Perfectly crisp air fryer tofu in just 15 minutes! This recipe is insanely easy, totally customizable for flavor, great for an easy weeknight meals and even perfect for meal prep!
Why This Recipe Works
I’ve got to be honest with you I used to hate tofu. It was soggy, sponge-y and just NOT good. Well… all of that changed when I randomly gave air fry tofu a try. The result? The most INSANELY DELICIOUS TOFU EVER!
I’m not kidding guys. I’ll never cook tofu another way. It’s tofu in the air fryer or no tofu at all! Even my meat eating husband loves it. The texture is SO on point and the flavor is immaculate.
What I love about this air fryer tofu recipe, besides being delicious, is that it’s totally customizable. You can add whatever type of seasoning you like to it. I’ve got recipe variations for you in the expert tips section below for ranch, garlic and onion and even taco! Or, keep them plain and dip them into some of me copycat Chick-Fil-A sauce recipe for meatless nuggets!
PS. If you’re making the taco flavored tofu in the air fryer be sure to checkout my air fryer tortilla chip recipe and make yourself some killer totally homemade nachos!
Ingredients Needed
- Sesame Oil. You can sub another oil like olive oil, avocado oil, etc. But I LOVE the flavor of sesame oil with tofu!
How To Make This Recipe
First, you’re going to want to press out your tofu. To do this you’ll take it out of the package, then wrap it in a kitchen towel or use a tofu press to get out some of the water. This is an essential step for getting nice crispy air fryer tofu!
If you’re using a kitchen towel place something heavy on top of the wrapped tofu block. I like to use a couple cast iron skillets. This will help press out the water.
Let this sit, being pressed, for 1-2 hours before continuing with this air fried tofu recipe.
Once your tofu has been pressed you can cut it into ~1″ cubes and place into a medium-large sized bowl.
Now it’s time to season your air fryer tofu! Drizzle on the oil and gently toss it to coat. Then, add the salt or you can pick from the seasoning choices included to make either plain, ranch, garlic & onion or taco air fryer crispy tofu! (See recipe card and expert tips section for more info on these seasonings) Season and gently toss again.
Air fry your tofu for a total of 13-15 minutes at 375 degrees F. (check it at 13 minutes- air fryers can vary) You want to make sure that you don’t skip the air fryer pre-heating step. If yours doesn’t have a preheat function you can just set it to the desired temp and let it run for ~5 minutes.
Be sure to shake your tofu once halfway through so that it gets evenly crisp! (I have an Instant Pot Vortex air fryer and it has a reminder for me halfway through the cooking time- so helpful!)
Now, enjoy your air fryer crispy tofu!!!
Recipe FAQs
I recommend only using extra firm tofu. This is what gives me the best results and the most hearty, almost meat-y texture!
Making tofu in the air fryer is, in my opinion, the BEST way to cook it. However, you can bake it at 400 degrees for ~25-30 minutes. If your oven has a convection setting (essentially this is how an air fryer works) I’d recommend using that and checking it starting at the ~20 minute mark (this cooks it faster and gets it crispier!)
If you’re making this for meal prep you can just throw it in a container- nothing fancy you need to do! It won’t get soggy at all. When you’re ready to reheat you can pop it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or back into the air fryer for 1-2 minutes at 375 degrees F!
Yes! There is one additional step you’ll want to take and that is to dust your tofu with ~1 tbsp of cornstarch after you add the oil. Then you can add 1-2 tbsp of sauce, like buffalo sauce or actual ranch dressing. This helps the sauce stick to the tofu!
Expert Tips
Here are some different ways to flavor your tofu made in the air fryer:
- Ranch: Use ~1-2 tbsp from a packet of ranch mix
- Garlic and Onion: Use ~1-2 tsp of each, how much you use will depend how strong you want the flavor
- Taco: Use ~1-2 tbsp from a packet of taco seasoning or a homemade recipe
If you love this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating on the recipe card and leave a comment below!
Don’t forget to pin it on your Pinterest board for later, or tag me on IG @no.food.rules if you try the recipe and love it!
Other Recipes You Might Like:
XOXO
-Colleen
Crispy Air Fryer Tofu (4 Ways!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 block of extra firm tofu
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- First, you’re going to want to press out your tofu. To do this you’ll take it out of the package, then wrap it in a kitchen towel or use a tofu press to get out some of the water. This is an essential step for getting nice crispy air fryer tofu!
- If you’re using a kitchen towel place something heavy on top of the wrapped tofu block. I like to use a couple cast iron skillets. This will help press out the water. Let this sit, being pressed, for 1-2 hours before continuing with this air fried tofu recipe.
- Once your tofu has been pressed you can cut it into ~1" cubes and place into a medium-large sized bowl.
- Now it’s time to season your air fryer tofu! Drizzle on the oil and gently toss it to coat. Then, add the salt or you can pick from the seasoning choices included to make either plain, ranch, garlic & onion or taco air fryer crispy tofu! (See notes section for more info on these seasonings) Season and gently toss again.
- Air fry your tofu for a total of 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees F. You want to make sure that you don’t skip the air fryer pre-heating step. If yours doesn’t have a preheat function you can just set it to the desired temp and let it run for ~5 minutes.
- *Note: Check your tofu at 13 minutes. Air fryers can differ depending on the size and it also depends how crispy you want your tofu! I like mine to the 15 minute mark.
- Be sure to shake your tofu once halfway through so that it gets evenly crisp!
- Now, enjoy your air fryer crispy tofu!!!
Notes
- Ranch: Use ~1-2 tbsp from a packet of ranch mix
- Garlic and Onion: Use ~1-2 tsp of each, how much you use will depend how strong you want the flavor
- Taco: Use ~1-2 tbsp from a packet of taco seasoning or a homemade recipe
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