Air Fryer Tofu is hands down the best way to get crispy, flavorful tofu that cooks in just 10 minutes! Toss it in a buddha bowl or add to vegetable stir fry or salad. This tofu tastes good nearly anywhere!
If you love this tofu, you will love my popular Marinated Tofu recipe! Never eat bland or boring tofu again.
Crispy tofu in the air fryer
If my Easy Air Fryer Fries recipe doesn’t convince you to buy an air fryer, this Air Fryer Tofu sure will! Crispy, golden brown tofu has never been better or easier to make thanks to the air fryer. The best part is you only need a little bit of oil!
The air fryer is my family’s most used kitchen tool. We use it to make crispy brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, frozen tater tots, spring rolls, and vegan nuggets too. It’s a pro at turning vegetables and snacks into crispy, crunchy treats.
Making crispy tofu in the air fryer is easy. The cubed tofu is first coated in a simple 4-ingredient coating, forming a crispy, flavorful layer around each piece. You don’t have to wait for them to marinate for very long, either. Just coat, air fry, and enjoy!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Extra firm tofu – Only extra firm or firm tofu will work for this recipe. Make sure you take the time to press all of the excess moisture out first or else the cubes won’t be as crispy. You can do this on the weekend to make for quick weeknight meals!
- Cornstarch – This is where air fryer tofu gets its crunch. When cooked, cornstarch sticks to the outside of the tofu cubes and forms an ultra-crisp and light coating. Arrowroot starch can be used as a substitute.
- Soy sauce – Or tamari for gluten free.
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame oil – You can use olive oil or vegetable oil if you don’t have sesame oil, but the tofu will be missing a delicious nutty, umami-like flavor.
The tofu marinade is fun to play with, so don’t feel like you have to only use soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Mix it up by stirring in maple syrup, sriracha or your favorite hot sauce, fresh garlic, dried herbs, and any other condiments or seasonings you love.
How to make air fryer tofu
Find the instructions with measurements, temperatures, and bake times on the recipe card below.
Make sure you press all of the excess moisture out of the brick of tofu before getting started. You can do this with a tofu press or by covering the tofu cubes with a clean towel and placing something heavy on top. Let the water drain out for about 15 minutes.
Once that’s done, transfer the tofu cubes to a large bowl. Drizzle the soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil over the tofu.
Next, sprinkle the cornstarch over the tofu. Stir to coat.
Place the tofu in a single layer in the air fryer. If the cubes are too crowded or piled on top of each other, they won’t get crispy. Work in batches if necessary.
Air fry for 10 to 15 minutes on high heat, shaking the basket after about 10 minutes. The tofu is ready to eat once it’s golden and crispy!
Serving suggestions
The great thing about air fryer tofu is how flexible it is. Simply enjoy it as-is on a loaded green salad, meal prep bowls, or vegan stir fry. It can give all kinds of meals a flavorful crunch and extra protein all in one.
When you want to take it up a notch, toss the crispy tofu in bang bang sauce, orange sauce, peanut sauce, or barbecue sauce. Now that it’s saucy and extra delicious, it would be a fantastic addition to vegetable wraps or teriyaki noodles. The possibilities are endless!
Storing crispy tofu
The cooked tofu cubes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To retain its crispiness later on, reheat the tofu in the air fryer at 375ºF for about 3 to 5 minutes.
Pro tip: Save a little time and leave the uncooked cubes in the soy sauce marinade for up to 1 day in advance. Afterward, toss in cornstarch and air fry!
Want more delicious tofu recipes?
Air Fryer Tofu
Ingredients
- 14 ounce block extra-firm or firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari for gluten free
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Quick press the tofu: Cut the tofu into cubes. Place them evenly on a flat surface such as a cutting board lined with paper towels or a clean towel. Cover with a layer of paper towels, set a baking sheet on top and then something heavy, like a large book or cast iron skillet. Press like this for 15 minutes. Or use a tofu press.
- Add the pressed tofu cubes to a bowl and drizzle the soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil over them. Toss gently to coat the pieces, then sprinkle on the cornstarch and gently toss to coat. Let the tofu marinate for about 15 minutes, or longer if desired (overnight is fine).
- Place the tofu cubes in the air fryer, in a single layer, so the pieces don't touch. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook half the tofu at a time. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally after 10 minutes. Cook until the tofu is golden and crispy, but not burned. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten free? Use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- May use olive oil instead of sesame oil, but I love the flavor sesame oil adds. For oil free, you may omit it but it may not get as crispy.
- If you have leftover tofu, simply re-heat in the air fryer for 5 minutes to re-crisp! It will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
I was intimidated to try cooking tofu myself, but this is easy and so good! It’s become my go to! My teenagers love it as well.
I tend to snack on them by themselves as they are just that good! Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome! I agree that these are wonderful snacks! I’m so glad you tried the tofu, and loved it! Thank for taking time to share your wonderful feedback!
This is so easy to make! I have a terrible time cooking tofu in a pan and struggle to find healthy, unprocessed food for myself. Thanks Nora for this air fryer recipe! I also eat your tofu scramble for breakfast! Thanks
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad you loved the tofu, and thanks so much for sharing your wonderful feedback!
Giving it 5 stars because it’s easy and super delicious, although I had to tweak it a bit!
I found that next time I would use less rice vinegar and continue to add more spices, herbs, and sauces.
This was made for my boyfriend, an omnivore. He LOVED it. He ate what I gave him–half the dish (half tofu made, half rice and veggies), and he was stuffed and satisfied!
1. To the tofu, I added:
*a little of the Kikkoman teriyaki sauce (it’s the thin consistency one, similar to soy sauce),
*black pepper, minced garlic (in the jar), a little garlic powder, sesame seeds, dry rosemary, and a hint of sweet chili sauce.
2. My air fryer is pretty powerful and only cooked it between 6-8 minutes. It turned out great. Just the right amount of crispiness on the outside and tons of flavor and a little softer on the inside!
3. To mix with the tofu, I heated ready-to-heat white rice w/ veggies and used half of the container for his serving.
For the rice, I added: teriyaki sauce, a tiny bit of pink Himalayan salt, parsley, black pepper, AND some leftover cooked veggies I made previously (onions, chickpeas, red roasted peppers).
I gave him hot sauce to dip it in as well. Awesome recipe! I hope the tweaks I gave helps for anyone who loves a lot of seasoning!
Thank you for sharing your review, ideas, and comments! I’m glad your boyfriend loved the tofu!
I love the ease of this recipe! I have a different marinade that I will use next time for a bit more flavor but overall I am very happy with how this turned out. This will definitely be my new go to way of cooking tofu. So much better than cooking in the oven.
Thank you for sharing your review and comments! I’m glad the air fryer tofu is a winner for you! Happy cooking!
Can you please share your marinade? Thanks!
So easy! Thank you. I threw in a little nutritional yeast, too.
Thanks for sharing your great review! I’m glad you like the tofu!
perfect recipe. I think I will be making batches of these and saving for the week. Can add to salads, stir fry broccoli, or even as a snack. Easy and delicious!
Hi Shirley. What great ideas! This is one of my mother-in-law’s favorite tofu recipes! Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! It’s so easy, quick, and delicious. I’m looking forward to playing around with this and making other kinds of tofu recipes with this as the base.
Hi Mimi. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. My mother-in-law loves this recipe as well! Thank you!
Love this recipe. Only thing I added for my own taste was fish sauce and a spritz of olive oil. Just added this to a dinner salad and my boyfriend Loved it! Thank you kindly for the recipe. Simply tasty.
You’re welcome!
I am new to cooking tofu and air frying it is the only way to go in my opinion! I also like to toss the cubes in corn starch to get an extra crunch. After air frying, I’ll normally toss them in an orange glaze, buffalo, or even bbq sauce. So easy and delicious!
I’m so excited. These nuggets came out just like the fried tofu snack I had in Indonesia. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Now I just need to find some tamarind dipping sauce.
Thx for this recipe.
You’re welcome!
I added Korean chili garlic sauce to marinade. Delicious!!!
Sounds yummy!
better than I have ever had it turn out in oven!
That’s great!
I have used your “best marinated tofu ever” recipe a few times now and my family and I LOVE it. I have a batch marinating in the refrigerator as we speak. I want to try it in the air fryer tonight instead of pan frying. I have a question. I know it’s crispy on the outside. Is it tender on the inside?
Yes, it is, as long as you don’t overcook the tofu. Hope that helps! I’m glad you enjoy the marinated tofu!
I’m new to air frying and was hesitant to try tofu. It turned out perfect! Even my “meat and potatoes” husband had seconds, and it has been added to the rotation. Always looking for something new because he says we eat the same thing over and over. Not true and I write the menu on the calendar to keep track. Thanks for a new recipe. Served it with brown rice.
This was my first making tofu so I was a little nervous/hesitant, but this recipe was easy and delicious! I did have to cook it in batches in my 4 Qt. Ninja Air Fryer, but it only took about 20-25 minutes total, so probably was the same amount of time as baking in one batch, or potentially faster. After I air fried it, I tossed it a skillet with your Sticky Sriracha sauce and served with brown rice and sugar snap peas. Looking forward to making this again, it seems like it’ll be super versatile too. Thanks so much!
You’re so welcome!!
Just as stated. Best ever! Son has been vegan for about 5 years years now and he agrees! He literally said, “OMG. This is the best tofu ever”! Superful flavorful. Great texture. Nice and crisp! Thank you for literally the Best Tofu Ever!
You’re so welcome!! I’m so glad you like it!
I can’t believe how good this is and such a great meat alternative. My 24 year old loves it, the 15 y.o picky did not. This is a new favorite!
So good!
You listed this recipe as having 76 calories in one serving. What is the serving size? It was a delicious and easy way to make tofu.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! 1 serving is simply 1/4th of the entire recipe.
So simple and so good…..no more tofu crusted wok!!!
I have made this recipe several times and adore it. I was nervous about eating tofu and using an air fryer beforehand. Many thanks!
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoy this recipe!
This recipe looks amazing. I have questions regarding prep: Is there a reason to cut the tofu prior to pressing? I have a tofu press and cutting first would be problematic, it seems. I ask because I have varying success with tofu. Does size of cubes matter in air fryer particularly, as I used long thinner rectangles before and it never crisped.
Thank you. I trust your recipes as a fledgling vegan quite often!
You can definitely use a tofu press if you have one. Cutting the tofu before pressing just cuts down on the time needed to press it, but of course you can’t do that with a tofu press. Smaller cubes are good instead of long thin rectangles, I think anyhow, because they will get nice and crispy all around easier. Try smaller pieces. Hope you enjoy!
Great recipe! The texture is amazing & it’s easy to modify the marinade as you wish.
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Made this tonight and absolutely loved it. I had a hard time finding a recipe that didn’t coat the tofu in cornstarch before air frying. This did it! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
You’re welcome! So glad you liked it.
What is leftover tofu? Ha ha. We always gobble this up in one sitting.
Wow, I can’t believe how simple and DELICIOUS this is! Thank you.