Crispy Tofu Air Fryer

Name: Crispy Tofu Air Fryer
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 21 min
Total time: 26 min
Ingredients: 225 g firm tofu; ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs; 2 tsp garlic powder; ½ tsp sea salt; Olive oil spray

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My Crispy Tofu Air Fryer recipe is super easy to make in the air fryer or oven baked. It's crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

My Crispy Tofu Air Fryer recipe has to be one of my favourite ways to eat it, as it’s not only super easy to make and delicious, it’s crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

Tofu is one of my favourite vegan proteins to cook and eat. It’s so versatile and can be made in so many different ways and added to various dishes.

I love adding it to summer rolls, wraps, or stir fry as it tastes like crumbed chicken. I like to serve with rice and veggies, or even enjoyed alone with dipping sauces. The options are endless!

If you’re not a fan of tofu or it's your first time making tofu, grab these 5 ingredients and give this recipe a try, it will definitely change your mind!

So in this post I share my crispy baked tofu recipe and my air fryer tofu recipe so we can all get cooking 🙂

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Ingredients to make Crispy Tofu Air Fryer
How to make Air Fryer Tofu
Important tips to make Tofu Crispy
FAQs
More Vegan Recipes
Recipe
Comments

Ingredients to make Crispy Tofu Air Fryer

Extra firm fofu, I always buy an organic brand that is non-GMO.
Panko bread crumbs are the base for the crumb mixture. I recommend buying an Asian sourced Panko as I have found they’re much lighter and provide a crisper finish. There is also gluten free panko that you can buy at selected stores.
Garlic powder is used in the crumb mixture, you can add other spices such a Chinese five spice or nutritional yeast as you prefer, but this is really a good base to start with, especially if you’re adding the tofu with other flavoured ingredients
Sea salt to add some seasoning to the crumb mix
Olive oil spray, important given the cooking process involves no oil frying, without it, the crumb will burn
Sauces, I've used mayonnaise and sweet chili but you can use soy sauce or a peanut sauce

How to make Air Fryer Tofu

Time needed: 26 minutes.

Preheat air fryer
Preheat to 180°C/350°F
Add tofu to air fryer
Spray olive oil to the air fryer base and add the tofu pieces in a single layer, ensuring there is space in between each piece.
Cook
Spray olive oil generously to the tops of the tofu and cook for 12-13 minutes until tops are golden brown
Flip pieces
Flip and again spray the tops generously with olive oil. Cook for a further 7-8 minutes until golden brown
Serve
Serve in a sandwich or wrap with rice and veggies, in rice paper rolls, or just enjoy being dipped into your favourite sauces.

Important tips to make Tofu Crispy

I always ensure to buy organic or non-GMO tofu
Make sure to slice the tofu in 1cm or greater in thickness to ensure it’s soft on the inside and doesn’t dry out too much
I don’t like pressing tofu when crumbing it, as I find this releases all of its moisture and can dry it out too much.
By not pressing the tofu, the outside moisture works in replacement of needing a batter as the crumb mix will stick straight to the tofu
When crumbing the tofu, make sure to press the crumb into the tofu on all edges so it’s fully coated. I like to flip it around a few times to make sure all sides are covered.
When buying the panko breadcrumbs, ensure the crumbs are fine so they stick well. If your panko crumbs are in large pieces, you can pulse them quickly in a blender or food processor so they’re not too chunky.
When spraying the tofu with oil spray, ensure to spray it generously as this will help it get crispy

FAQs

Why is my Tofu not crispy?

Ensure Tofu is coated well with crumb on all sides and cook it long enough so that the outer crust becomes crispy. Also, ensure to turn them over halfway so they can crisp evenly

How do you cook Tofu in a healthy way?

If baking with tofu in the oven or using an air fryer it's a healthier cooking alternative than deep frying. If pan fried you can use olive oil spray to reduce the amount of oil when cooking over medium heat

Is crispy tofu healthy?

Tofu is made from soybeans, is low in calories but high in protein and fat. It also contains many important vitamins and minerals. The crumb mixture uses breadcrumbs and spices with minimal oil to provide a healthier cooking method

What does crispy tofu taste like?

Tofu is bland on its own. That is the beauty of tofu as it absorbs flavours well so you can add your preferred seasoning.

What to eat crispy tofu with?

It can be added to summer rolls, wraps, or stir fry. Served with rice and vegetables, or even enjoyed alone with dipping sauces.

More Vegan Recipes

I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Crispy Tofu Air Fryer photo on Instagram so I can share the love!

Recipe

Crispy Tofu with dipping sauces served on a plate

4.83 from 23 votes