Air Fryer Tofu {Crispy Fried Tofu}
Crispy and easy Air Fryer Tofu is a speedy weeknight dinner. Packed with flavor this crispy fried tofu is the most delicious vegan or vegetarian 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.
This is the recipe that will convert the tofu haters.
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 will take more work and definitely more oil.
I love to mix up this crispy tofu with some Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce and put it on top of these Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes. YUM!
Need something delicious to serve with this air fryer tofu? How about whipping up a batch of Instant Pot Basmati Rice, Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice, Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli, Green Beans in Tomato Sauce, Instant Pot Coconut Rice, Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Rice, Air Fryer Potstickers, Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, Kale Chopped Salad, or Air Fryer Egg Rolls?
Hungry for more? Check out these 12 Whole30 Air Fryer and 13 Easy Air Fryer Vegetable recipes for more inspiration.
How to Press Tofu
They do sell actual presses for this, but I find the combo of plate + two clean kitchen towels and a heavy casserole dish (I used my dutch oven) works great and it’s free!
Drain the water from the tofu, and slice each of the tofu bricks into 6 slices.
Line a plate with a dishtowel. Place the slices on the towel. Top with another towel and place another towel over that and place something heavy on the top to help press the water from the tofu. Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
How Long Does it Take to Fry Tofu?
Using the air fryer it takes about 23-28 minutes. It depends on how long you pressed the tofu and how crispy you like it.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- You can fry without the cornstarch but it does help give that extra crisp and crunchy coating we all love.
- Corn allergy? Try arrowroot powder or potato starch.
- Try the (vegan) sauce from our Instant Pot Orange Chicken drizzled over the tofu. It’s SOOO good. Or use this Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce for a great flavor.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes Like This:
- Air Fryer Green Bean Fries
- Crispy Fried Onions
- Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Air Fryer Green Tomatoes
- Air Fryer Fried Okra
- Fried Artichoke Hearts
- Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Easy Air Fryer Pickles
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving has 1 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
Air Fryer Tofu {Crispy Fried Tofu}
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra firm tofu
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp olive oil {optional}
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- sesame seeds {optional}
Instructions
Tofu Prep
- Drain the water from the tofu, and slice each of the tofu bricks into 6 slices.
- Line a plate with a dishtowel. Place the slices on the towel. Top with another towel and place another towel over that and place something heavy on the top to help press the water from the tofu. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Cut the pressed slices into cubes and put into a medium bowl. Toss to coat the tofu with soy sauce and sesame oil.
- Sprinkle cornstarch over the top and gently toss to coat.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil and then add the tofu. Lightly spray the top of the tofu with olive oil spray (optional).
- Cook at 390 degrees F, checking and shaking the basket every 9 minutes.
- The tofu will be done when it has reached your desired level of crispiness (~23-28 minutes).
Skillet Tofu Instructions
- Heat a large skillet and add a 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.
Notes
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Super crispy tofu!! I must admit to being a little skeptical about the whole tofu thing in general but I really enjoyed it! Will be made again – thank you!
Yay, congrats on taking your first steps in tofu enjoyment! 🙂
This looks great! Do you think I can freeze the air fried tofu or do I have to store it in the fridge and eat it within a few days? 🙂
I have not tried to freeze it so I’m not sure. If you do try it, please let me know and I’ll update the post with your experience.
So I haven’t tried it yet so don’t quote me- but I recently learned that if you freeze tofu and let it defrost all the water will come out of it so you don’t need to press it! I currently have tofu in the freezer so curious to see if this is true and save some time!
Huh! If you try it, let me know how it works.
I just tried a new kind of tofu from Trader Joe’s that barely had ANY water in it. It was extra firm and high-protein. Tasted totally normal but was much faster to press.
Yum! Thanks so much! I really love tofu prepared this way. Your orange sauce goes nicely with this. Thanks for upping my cooking game!
You got it Emily! Once you go crispy, it’s hard to go back. 🙂
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.
This looks absolutely delicious.. have to try it!
If you love your tofu crispy, this is the best way to do it!
i’m not going to lie… I had doubts. I mean… tofu. but it was shockingly good!
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.