Air-frying tofu is one of my favorite ways to make tofu in recipes because it’s super quick and crispy without the use of oil.
If you’re looking to add a few vegan or plant-based meals to your weeknights, knowing how to air-fry tofu will help!
First, when I have friends who start eating tofu for the first time, they often have questions like “Is tofu healthy?” or “Is Tofu Bad for You?”
I definitely don’t think you should eat it on its own as there are so many great sources of protein in the world.
However, tofu and soybeans are generally quite good, and you can read one article that Lindsey (one of the nutritionists we worked with our cookbook) wrote, called Are soybeans safe??
Air-fried Tofu Recipe:
Some tips and notes when cooking with tofu:
Can you eat raw tofu? Technically, yes. Personally, I’ve never eaten it cold or eaten straight from the container, but you can. Like, you can add tofu right in homemade miso soup (though that still warms it up).
What I find comforting about this is that, unlike most meats, you don’t have to worry about whether you’re cooking the tofu well enough. It’s safe to eat, so you can experiment with air-frying to get the level of crispiness you like.
Do I have to drain and juice the tofu? I would recommend you do. I tried air-frying the tofu without squeezing (to get rid of excess moisture) and while it worked well, it wasn’t as crispy.
Can I fry tofu in an oil-free plane? It’s correct! See the recipe card below for exactly how I fry the tofu in the air, but I think it’s better to air fry without any oil.
Can I air fry tofu without cornstarch? It’s correct! Again, I recommend and like this more. As you can see in the image below, adding cornstarch or arrowroot powder to the tofu before air-frying can cause the beans to stick.
My favorite brands/types for air fryers are those where the tofu is packaged with some liquid (as opposed to sealed packaging in a barrel without the surrounding liquid).
You’ll also want to use firmer tofu for air frying.
Try to keep the pieces of tofu in a single layer and not touch each other when frying in the air. It’s okay if they touch a little, even though they may stick together. If they do, you’ll have to separate them after cooking.
But as much as possible, try not to overcrowd air fryer basket.
No extra ingredients needed — just crispy tofu and ready to go! so so. Emma
Credit // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman.
Air fried tofu
Deep fried tofu without oil or cornstarch
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first
parcel
tofu
add company
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Drain the tofu from the liquid in the package.
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Use a clean (lint-free) paper towel or kitchen towel to press the tofu, removing excess liquid.
I usually put the tofu in front of two plates and put something semi-heavy on top like a heavy bowl or a cookbook.
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Cut the drained tofu into bite-sized squares.
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Air fry at 390°F for 10-12 minutes. Halfway through, pause the air fryer and throw the cube.
See the post for more recipe suggestions using air-fried tofu.
