I love eating tofu of all kinds in all types of cuisines. One of my favorite things about tofu is how versatile its flavor can be. Although its texture can be somewhat lacking for some people, crisping it up makes it 100x better, and luckily, it’s easy to do.
Learn how to make this air fryer tofu that’s crispy and flavorful easily at home. I’ll also show you how to customize the seasoning based on what you like and what you have in your pantry.
Types of tofu to use
I only use firm or extra firm tofu for recipes that require crisping tofu and moving it around because it keeps its shape. Additionally, it has less water content, which helps produce a crispier crust. I’ve tested firm and extra-firm tofu, and they hold up very well in an air fryer. Between firm and extra firm tofu, I prefer firm because it’s not too dry or crumbly in texture and still smooth inside.
Tofu’s water content & pressing tofu
Pressing your tofu for this recipe is definitely recommended. You want to remove as much of the water as possible to get crispy air-fried tofu. Using a tofu press makes the process straightforward because it applies even pressure to the tofu to release the excess moisture. To learn more, see my post on “What Is Tofu?”
If you don’t have a tofu press, place the tofu block between two cutting boards with paper towels (or hand towels). Place something heavy (like canned food or weights) on top of the cutting board and wait 15 minutes. Make sure to place the heavy cans evenly along the top cutting board so even pressure is applied to the tofu.
Seasoning ingredients
I use dry seasoning for air fryer tofu to give a lot of flavor to the slightly nutty and simple tofu. In the past, I’ve experimented with wet marinades and dry seasonings, and I prefer dry because it keeps the crust dry enough to create a crunchy exterior.
For this recipe, I use a simple mix of kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, white pepper, and my secret ingredient, dried minced onion; this last ingredient gives you extra texture, flavor, and crunchiness in every bite. When coating the tofu pieces, I like to sprinkle half of the seasoning over the tofu, mix gently, add the rest of the seasoning, and mix again. This extra step, gives better coverage, in my opinion.
If you want other ideas for seasoning, try using dry ingredients to keep the texture crispy. You can test out many other flavors with this air-fried tofu recipe.
- For spice lovers: ginger powder and gochugaru (Korean dried chili powder)
- Smokey and seasoned: garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika
- Asian-inspired: garlic powder, roasted sesame seeds, ginger powder, and five-spice seasoning
Coating to make tofu crispy
The coating of this air-fried tofu gives it a nice, crunchy texture. I use the word coating lightly because it’s just one ingredient: cornstarch! After seasoning the tofu pieces and letting them sit for about five minutes for a quick dry marinade, I sprinkle a couple tablespoons of cornstarch and mix to create a thin layer.
Cornstarch is an excellent ingredient for making things crispy because it soaks up the excess liquid from the tofu and creates a crunchy surface during cooking. I also use cornstarch for wet batter crispy tofu when deep frying; it comes out super crunchy!
Reheating & storage
I prefer to eat crispy air-fried tofu immediately to get the best texture, but leftovers can easily be reheated in the air fryer or toaster oven the next day. The texture is a little tougher but still crispy. I use the toaster setting on my air-fried toaster oven. However, I wouldn’t reheat them twice because that can dry out the tofu and leave you with chewy, dry pieces.
What to serve with air fryer tofu
Here are some great pairings to eat with air fryer tofu:
- Fragrant jasmine rice
- Sweet soy glaze to dip the crispy air fryer tofu in
- Easy onion and garlic bok choy
- Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce
- Japchae
- Sauteed green beans with garlic and butter
Check out more of my tofu recipes:
- Crispy deep fried tofu
- Marinated & baked tofu block
- Vietnamese fried tofu in tomato sauce
- Vietnamese fried tofu in tomato sauce w/ pork
- Japanese agedashi tofu
- Miso soup with tofu
- How to cook tofu 6 different ways
Air Fryer Tofu
Ingredients
- 16 oz tofu firm or extra firm
- 2 tsp dried minced onion
- ¾ tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp ginger powder
- ⅛ tsp white pepper powder
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- neutral oil spray
Equipment Used
- knife and cutting board
- tofu press
- mixing bowl
- Whisk or spoon
- air fryer
- tongs
Instructions
- Pat dry the tofu.
- Use a tofu press to remove excess liquid from the 16 oz tofu. Press for at least 15 minutes. Pat dry again.
- Cut the tofu into 32 square pieces. First, cut the tofu into four long pieces vertically. Then, cut another four slices horizontally; this should give you 16 pieces. Take each piece and cut it in half so that you end up with two cubes of the same size. Repeat with each piece. You should end up with 32 cubed pieces.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 °F.
- In a bowl, combine the seasoning ingredients (2 tsp dried minced onion, ¾ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp ginger powder, and ⅛ tsp white pepper powder). Mix until combined.
- Sprinkle half the seasoning over the tofu pieces. Gently mix the tofu pieces, then add the other half of the seasoning. Mix until all sides are coated. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the 2 tbsp cornstarch over the tofu pieces and gently mix.
- Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with neutral oil spray.
- Add the tofu pieces in one even layer with space in between each piece. Spray the tofu pieces with neutral oil spray.
- Air fry for 15 minutes, rotate the basket around (or flip the tofu pieces if you are using a traditional, enclosed air fryer basket). Air fry for another 15 minutes.
- When the tofu pieces are golden brown and crispy, transfer them to a serving plate and eat.
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