how the tofu doesn’t stick to the air fryer basket and also how the tofu will ‘crisp’ up! You could used 1/2 tablespoon to a tablespoon of oil if you prefer, however, the cooking spray really did the trick. Opting here to have the oil in my ‘sauce’ to provide flavor after and keep the tofu neutral in flavor.
• Tofu Press: Do you need an actual tofu press? No. Do you need to press your tofu? Yes. As I do tofu ALL the time I invested in the press, however, you could simply wrap it in paper towels and press down with a heavy skillet. Simply find what works best for you. Knowing I’m using less paper towels makes me feel more eco-friendly!

How To Make Air Fryer Tofu

1. Press the tofu. Extra-firm tofu should be pressed for at least 15 minutes, but up to 30 minutes. A tofu press works best, however, you can also set a heavy pan on top of the tofu and let the moisture drain (or wrap in paper towels).
2. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
3. Cut the tofu into one-inch cubes.
4. Coat with cooking spray, as this will ensure all sides of the tofu get covered with the spray.
5. Place the cubes in the cooking basket and insert the basket into the Air Fryer.
6. Cook until the surface is crispy and light brown, between 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through (you can also toss every 5 minutes to ensure all sides crisp up!)
7. Transfer to a plate/bowl to serve. Serve with rice, a veggie of choice, and my go-to sauce! (coming next week!)

What To Eat With Air Fryer Tofu

• Perfect Brown Rice
• Roasted Mushrooms
• Hoisin Shrimp – use the air fried tofu in place of the shrimp

Air Fryer Tofu

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This simple recipe is one of those ‘non-recipes’! With a crispy exterior and soft inside, Air Fryer Tofu is perfect to snack on, enjoy with a sauce/dip, or add to any grain bowl. Not only nutritious, but also delicious. Enjoy!

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

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• 1–14 ounce block extra-firm tofu
• Neutral Cooking Spray

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Instructions

 

1. Press the tofu. Extra-firm tofu should be pressed for at least 15 minutes, but up to 30 minutes. A tofu press works best, however, you can also set a heavy pan on top of the tofu and let the moisture drain (or wrap in paper towels).
2. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
3. Cut the tofu into one-inch cubes.
4. Coat with cooking spray, as this will ensure all sides of the tofu get covered with the spray.
5. Place the cubes in the cooking basket and insert the basket into the Air Fryer.
6. Cook until the surface is crispy and light brown, between 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through (you can also toss every 5 minutes to ensure all sides crisp up!)
7. Transfer to a plate/bowl to serve. Serve with rice, a veggie of choice, and my go-to sauce! (coming next week!)

• Author: Amy’s Nutrition Kitchen
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 20
• Category: Dinner