Air-Fryer Tofu Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Lauren in Spain

Hard to find potato starch in my village. Would cornstarch be an acceptable substitute?

Lynda Spiegel

Used cornstarch instead of potato starch

Barbara

For people having trouble finding potato starch (at least in the US)- you're in luck! Look in the Passover aisle of your supermarket.

Bill

I wonder if the tofu could be torn into pieces rather than sliced. It would create lots of craggy places to promote crispiness...I have seen that it works well with tofu.

Gina

I toss drained tofu cubes with cornstarch, ground ginger, garlic powder, pepper, and salt in a brown paper bag and skillet-fry or air-fry them; works well.

Sheila T

how would you cook this in an oven or a convection oven?

LarryAt27N

Cooking note: the tofu chunks kept their pale complexions despite extra time in the air fryer. So, after dunking them in the sauce, I returned them to the still-hot fryer at 400 for about four minutes, turning them once. That did the trick, giving me tofu chunks that looked as good as they tasted. I served them with buttered sticky rice out of a 90-second bag, delicious.

Tony Maiorana

Made everything as the recipe, except doubled the glaze. So yummy. Made crispy brussel sprouts and rice to complete the meal.

kjporfavor

Yes, you can use corn starch in place of potato starch. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/potato-starch-substitute

Suz

I made this using the potato starch instead of corn starch for the first time last night. I don't have an air fryer, just convection. I can not believe the night and day difference between the potato starch and corn starch. MUCH crispier, much chewier. Making in the convection though it didn't get as golden. Definitely will use the potato starch again. I made my own sauce and am really just commenting on the difference between the two starches.

Kirsten

I would switch up the first two steps—press the tofu first, AND THEN preheat the air fryer. No need to have an air fryer preheating for 30 minutes.

Karen

Per Sam: Eleanore Park’s air-fryer tofu works almost as well in a regular oven, and exactly as well in an oven with a convection setting. Potato starch gives the tofu an extra crispy skin, and the soy glaze makes it thrilling alongside a mound of rice, perhaps with some stir-fried greens.

Susan

This really needs some minced garlic and scallions for flavor, which is what I add, one of each- some red pepper if feeling spicy. I’d also add sesame seeds/ sesame oil if I had them

Elizabeth

I do this at 400 or 425 as long as your over doesn't smoke too much. I line a sheet pan with parchment paper and flip half way through. Works great.

Mapotato 2

Cornstarch should work in this too, if you can’t find potato starch. The finish potato starch gives is a touch more crisp, but corn starch will be fine in a pinch.

Marli

I am a diabetic - this worked so well my husband could not tell it was not sugar: Used 1 Tb of brown monkfruit sweetener with 1/4 c soy and 1/4 c Eden brown rice vinegar. (I buy it by the case from Eden).Splashed in 1-1/2 Tb or so of chili garlic sauce from the Asian grocery. Thickened beautifully.Added garlic powder and almost too much cayenne to the potato starch. Yum!

sarah m

The crust was tough in our oven air fryer. Maybe I had coated the tofu too thick? Would not make again

Margarita

Good recipe for quick meal. Adding spices (garlic powder, five spice powder, cayenne and black pepper) to potato starch definitely helps with flavor. Foodie worked great- Tofu was nice and crisp .

Rebecca Fisher

Not a good idea to spray your air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray — it ruins the coating on the basket

sam

gonna use paneer instead of tofu

Alex

Why not buy firm super-firm tofu instead of having to press medium-firm tofu? ?

LcTh

Instead of wasting a bunch of non-food grade paper towels, just cube the tofu and microwave it for a minute or two. Faster, less messy.

Janet

This didn’t work well for me. I substituted tapioca starch for potato starch, so this might be why I didn’t get the golden, crunchy potato nugget appearance. The tofu cubes puffed up, but were tough on the outside and rather deflated on the inside. Any thoughts?

el Hefa

Nothing I could do to make this recipe resemble anything like the picture. Amazing how we keep trying to get deep fried texture without deep frying.

Saj

Great quick recipe! In addition ti playing it by the book, it also turns out great without the sauce and using it for tofu sandwhiches with the tofu sliced into inch thick patties. Also experimented by doing a nice of potato starch and flour so that the tofu catches a bit more brown while cooking. Both ways are fantastic!

Gary

I spray olive oil when using my air fryer. I'd be hesitant to use "non stick cooking spray." I won't use it on teflon or ceramic non stick frying pays or on my carbon steel pans.

emily

Mine did not look like the photo and it was still kind of powdery and dry after 20 min the air fryer. Will try again with more spray oil and higher temp. Used my own sauce! Was still perfectly crispy.

Emily

I added this tofu to an orange chicken sauce (no chicken!). It wasn't crispy and seemed more hard/dense.

Ann

We loved it. Added some paprika potato starch helps with cover. Dipping sauce makes a great dish. Added steamed bok choy and rice. Will make it again.

Al G

Rice flour(starch) can be used in place of potato starch. Asian markets will have it, as well as on the internet.

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Air-Fryer Tofu Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long do you cook tofu in the air fryer? ›

Air fry at 400°F for 11-15 minutes, tossing halfway so that the tofu cooks evenly on all sides. The tofu is ready when it's crisp and browned around the edges. Keep an eye on it during the last few minutes of cooking, as the exact cooking time will depend on your specific air fryer. That's it!

How do you know if tofu is cooked enough? ›

If you're cooking slices or cubes, cut the tofu into slices, layer them between paper towels and weigh down the individual slices. The finished tofu should be spongy yet dry (you'll need to weigh it down for 30 minutes to 2 hours).

Why won t my tofu get crispy? ›

The key to crispy tofu is to heat the oil in your pan before adding tofu cubes. Coating the pan-fried tofu in corn flour helps create a crispy coating as the cubed tofu cooks in the oil. Another key to getting uber-crispy tofu is removing excess liquid/moisture from it before you cook tofu.

Is tofu better pan fried or air fried? ›

Air Fryer Tofu is hands down the best way to get crispy, flavorful tofu that cooks in just 10 minutes! Toss it in a buddha bowl or add to vegetable stir fry or salad. This tofu tastes good nearly anywhere! If you love this tofu, you will love my popular Marinated Tofu recipe!

How many minutes do you put in the air fryer? ›

Air-Fryer Cooking Chart
FOODTEMPERATUREAIR-FRYER TIME
Burgers350°F8-10 minutes
Chicken Breast375°F22-23 minutes
Chicken Tenders400°F14-16 minutes
Chicken Thighs400°F25 minutes
42 more rows
Mar 2, 2022

What is the best temp for frying tofu? ›

Cut the tofu up into easy-to-eat squares and cover these entire surfaces with flour. Heat the deep-frying oil to 180℃ (356F) and place the tofu squares inside, deep-fry for 4~5 minutes until crispy. Remove from the oil and sprinkle on soy sauce prior to eating.

What not to mix with tofu? ›

What to not serve with tofu? According to studies, a high volume consumption of tofu and spinach together can increase your risk of kidney stones. Tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively and the combined can form kidney stones.

Can tofu be undercooked? ›

Can you eat raw tofu? It's not dangerous, as long as you take care to observe good hygiene. As we mention below, just like any other food, if tofu is not stored and prepared correctly, you run the risk of bacterial contamination, and you could get sick. But that's not specific to eating raw tofu.

How long does it take to fully cook tofu? ›

Allow tofu to cook, undisturbed for about 4-5 minutes or until the underside is golden brown and crispy. Step 2: Flip the tofu pieces and season the cooked side with salt. Allow the second side to cook for an additional 4 minutes or until the second side is golden brown and crispy.

How to stop tofu from sticking to the air fryer? ›

Brush your air-fryer basket with a thin coat of oil to prevent the tofu from sticking. Transfer tofu into an air-fryer basket. Arrange mainly on a single layer without too much overlapping. Air fry the tofu at 400°F or 200°C for 12 to 15 minutes.

What is a substitute for cornstarch in crispy tofu? ›

If you prefer not to cook with cornstarch, you can try a substitute such as potato starch or arrowroot starch. Salt and pepper: You can also add additional seasonings like garlic and onion powder, paprika, nutritional yeast, etc.

What to season tofu with? ›

Most seafood seasonings include celery seed, paprika, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper. Add lime juice to the tofu marinade to bring forward more of that classic seafood flavor. 5. Soy sauce: Marinating tofu in soy sauce helps the tofu absorb flavor quickly.

How unhealthy is fried tofu? ›

Frying tofu can give it a crispy texture, but comes at a cost – it can be high in calories, up to three times more than baked or air-fried tofu. This is because frying requires added oil as a heat conductor, which cooks the tofu evenly but also makes it absorb more oil, resulting in more fat and calories.

How long to air fry firm tofu? ›

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.

What is the best oil for frying tofu? ›

Type of oil to use for frying tofu: Canola is great and so are vegetable/soybean oil and refined peanut oil. In general, choose a neutral-flavored oil that has a high smoking point. That is, don't deep-fry with sesame oil.

What does it mean to press tofu for 30 minutes? ›

Wrap the block of tofu in a clean tea towel then put it on a large plate with a lip. Put something heavy such as a frying pan on top, weight it down further with cans and jars, and leave for 30 mins. The tofu will be about two-thirds its original thickness, and up to 100ml water will have been removed.

How long to press tofu for crispy tofu? ›

For the best results, I recommend pressing tofu for at least 30 minutes before cooking, though longer is great if you're able to plan ahead. In a pinch, even less time can make a big difference. I pressed the left block of tofu in the photo above for just 20 minutes. An unpressed block of tofu is on the right.

Do you have to drain tofu before frying? ›

Most recipes (frying, stir-frying or deep-frying) require the tofu to be drained well and patted dry before cooking. This is logical, as moist tofu doesn't absorb marinades or spices and splatters in the pan. To pat dry, place a triple layer of paper towel on a wooden board or a deep plate.

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