Yes, you heard me correctly! No oil AND crispy! For all the tofu skeptics out there, this is your recipe! This Crispy Air Fryer Tofu comes together in minutes + is flavorful + can be eaten right out of your air fryer or tossed in your favorite tofu dish! YUM!
If you know me, you know I LOVE my air fryer! I find a reason to use it every day, no joke. If you are still on the fence about an air fryer, check out my Air Fryer 101 article and you will understand what all the fuss is about air fryers.
You know what else I love? TOFU! The amazing little soybean transformed into a dream come true for the non-meat-eater. Here at MVF, we eat tofu a few times per week. We have experimented with tofu in so many ways. You name it, we tried it. Pan fried, boiled, deep fried, grilled, and even baked. One of my first articles on this blog was about buying and cooking tofu. With an air fryer, it makes tofu so easy!
No Oil + Still Crispy!
After several tofu experiments, I came to the conclusion that it is not worth the calories to dunk, drown, drizzle or spray oil on your tofu. Not necessary! Turn on your air fryer and let’s cook some tofu without oil.
Follow These Steps for Perfect Crispy Air Fryer Tofu:
1: No need to press your tofu! Simply drain the water out of the packaging and give it a gentle squeeze to get out any excess water.
2: Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
3: If you are tossing your tofu into another recipe, you do not need to do this step. Simply toss your tofu into your air fryer and air fry until golden brown. If you are eating this on its own, you want to give it some flavor. So, while your air fryer is preheating, place 2 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos (I use Bragg’s) in a shallow dish. Transfer your tofu cubes into that dish and gently stir to allow each one to soak up a little of the liquid. Next, place 2 tbsp nutritional yeast plus 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp onion powder in a flour sifter (yes, the kind you use for baking, trust me!) and sift the combination onto your tofu. Gently stir again to coat your tofu with the mixture. Should look like mine.
4: Place your tofu cubes in a single layer in your air fryer. Do not let them touch each other, they will stick together. After 5 minutes of cooking, carefully flip each little cube over and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until crispy brown on the edges. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might need to do this in batches so the cubes don’t stick to each other.
Done!
Now you can eat them as they are, you can dunk them in your favorite dip (Chipotle Mayo or Avocado Cilantro) or or throw them on a salad (Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing) or mix them into a curry (Thai Coconut Curry). Enjoy!
Crispy Air Fryer Tofu No Oil
For all the tofu skeptics, this is your recipe! Crispy Air Fryer Tofu comes together in minutes + only a few simple ingredients!
Ingredients
- 14 ounce package of extra firm tofu
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your air fryer to 400 Degrees F.
- Step 2 Press excess water out of tofu block, no need to press tofu.
- Step 3 Cut tofu into one inch cubes.
- Step 4 Place 2 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos (I use Bragg’s) in a shallow dish. Transfer your tofu cubes into that dish and gently stir to allow each one to soak up a little of the liquid.
- Step 5 Next, place nutritional yeast plus garlic powder and onion powder in a flour sifter and sift the combination onto your tofu cubes. Gently stir again to coat your tofu with the mixture.
- Step 6 Place your tofu cubes in a single layer in your air fryer. Do not let them touch each other, they will stick together.
- Step 7 Air fry at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes of cooking, carefully flip each little cube over and cook for 5-7 minutes or until crispy brown on the edges. Depending on size of your air fryer, you might need to do this in batches so cubes don’t stick.
- Step 8 Carefully remove tofu from air fryer basket. Eat as is, dunk in your favorite dipping sauce, or use in a recipe.
- Step 9 Enjoy!
❤Did you make this Crispy Air Fryer Tofu? Love it? Leave a rating + a comment below!
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