Air fryer tofu is easy to make and creates delicious crispy results. This recipe uses a garlic soy sauce marinade to create maximum flavor. You can serve this tofu with rice, quinoa, or in a salad.
Air Fryer Tofu
This is one of the easiest ways to get crispy tofu.
I love this air fryer tofu recipe because it's easy and healthy. You could serve it with rice, quinoa, add it to a wrap or a salad. These can be cooked in the air fryer in less than 20 minutes.
If you're looking for a new air fryer, I have the Ninja Foodi Deluxe – it’s an all-in-one that allows me to use it as an air fryer, instant pot, sear, slow cook, steam, and even bake food. I highly recommend it! I love that it replaces multiple tools and saves space in my kitchen.
Air Fryer Tofu Ingredients
This recipe uses tofu and an easy homemade marinade. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Extra Firm Tofu – Look for a 14-16 oz container of extra firm tofu. This will produce the crispiest results.
- Marinade – To make the marinade, you’ll need soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic powder and paprika.
How To Make Air Fryer Tofu
First, the tofu is pressed and flavored with a marinade. Then it only takes 20 minutes to cook the tofu in an air fryer.
Here's how to do it:
- Press the tofu (see full instructions in the recipe card below).
- In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic powder and paprika. Add in the tofu and toss together until fully coated. Let sit in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably a few hours to soak up more flavor.
- Lightly coat the air fryer with cooking spray or olive oil on a paper towel.
- Preheat the air fryer for two minutes at 400°F. Add the tofu and cook for 16-20 minutes, flipping and tossing halfway through. Tofu will be crispy on the outsides when done.
Tips For Crispier Air Fryer Tofu
- Use extra firm tofu. This will give you the cripsiest results.
- Press the tofu first - see easy instructions for how to do that in the recipe card below.
- Preheat your air fryer first. This will give you the best crispy tofu.
- Always toss the tofu halfway through to get even cooking.
- Check in the last couple of minutes to make sure tofu isn't overcooking. Every air fryer is different so it might take a little bit of practice getting used to your temperature and how it works.
Try my 7 Easy Tofu Marinades that will give your tofu incredible flavor. You can use these in a variety of recipes – including salads, wraps and grain bowls.
You can also cook tofu easily in a frying pan - see my basil balsamic pan-fried tofu recipe for inspiration!
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Air Fryer Tofu
Ingredients
- 14-16 oz extra firm tofu
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce - tamari or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar - or lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon sesame oil - or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the package and drain any excess liquid. Place the tofu on 3-4 paper towels. Then add another 3-4 paper towels on top.
- Place a clean heavy frying pan or pot on top of the tofu for 30 minutes. This will "press the tofu" and squeeze out any excess moisture. If your pan isn't too heavy you can add canned beans to create more weight.Replace the paper towels halfway through if they become too wet.
- Once the tofu has been pressed, chop it in to 1-inch squares and place in a bag.
- In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients: avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, dried basil and salt. Pour into the bag with chopped tofu and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes or longer.Note: These marinades work best when tofu can be soaked for at least a few hours – I prefer to marinate overnight. Feel free to substitute for one of my 7 easy tofu marinade recipes.
- Preheat the air fryer at 400°F for 2 minutes.
- Lightly coat the inside of the air fryer tray or basket with olive oil or cooking spray. Add the tofu and cook for 16-20 minutes, flipping and tossing halfway through. Tofu will be crispy on the outsides when done.
- Serve and enjoy! This tofu can be eaten with with rice, pasta, quinoa or in a salad.
Recipe Notes:
- These marinade servings will work for one 14-16 oz block of extra firm tofu. You can always cook more tofu – just double the marinade recipe.
- It’s important to use “extra firm” tofu to get the crispiest results.
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
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