If ever an ingredient wanted a PR makeover, it’s tofu. The recipe for the job? Air Fryer Tofu. This tofu recipe is completely crispy outdoors, pleasantly agency inside, and infused with a savory soy maple marinade.
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Air fryer tofu will make a believer out of even its harshest critics.
I’m doggedly satisfied that anybody who says they don’t like tofu hasn’t tried to air fry tofu but. And should you rely your self among the many tofu skeptics—I get it. Tofu will be (and this can be a culinary time period) ick. With out the correct remedy, tofu is mushy and bland. Crispy tofu is the place it’s at.
Whereas you should utilize varied strategies to make tofu crispy (I exploit freezing and boiling on this Crispy Tofu and urgent plus pan-frying on this reader favourite Tofu Stir Fry and Baked Tofu), the best technique that I’ve discovered is utilizing the air fryer.
A hungry sponge, tofu readily absorbs any flavors you add to it. With a couple of straightforward steps, your tofu will end up agency, crispy, and delectable. PLUS! Since air fryer tofu makes use of little or no oil to crisp, it’s a lot more healthy than common deep-fried tofu.
Key Components
You’ll discover the complete checklist of components within the recipe card under, however listed below are some notes to remember.
- Additional-Agency Tofu. It’s important to make use of extra-firm tofu right here, because it accommodates much less water than different varieties and can maintain its form higher throughout cooking.
- Soy Sauce. In the event you’d prefer to make this tofu gluten-free, swap tamari, coconut aminos, or liquid aminos for the soy sauce.
- Rice Wine Vinegar. Rice wine vinegar provides a contact of candy acidity to the marinade.
- Pure Maple Syrup. Naturally sweetens the marinade and pairs properly with the soy sauce.
- Spices. Garlic powder and floor ginger are scrumptious spice additions to the marinade.
- Sriracha. A splash of sizzling sauce provides simply the correct amount of warmth. Be at liberty to make use of extra should you like your tofu spicy.
- Cornstarch. A closing toss with cornstarch is the important thing to a wonderfully crispy and golden exterior.
5 Star Evaluate
“Wow… I by no means touch upon recipes… that is sooooo good. I’ll most likely have tofu a couple of instances every week now. Thanks for the ideas!”
— Cashmere —
My Favourite Methods to Use Air Fryer Tofu
The crispy air fryer tofu nuggets you possibly can resist nibbling straight out of the air fryer basket can be utilized in a wide range of methods.
The BEST crispy air fryer tofu recipe with soy maple marinade and a garlic, ginger, and sriracha seasoning. Attempt on salad, ramen, or stir fry!
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Forestall your display from going darkish
- 1 block extra-firm tofu (12 to fifteen ounces) should be further agency
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons further virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon floor ginger
- ½ teaspoon Sriracha or sizzling sauce of alternative
- 1 tablespoon corn starch or arrowroot starch
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Take away the tofu from the bundle and drain. Along with your palms, gently squeeze out as a lot water as doable with out breaking or crushing the block. Lay the tofu flat on a reducing board, so the longer edge is in direction of you, then lower it into 4 strips. Rotate the strips in order that the broader (lower sides) are flat in opposition to the reducing board, and lower them in half once more, so you might have 8 strips complete. Lower the strips crosswise into 1-inch cubes (I find yourself with 5 cubes per strip).
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Line a reducing board or massive plate with a clear tea towel (or related lint-free kitchen towel) or paper towels. Unfold the tofu cubes onto it in a single layer and lay a second towel on prime. Press gently however firmly and alter out the towel as wanted. The concept is to take away as a lot water from the tofu as doable.
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In a small bowl or massive liquid measuring cup, stir collectively the soy sauce, vinegar, syrup, oil, garlic powder, ginger, and sizzling sauce.
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Place the tofu in a shallow baking dish or medium mixing bowl. Pour the soy sauce combination over the tofu, then along with your hand, toss gently to mix. Let the tofu sit for quarter-hour, tossing it once more midway by means of. Don’t fear if a couple of bits crumble. These will flip deliciously crispy.
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In the event you’d prefer to preserve the tofu heat between batches, preheat your oven to 250°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F in keeping with the producer’s directions (for my air fryer, that’s 3 minutes of preheat time).
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Simply earlier than cooking, sprinkle the corn starch evenly excessive of the tofu and toss to coat.
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Coat the basket of the air fryer with nonstick spray. Add the tofu in a single layer, leaving a bit of area across the cubes so they don’t contact and the air can flow into. (Relying upon the scale of your air fryer, you could have to cook dinner it in two or three batches.)
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Prepare dinner the tofu for 9 minutes. Then slide the basket out, and shake it gently to toss the tofu. Proceed to cook dinner for two to 4 extra minutes, tossing and checking it every minute, till the tofu is crisp and darkish golden. (The time will range based mostly in your air fryer; preserve a detailed eye on it in direction of the tip to make sure it doesn’t burn.) If desired, switch the tofu to the baking sheet and preserve it heat within the oven when you end the remaining.
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Repeat with remaining tofu, discarding any extra marinade (if in case you have some crumbled bits of tofu within the backside of the bowl, you possibly can air fry these too). Take pleasure in!
- TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE: Use tamari, coconut aminos, or liquid aminos rather than the soy sauce.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate tofu in an hermetic storage container for as much as 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Recrisp tofu within the air fryer at 375 levels F. It should solely take a couple of minutes, so verify typically to forestall burning.
- TO FREEZE: The feel of the tofu might change as soon as frozen and thawed, however the taste will stay scrumptious. Place tofu cubes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze till strong. Freeze the frozen tofu in an hermetic, freezer-safe storage container for as much as 3 months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
Serving: 1(of 4)Energy: 96kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 7gFats: 4gSaturated Fats: 1gPotassium: 177mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg
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