Air Fryer Crispy Tofu Recipe

If you are looking for an answer to the question – How To Make Tofu Tastes Good? Then try this crispy tofu recipe. Say goodbye to soggy, bland tofu with this 20 minutes air fryer recipe of crispy tofu.

Why Should You Try This Tofu Recipe?

I don’t like making tall claims, but this crispy tofu recipe will surely convert you into a tofu lover.

It is easy to make and quite versatile. When I say adaptable, you can either:

• deep fry tofu
• shallow or pan fry it
• bake it in the oven
• air fry it till crispy

The result is always a deliciously crispy, crunchy, flavoursome, positively addictive crispy tofu. In case you need more reasons to get convinced and bookmark this tofu recipe, here are some more reasons:

• easy and tasty
• vegan and vegetarian
• no cutting/chopping involved
• guilt-free snack or a side dish
• marinate the tofu in advance

Ingredients Required

Tofu: You need firm tofu and not silken one. Feel free to substitute firm tofu with Indian paneer.

Marination: Light Soy Sauce, Schezwan or Chilli Sauce, Ginger Garlic Paste

Coating ‘A’: Rice Flour, Corn Starch, Salt, Black Pepper, Cold Water

Coating ‘B’: Panko Bread Crumbs, Red Chilli Powder or Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

Coating ‘C’: Black and White Sesame Seeds

How To Make Crispy Tofu

Prepare Tofu: Press the tofu firmly with a towel to remove excess water or moisture. You can use a cloth or paper towel. Then, cut the tofu into cubes or diagonally into triangles.

Marinate Tofu: Transfer tofu pieces to a bowl. Add soy sauce, schezwan sauce, and ginger garlic paste. Mix well, making sure the tofu is evenly coated. 

• Make Coating ‘A’:Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and cold water. Stir to make a smooth, lump-free, spoon-dropping consistency batter.
• Make Coating ‘B’: Combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and chilli powder in a bowl. Keep it next to the flour batter.
• Make Coating ‘C’: Combine black and white sesame seeds in a bowl. Keep it next to the bread crumbs mixture.

Coat Tofu: Dip marinated tofu piece in flour batter (coating A), next cover it with bread crumbs (coating B) and, last, Coating C of sesame seeds.

Similarly, prepare all tofu pieces.

Air Fry: Preheat the air fryer to 180 degrees Celsius. Arrange coated tofu pieces in the air fryer basket. Spray cooking oil over the tofu. Air fry for 15 minutes, turning them halfway through the cooking time.

Crispy Tofu is ready to serve.

Serving Suggestion

Now what to do with crispy tofu? Serve it as a delicious munching snack with Thai sweet chilli sauce or any other dipping sauce of choice. Add it to the salads, stew, or Asian curries.

You can quickly toss it in a stir-fry glaze or Asian sauce like my tofu stir-fry recipe to make a hearty main course dish. Or you can serve crispy tofu as a side dish with fried rice and noodles to make a complete meal.

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Air Fryer Crispy Tofu Recipe

Say goodbye to soggy, bland tofu with this 20 minutes crispy tofu recipe. Learn to make vegan crispy tofu in an air fryer.

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Course: Snack

Cuisine: Asian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 196kcal

Author: Hina Gujral

• Mixing Bowl
• Air Fryer

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

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Ingredients

• ▢ 200 gram firm tofu
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (see recipe)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Schezwan sauce or chili sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Ingredients For Coating A

• ▢ ¼ Cup rice flour (chawal ka atta)
• ▢ 2 tablespoon cornflour (corn starch)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
• ▢ ¼ Cup ice cold water

Ingredients For Coating B

• ▢ 1 Cup panko bread crumbs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon red chilli powder

Ingredients For Coating C

• ▢ 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

Instructions

Prepare Tofu

• Press the tofu firmly with a towel to remove excess water or moisture. You can use a cloth or paper towel. Then, cut the tofu into cubes or diagonally into triangles.
• Transfer tofu pieces to a bowl. Add soy sauce, schezwan sauce, and ginger garlic paste. Mix well, making sure the tofu is evenly coated. Keep it aside or in the refrigerator for a longer duration.

Make Coating

• Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and cold water. Stir to make a smooth, lump-free, spoon-dropping consistency batter. This is your Coating A.
• Combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and chilli powder in a bowl. Keep it next to the flour batter. This is your Coating B.
• Combine black and white sesame seeds in a bowl. Keep it next to the bread crumbs mixture. This is your Coating C.
• Dip marinated tofu piece in flour batter (coating A), next cover it with bread crumbs (coating B) and, last, Coating C of sesame seeds. Similarly, prepare all tofu pieces.
• Preheat the air fryer to 180 degrees Celsius. Arrange coated tofu pieces in the air fryer basket. Spray cooking oil over the tofu. Air fry for 15 minutes, turning them halfway through the cooking time.
• Crispy Tofu is ready to serve.

Recipe Notes:

• You can shallow fry coated tofu in a pan or bake it in the oven at 180 degrees Celcius until crisp and golden. 
• Before air frying, spray the tofu with sesame, peanut, grapeseed, or neutral-tasting oil. 
• Do not air fry tofu for more than 15 – 20 minutes; otherwise, it will dry and hard. 
• You can drizzle over crispy tofu my signature creamy Asian-style salad dressing before serving. 

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 999mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 149IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 2mg

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach more food lovers like you.