Crispy Air Fryer Tofu (How to Make Crispy Tofu)
Here’s How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Tofu cooked in just 10 minutes! This tofu is delicious, easy to make and great for meal prep!
Here’s a fact of life, air fryer tofu is one of the easiest and delicious quick meals on this blog. Not only will it help you achieve your crispy tofu dreams, but also well seasoned and meal prepped tofu. Did I mention it takes 10 minutes of cooking time?!
What’s an air fryer?
An air fryer is a small counter top high powered convection oven that through its cooking process, essentially cooks whatever you place in it as if it was being fried, except with air. Our air fryer is our MOST used device in our house and I would highly recommend everyone get one. (affiliate links) This is my current air fryer that I adore, and the air fryer I had before that I also love!
We make everything from fries (that are crispy, delicious and take 20 minutes), to burgers, bagels, toast, crispy roasted breadfruit and even plantain. And today – tofu!
Notes on the Ingredients
extra firm tofu – ensure you’re buying the right tofu! If it says “silken” anywhere on it. that’s not the kind we want to use here. Watch my tofu 101 IG series if you want more details, or my Tofu 101 Blog post! Always press your tofu when using it in this way.
Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ground black pepper and sea salt – these are a few simple seasonings that give your tofu incredible flavour. I’ll share some other seasonings ideas below.
cornstarch – our secret weapon for crispy tofu! Cornstarch helps to draw out excess liquid and gives the tofu a crispy exterior.
light soy sauce or liquid aminos – I prefer light soy sauce (or even liquid aminos) since it’s not as salty. You can also use coconut aminos.
sesame oil or any oil – even though you don’t technically need oil for an air fryer, I find a little bit goes a LONG way with aiding crispiness, texture and flavour.
How to make Air Fryer Tofu (Step by Step Instructions)
Making air fryer tofu is so easy and results in the crispest tofu in such a short time.
In a medium size bowl place the pressed and cubed tofu. Add in liquid aminos and toss to coat.
Add in all of the other seasoning ingredients and toss to thoroughly combine.
Place in your air fryer in a single row, so that all the tofu has a little bit of space around each piece.
Set your air fryer to 400°F. Cook for 10 minutes, shaking the basket after 5 minutes, then continuing to cook.
Remove after tofu is cooked. Allow to cool for a few minutes then serve. Enjoy!
You can serve it alone or with a dip, or literally anything your heart desires.
Expert Tips and FAQ
- Make sure you’re not buying silken tofu! That will yield the wrong texture and will break apart if you try and press it. Check out my Tofu 101 post for more, or watch my tofu 101 IG series.
- If you have a smaller air fryer, you’re going to want to split this into two batches because you definitely don’t want your tofu to be crowded. Give them enough space. In my smaller air fryer, I need two batches.
- I’m sure all air fryers are different, so be sure to see if your tofu may need an extra 5 minutes. Mine was perfect after 10 minutes!
- How to press tofu: I cover this in detail in my How to Cook Tofu 101 post! The prep time includes the time to press the tofu
- You can even switch up the seasoning mix. Here are some ideas as to how:
- Italian seasoning with dried parsley, oregano and dried basil
- Bbq seasoning
- Cajun seasoning
- The options are up to you!
How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 lb block extra firm tofu, pressed for 30 minutes then cut into 1” cubes or tear into pieces for even more crisp, (16 oz.)
- ½ tablespoon light soy sauce, or liquid aminos
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, up to 2 extra teaspoons for the best crisp
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil, or any oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl place the pressed and cubed tofu. Add in liquid aminos/soy sauce and toss to coat. Add in all of the other seasoning ingredients (garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sea salt, cornstarch, sesame oil and ground black pepper) and toss to thoroughly combine.
- Place in your air fryer in a single row, so that all the tofu has a little bit of space around each piece. Set your air fryer to 400°F. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the basket after 5 minutes, then continuing to cook.
- Remove after tofu is cooked. Allow to cool for a few minutes then serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure you’re not buying silken tofu! That will yield the wrong texture and will break apart if you try and press it. Check out my Tofu 101 post for more.
- If you have a smaller air fryer, you’re going to want to split this into two batches because you definitely don’t want your tofu to be crowded. Give them enough space. In my smaller air fryer, I need two batches.
- I’m sure all air fryers are different, so be sure to see if your tofu may need an extra 5 minutes. Mine was perfect after 10 minutes!
- How to press tofu: I cover this in detail in my How to Cook Tofu 101 post! The prep time includes the time to press the tofu
- You can even switch up the seasoning mix. Here are some ideas as to how:
- Italian seasoning with dried parsley, oregano and dried basil
- Bbq seasoning
- Cajun seasoning
- The options are up to you!
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Dear Jessica,
Because of you I bought my first air fryer and thank you. This recipe is so yummy and definitely not boring. Thanks for sharing and inspiring vegan cooks all over the world!!!
Hi Eileen,
Aww I appreciate your comment so much!! You’re so welcome and I agree – no boring meals around here!! Thanks for commenting!
The recipe is great! I made tofu for the first time ever today by using it and it turned out great. I was even more excited when I saw your photo! ☺️
Aww thanks so much for sharing Britt!! So happy to hear this and how much you enjoyed it 🥰
Can you mix the cornstarch, soy sauce, garlic powder, etc. before coating the tofu? Sorry for my ignorance, I am not that knowledgeable about cooking.
Hi Caitlin!
I wouldn’t recommend mixing them together first. It would form a paste and then wouldn’t adhere properly. You also want the soy sauce to penetrate the tofu directly and first so that it soaks into the tofu. You can also watch the video attached to the blog post where I make it. I hope this helps! Enjoy!
Yummmmmmy! This makes the best melt in your mouth, finger-popping tofu!
Hi Brenda,
Yesss so happy to hear this!! Thank you for sharing.
Delicious!
Music to our ears, Brooke! Thank you for sharing.
Fabulous! Can’t tell you how many times I have been unsuccessful trying to make crispy tofu, your recipe worked perfectly. Also, taste is so yummy. Thanks!
Thanks SO much for sharing Mike! So happy to hear this!!
This was really delicious, and a game-changer for us! I froze & thawed the tofu first to see if that would give it a “meatier” texture (it did!) and followed your recipe, including the additional 2 tsp. cornstarch for “best crisp” (it was!). We LOVED this fast, easy AND truly delicious dish ~ thank you for the recipe, Jessica. and for upping our enthusiasm for tofu!
I am so so happy to hear this Shelley – thank you SO much for letting me know!! Love your tips too!!
I made this tonight as a side dish to a mashed potato crusted veggie and mushroom quiche. It was a perfect substitute for potato chips. (you probably call fries) very healthy in comparison.
I’ve never made airfryer crispy tofu before as my husband is not a fan of even trying tofu. He is not vegetarian and I usually end up cooking his meal with some sort of meat on the side. He is however a fan of quiche so I just dished up the meal with tofu on the side. He ate it all commenting it was nice enough. Knowing him that was a big compliment.
The only change I made to the recipe is I used Italian herb mix instead of the garlic paprika and onion.
Thank you so much for sharing your talent. This will definitely be a repeat recipe on a regular basis in our home.
Thanks so much for sharing this Loretta – so incredibly happy to hear!! Love the changes you did too by the way!
Hi there! I am very new at a new lifestyle change and have never even tried tofu. I can’t wait to try your recipe. I constantly feel bad health-wise, so I think I’m going to try being a flexitarian and incorporate more vegan options.
Towards the end of your recipe, you said that we can try other seasonings like Cajun, Italian, etc. How do we adjust that for this recipe?
Do we use soy sauce or sesame oil still? I just have a feeling that’s more of an Asian taste. Or do we go without those two items? Or is there an alternative? Would it be more of a dry seasoning?
I’m sorry for asking these questions. I just really want this recipe to work out so I can try eating more vegan. I’m trying simple but recipes that sound yummy. I’ve recently tasted two vegan items and I really really liked them. They’re specific brands of pepperoni and of cheese. If I find more things that I like that are vegan, then I will stick to my lifestyle change more.
Anyways, thank you so much for this recipe! I cannot wait to try it this week.
Hi Tammy,
You never need to apologise for asking questions about my recipes!! I’m so happy you’re here and that I can help you with your journey!!
Great questions – I would recommend keeping the soy sauce since it’s like a flavour boost that can actually seep into the tofu. But you can swap out a high smoke point oil like algae oil, avocado oil or a higher smoke point olive oil, instead. You could also swap the soy sauce for a very flavourful vegetable broth, too!
Cajun seasonings – you can add like 1 tablesooon Cajun seasoning mix instead of the other spices, adding salt and black pepper too if your mix doesn’t have it in it.
For Italian you could do the same, maybe 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning plus all the other seasonings in this recipe, subbing avocado or algae oil (neutral flavour) or even the high smoke point olive oil and the flavorful veggie broth.
I’m always here if you have more questions! Be sure to watch my YouTube video please linked in the post for all the tips especially on how to press your tofu and what brands I recommend!
Oh how you have helped me! Jessica, you are Godsend to me because I really want to try hard for this lifestyle change. I can’t not wait to try the Cajun!!!
What wonderful ideas you have!
Also, I will try your recipe by the end of the week but I’ll have you know that I tried Tofu for the first time yesterday and really enjoyed it! I took some of your tips and tried them on the other recipe. Can’t wait to try yours 👏
I’m going to your page right now and subbing! You are amazing and I can’t wait to learn and try more. And one last thing…thanks for getting back to me with a reply! I don’t know how you do it! You have so many viewers and I have a page with not too many followers and it’s very hard to reply to everyone. It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just a lot.
Thank you so much for all your advice. You are the best!
Aw wow Tammy I smiled the entire time reading this!! Thank you SO much for letting me know, and you are MOST welcome!! So happy you enjoyed tofu! I’m actually about to prep my tofu “egg” salad to put on some hash browns with some avocado too, like a hash brown toast. Just had to share that idea with you! I usually do tofu scramble, but felt for something slightly different today!
Thank you SO much for subscribing and I’m here if you ever have any questions!!