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Home » Food » Air Fryer Tofu (crispy, flavorful)

Air Fryer Tofu (crispy, flavorful)

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Air Fryer Tofu
air fryer tofu

Air fryer tofu is the quickest and easiest way to make crispy tofu, and you don’t even need to add oil thanks to the magic of the air fryer.

Air Fryer tofu in a while bowl with a blue kitchen towel

This post contains affiliate links. See my full affiliate disclosure here.

Super basic recipes have consistently been your favorite posts over the years, and this air fryer tofu most definitely fits into that category. It is such a great little trick to know, and one you will hopefully use over and over like I have.

Before you start

If you’ve never had tofu before, the first thing you should know is that you are going to need to press the water out of it. This ensures the crispy texture that we are going for.

I did this for years by placing the tofu on a plate lines with a clean kitchen towel and placing a heavy cast iron skillet on top. That works just fine. However! I recently broke down and finally bought this tofu press (affiliate) from Amazon, and I love it. 

Organic tofu and tofu press next to a blue kitchen towel

Whatever method you use, make sure to let the tofu press about 20 to 30 minutes to get the most water out of it.

The second thing you should know about tofu is that, much like chicken, it is very bland on its own. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

You want to be sure and season it well. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered from the flavor angle. 😉 I have the perfect all-purpose marinade that can take your flavor profile in many different directions.👌🏻 But more on that in a minute.

Dicing tofu for uniform(ish) size

After your tofu is well-pressed, you want to cut/ dice it into cubes. This helps it to cook evenly. Here is how I do mine.

First I cut it in half.

knife cutting tofu in half on wood board

Next you want to cut those halves in half, resulting in quarters.

cutting tofu on wood board

Next, flip each of those quarters on its side, and cut each section in half, length-wise like so.

hand with knife cutting tofu on wood board

Now that you have eight long pieces, you are going to shift your knife ninety degrees to make cubes.

cutting tofu into cubes

For the cubes, I cut the it in half. Then I eyeball the two halves into thirds, if that makes sense. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just somewhat close to the same size.

Marinating tofu for maximum flavor

I use a super simple marinade: Tamari (or soy sauce) + Dijon mustard + garlic powder.

garlic powder, Tamari and dijon mjustard next to glass pyrex measuring cup lined with freezer bag

Sriracha is really good too, if you have any. If you don’t or if you don’t like spicy food, it’ll still be very good without it.👌🏻 I add the ingredients to a freezer bag, and give it a little stir. 

stirring marinade in freezer bag

By the way – the measuring glass is simply to help the bag stand up. You can use a bowl, or just hold the bag with your other hand. It was tricky to do that and take pictures, though. Hence the measuring glass.

Anyway! Next, add the tofu cubes.

adding cubed tofu into marinade in a freezer bag

Seal the bag, and rotate to coat all the pieces.

hand holding a freezer bag of marinated tofu

Last, let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. I have let mine go overnight before too. The longer it marinates, the more flavorful.👌🏻

How to air fry tofu

After the tofu has marinated, take it out and drain off any excess marinade. I just used my hands, but you could use tongs or a slotted spoon.

Place the tofu in the air fryer basket. You can spray it first with nonstick spray, if you wish.

Arrange the cubes evenly, so that the air has room to circulate.

Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until crispy, about 10 minutes. Note: give the tofu a toss about half way through cook time.

If the tofu sticks a little, you may need to use a flipper. Otherwise, just give it a little shake.

When it is done, it will look like this. 😍

air fryer tofu in fryer basket

Enjoy air fryer tofu with dipping sauce, in salads, with rice, or in noodle bowls like this.😋  Full recipe for this bowl of goodness is coming soon, FYI.😉

Air Fryer Tofu with veggies, peanut sauce and rice noodles

I hope you enjoy air fryer tofu! Let me know if you try it.👌🏻

Air Fryer Tofu Recipe

Below is a printable version of this recipe. Did you try my air fryer tofu? Give it a star rating. Pin it and share it if it looks good to you. And be sure and stay connected on social media! 

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air fryer tofu in fryer basket
5 from 1 vote
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Air Fryer Tofu

Air fryer tofu is the quickest and easiest way to make crispy tofu, and you don't even need to add oil thanks to the magic of the air fryer.

Course Basics
Cuisine Asian
Keyword air fryer tofu
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinating time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 2 large or 4 small servings
Calories 132 kcal
Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

  • 14 ounces tofu (one block, extra firm)
  • 3 Tablespoons low sodium Tamari (or soy sauce)
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • optional: 1/4 teaspoon squeeze or sriracha I love it if I have some, but it will still be good without it.

Instructions

  1. Start with drained and pressed tofu, and dice into bite sized cubes. See photos and tips in blog post above for helpful tips.

  2. Add marinade ingredients to a freezer bag, and give it a little stir. 

  3. Add diced tofu to bag, seal and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 30, and up to overnight.

  4. After the tofu has marinated, take it out and drain off any excess marinade. I just used my hands, but you could use tongs or a slotted spoon.

  5. Place the tofu in the air fryer basket. You can spray it first with nonstick spray, if you wish. Arrange the cubes evenly, so that the air has room to circulate.

  6. Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (no need to preheat) until crispy, about 10 minutes. Note: give the tofu a toss about half way through cook time. If the tofu sticks a little, you may need to use a flipper. Otherwise, just give it a little shake.

  7. Serve immediately with dipping sauce, on salads, in rice bowls, or with veggies, rice noodles + your favorite sauce if desired.

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator. Calculation was for two large, 7-ounce servings. This recipe can also serve 4 small servings.

Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Tofu
Amount Per Serving
Calories 132 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 1719mg75%
Potassium 363mg10%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 18g36%
Calcium 67mg7%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Comments

  1. Jeannie says

    March 4, 2022 at 2:14 pm

    5 stars
    This is wonderful! I made it today and served it with Instant Pot brown rice and stir fried broccoli, with peanut sauce. Yum! I’m an air fryer newbie, so this was a good beginner recipe. I will make this again and again.

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      March 6, 2022 at 3:50 pm

      Yay Jeannie! I am so glad you are enjoying it.

      Reply

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I am a home cook, recipe developer, coffee drinker, wife and mom of two. My recipes are simple and tasty. I enjoy lots of fresh, healthy food, plus full treats without guilt. Thanks so much for stopping by! Read more here.

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