10/10, Lindsay!! comment icon 123 more comments There’s only so much you can do with tofu to get it to knock your socks off, but OH MY! the texture! Like, I can’t even believe you can get this kind of delightful crisp and ruggedy crunch with such low effort and energy. Why I love this:
You get a crispity, crackly golden exterior that looks and tastes like it’s breaded and fried There’s lots of savory saltiness without any one distinct flavor, making it extremely versatile for use in tons of recipes It is an absolutely elite canvas for sauces – they cling to every nook, cranny, and crevice of that golden exterior
AND! If you buy the vacuum-packed tofu, there is no pressing. I repeat: NO PRESSING! You’re just ripping apart a block of tofu, tossing it in a quick little batter of sorts, and air frying for less than 15 minutes. Holy. Smokes. This air fryer tofu is already affectionately known in my life as AFT, like the vegetarian cousin to the air fryer chicken (AFC): both extremely easy, versatile, and an absolute go-to that I make multiple times each week.
Toss it in a curry – yes. Sauce it up and add it to a rice bowl – yes. Throw into a noodle stir-fry – absolutely. Dip it in your favorite sauce like a chicken nugget – big yes. My girls love this. I especially love it with this incredible gochujang sauce. Or make it a bowl with this sticky gochujang tofu.
My favorite sauce for this at the moment is the gochujang sauce from the air fryer chicken post – yep, still on that train. I’ll include it again in the notes of the recipe. I just toss the crispified tofu with a bit of the sauce and it melts right in and it is divine. Have fun!
4.8 from 71 reviews
1 block extra firm tofu (look for one that is vacuum-packed so you don’t have to press it! see note 1)
The Batter:
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (see note 2) 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil 2–3 teaspoons all-purpose spice blend (see note 3)
For Serving:
your favorite sauce for serving (see note 4)
Note 2a on Making This Without Nutritional Yeast: Change the ingredient amounts to what’s listed below.
3 tablespoons cornstarch 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil 2–3 teaspoons all-purpose spice blend (see note 3)
Note 2b on Making This Without Nutritional Yeast (Photo): The photo below shows two versions – the top is made with only cornstarch, and the bottom is the original with cornstarch and nutritional yeast. Here are the main differences:
Cornstarch only version doesn’t coat quite as evenly – it has a slightly more spotty exterior. Nutritional yeast version covers really evenly, makes it super golden, and gives it a uniquely salty, nutty, umami flavor.
Note 3 on Spices: I use and love this rotisserie chicken seasoning for both the air fryer chicken and now this air fryer tofu. If you don’t have a spice blend that you like, use 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. And if you are using a spice blend that doesn’t have salt, you may want to add an extra pinch of salt to the tofu batter. Note 4 on Sauces: I have been hung up on this gochujang sauce for a minute. It’s so good to toss with the crispy tofu. Mix the following: 1/2 cup mayo, 2 tablespooons gochujang sauce (not paste), 1 clove grated garlic, a shot of soy sauce, a dash of rice vinegar, and salt and pepp. I cover the tofu in sauce and toss it together after the tofu is done let it sort of melt in so it creates almost a glaze-like consistency on the outside of the tofu. It’s SO good on a rice bowl. Other sauces I like: this store-bought mango chutney, this honey mustard, or this peanut sauce. Note 5 on Air Fryer Temp: I have both a Cosori 4 quart air fryer as well as a Ninja 5 quart air fryer (affiliate links). My Cosori does this tofu perfectly at 400 degrees with the timing above, while the Ninja does it perfectly at 390 degrees. If you stop and shake the tofu after 8 minutes and you feel like it’s a tad too dark golden at 400, just reduce the temp slightly for the last 5 to find your perfect temp. I would shoot for anything in the 375-400 range. Air fryer temps and performance will vary slightly!
Three Bomb Sauces For Your Air Fryer Tofu
