Air Fryer Tofu
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Published Dec 29, 2021, Updated Nov 05, 2024
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Learn how to make air fryer tofu that’s crispy on the outside and chewy and soft on the inside. It cooks up in just 10 minutes and is perfect for meal prep. Serve it on its own, on a salad, in a stir-fry or in a sandwich!
While veggies don’t hold up as well for meal prep in the air fryer, proteins really do. This air fryer tofu recipe is so easy and perfect for making ahead and having ready to eat throughout the week! I especially love tossing it into my tofu pumpkin curry when I’m craving something cozy and flavorful.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Tofu
- Quick – Ready in just 10 minutes, this tofu is perfect when you need something fast but still want it to be delicious.
- Versatile – Whether you’re adding it to salads, grain bowls, or stir-fries, this tofu works well with a variety of dishes.
- Meal prep friendly – Cook up a batch at the beginning of the week and have a ready-to-go protein option for easy meals throughout the week.
- Perfect texture – The tofu comes out crispy outside and chewy inside – perfection!
Ingredients Needed
- extra firm tofu – make sure you get extra firm, as it will hold up the best. Drain and press the tofu before you chop it.
- arrowroot powder – combined with the olive oil, this will help you achieve the perfect crispy outside texture. You can also use cornstarch!
- olive oil – tossing the tofu in olive oil helps it achieve the perfect crispy outside texture, as well as helping the seasonings to adhere to the tofu. You can use avocado oil if you prefer.
- seasonings – garlic powder, paprika, sea salt and pepper. Super simple but extra delicious.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Tofu Variations
This tofu recipe is perfectly delicious and seasoned to be useful in a variety of different ways, but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix things up!
- Curried tofu – Use curry powder to make curried tofu! It would be great for giving sandwiches or wraps that extra boost of flavor.
- Spicy tofu – Add some cayenne pepper to make a spicy variation!
- Mexican spices – Another way to change up the flavors would be to add a Mexican seasoning blend. Try a classic blend from the store, or make your own at home with my simple taco seasoning!
- Italian seasoning – Perfect to top salads with, you can use an Italian seasoning blend to change up the flavors!
- Peanut tofu – I’m a huge fan of finding new ways to cook tofu, and this baked peanut tofu is amazing! You can easily follow the recipe as written and bake it in the oven, or pop it into the air fryer for a quicker, crispier option. Either way, you’re going to love it!
How to Make Air Fryer Tofu
Step 1: Pressing tofu is super important if you want it crispy and packed with flavor! First, drain the water from the package. If you’ve got a tofu press, great! If not, no worries—just wrap the tofu in paper towels, set it on a flat surface, and place something heavy on top like a skillet or canned goods. Let it sit for 30-90 minutes to get rid of the extra moisture, and you’re all set!
Step 2: After pressing the tofu, chop it into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes and place them in a bowl. Add the oil, arrowroot powder, and seasonings, tossing to coat the cubes evenly.
Step 3: Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF if needed. Arrange the tofu in a single layer in the basket and air fry for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Brittany’s Tip!
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket! To get that perfect crispy texture, make sure the tofu pieces have room to breathe and aren’t stacked on top of each other. If you’re cooking a big batch, it’s better to do it in batches for evenly cooked, crispy tofu every time!
How to Serve Air Fryer Tofu
This air fryer tofu is a total winner—you can toss it into salads, stuff it in sandwiches, or snack on it like crispy little nuggets with your favorite dip! Plus, it’s a meal-prep dream, so you can whip up a batch and use it throughout the week. Here are some recipe ideas:
- Top a salad with this tofu to amp up the protein! Try it with my farro salad, greek chickpea salad or even my simple garlicky kale salad.
- Use this tofu in place of shrimp in my shrimp stir fry salad or use it in my vegan ‘chicken’ salad. It would also be great to use in my tofu cabbage noodle bowl!
- Whip up my healthy chick-fil-a sauce, healthy honey mustard or dip into your favorite brand of ketchup (I love Primal Kitchen organic unsweetened ketchup!)
How to Store For Meal Prep
Make a batch of this air fryer tofu and use it during the week for easy meal options! I recommend letting the tofu cool slightly before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Air Fryer FAQ
That depends on your air fryer! Some recommend preheating and others do not require it. Check your owners’ manual to see what they recommend. If you don’t have a preheat setting, just set your air fryer to the required temperature about 3 minutes before adding your tofu.
It depends on the size of your basket. You’ll want to make sure you don’t overcrowd the basket or your food will not get crispy. You may need to cook in batches.
I do not recommend using aerosol spray on your air fryer! Like most non-stick items, it’s best to avoid sprays like Pam as it can mess with the finish.
More Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Pasta Chips
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Air Fryer Carrots
More Recipes with Tofu
- Mattar Tofu
- Asian Tofu Tacos
- Tofu Cabbage Noodle Bowl
- Orange Tofu with Fennel and Basil
- Grilled Lemon Basil Tofu
Be sure to check out the full collection of the air fryer recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Air Fryer Tofu
Ingredients
- 16 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Once tofu has been pressed, chop into ¼-½ inch cubes and add to a large bowl.
- Sprinkle arrowroot powder, oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper on tofu. Toss well to coat the tofu.
- Preheat air fryer if required. Place tofu in air fryer basket in a single layer and and cook on 400°F for 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden brown and crispy.
- Serve tofu over salad, stuffed into a sandwich, in a stir-fry or on its own like nuggets. I love these dipped in honey mustard or ketchup.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Does this work without the oil? Maybe with aquafaba?
Hi – You could use avocado oil instead of olive oil if you prefer, bit I recommend some sort of oil to help it get crispy. Hope you enjoy!
Detox Soup
Was fantastic
Will try using shrimp
10 stars
Glad you enjoyed it, Rebecca! Thanks for the review :).
This is great – super easy and so tasty. I love how crispy it gets in the air fryer. This was my first time cooking tofu and I am sold. Thanks for sharing the air fryer recipes.
Woo! Happy to hear you enjoyed this air fryer tofu, Melissa. Thanks for trying it out and I appreciate the review!
I can’t wait to try, thanks for this recipe! Is the dipping sauce in the photo with the tofu available on your site?
So happy to see Airfryer recipes!!
Thanks!