Air Fryer Tofu {Crispy Fried Tofu}
Crispy and easy Air Fryer Tofu is a speedy weeknight dinner. Made in the air fryer, this crispy fried tofu is the most delicious vegan recipe you can make in under 30 minutes.
For many people, tofu is a non-starter. I get it. Everyone has different tastes and some just haven’t tried tofu in the right way. Yet.
If you like orange chicken, you may just love (like? tolerate?) Air Fryer Tofu. The sauce is homemade, loaded with flavor, and can be personalized to your taste. And if you want to skip over the tofu part and use the sauce on chicken or something else, I won’t be mad atcha.
Don’t let the “air fryer” part of the recipe title scare you away. You can totally make it old school – in a skillet or in the oven. You’ll get a similar crunch, but it may take more work and some oil. I have been having lots of fun with my air fryer lately, but fried tofu is definitely something I find myself making more than other recipes.
Need something delicious to serve with this air fryer tofu? How about whipping up a batch of Air Fryer Egg Rolls?
While you don’t need any oil with this recipe, a few sprays of olive oil using a Misto will give you a crispier end product. The use of cornstarch makes for an amazing coating. Cornstarch is a versatile unsung hero that I use in lots of dishes.
Do yourself a favor and cover the top of this with some sort of spicy chili paste. The recipe calls for 1 tsp of sriracha but I leave it out because of Jack. Bennett loves spicy and would be fine with it, but Jack has a delicate butterfly palette.
Bennett usually likes fried tofu most nights. Jack only groaned and fake gagged twice when he ate this. So all in all, I consider it a winning dish.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes Like This:
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Crispy and easy Fried Tofu With Orange Sauce is a speedy weeknight dinner. Made in the air fryer, this is the most delicious vegan recipe you can make in under 30 minutes.
- 2 lbs firm or extra firm tofu
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 stalks celery
- 1/8 tsp olive oil optional
- 2 inch nob of ginger, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sriracha optional
- 2 tsp honey*
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp cool water
- pepper to taste
- 2 green onions, sliced
- sesame seeds
Drain the water from the tofu, and slice each of the tofu bricks into 8 slices.
Line a plate with two dishtowels. Place 8 of the slices on the towels. Line with another towel and lay the rest of the tofu on top. Place another towel over that. Put something heavy on the top to help press the water from the tofu. I use my cast iron skillet. Put in the fridge for at least two hours.
Put 1/4 cup of cornstarch into a bowl. Cut the pressed slices into cubes and put into the bowl. Toss to coat the tofu with the cornstarch. Add the celery.
Put the tofu cubes and celery into the air fryer and set the temperature to 390 degrees. Put 28 minutes on the timer. Lightly spray the top of the tofu with olive oil spray (optional).
Shake the basket every 9 (ish) minutes. Spray each time you shake if you'd like. The olive oil spray will give it a more golden color, but the end product will be about the same if you don't use it.
The tofu and celery will be done when it has reached your desired level of crispiness.
Heat a large skillet and add a bit of high-heat oil like coconut.
Add half of the tofu to the skillet, and turn to coat, allowing it to crisp up. Transfer to a plate lined with a few paper towels. Then repeat with the rest of the tofu.
Preheat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Stir to coat and allow it to saute for few minutes.
In a small bowl, add the cornstarch and water and stir to combine.
Add the rest of the ingredients, and turn the heat up to medium-high, stirring often. Allow the sauce to almost come to a boil. Once it starts to bubble, turn it down to simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat after five minutes.
Place the tofu and celery in a bowl, and pour the sauce over the top. Toss to coat. Plate the tofu, and sprinkle with green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve with rice, your favorite grain, or cauliflower rice if you want a gluten-free option.
*honey - use 1/2 tsp of sugar, maple syrup, or omit to make vegan.
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Now I am going to search for air fryer to find out what they are. I think we would like this tofu recipe.
There is a link to one in the post. It takes you to Amazon where you can read reviews, etc. Basically, it is an oil-less crisper that you can use to “fry” things. It works a bit like a convection oven to makes things super crispy using just air.
i’m not going to lie… I had doubts. I mean… tofu. but it was shockingly good!
This looks absolutely delicious.. have to try it!
If you love your tofu crispy, this is the best way to do it!
So I half made this. I realized (sadly) that I didn’t have all the ingredients for the orange sauce, so I fried the tofu in my air fryer and made peanut sauce for it. It was delicious and toddler approved! The tofu was perfectly fried. The towel/cast iron tip was pure gold.
Mmmmm, I think the peanut sauce might make it even better!! So glad you all liked it.