How do you cook tofu in an air fryer? Tofu can be tricky to cook, but don't let that stop you!
Air Fryer Tofu is a delicious recipe and a simple method for getting a crunchy outside and a soft light inside for all your airfryer tofu bites.
AIR FRYER TOFU BITES RECIPE
If you've been following me and reading some of my other air fryer recipes, then you know that I truly love using the Air Fryer. If there was ever a doubt of skepticism from me about if I would love the appliance or not, it's 100% gone now.
The Air Fryer is a GREAT way to cook many things and tofu is one of them! You can serve these air fryer tofu bites with some air fryer broccoli or air fryer corn.
In our house, we eat tofu quite often. Being vegetarian, it's a great way to supplement in something a bit different and healthy for us and our taste buds.
We've cooked it so many different ways that it's hard to even truly remember them all now. The one thing that I know for certain? If my family likes tofu, we're going to keep finding super delicious recipes to make that let tofu be the star of the show!
That is pretty much how we developed our airfryer tofu recipe! Who would have thought that one of our favorite ways to cook tofu, would be to air fry tofu!
This air fryer tofu recipe is just awesome, simply awesome. The tofu comes out crispy on the outside and light and airy on the inside!
It is simply perfect to enjoy "as is" dipped into your favorite sauce or eat on top of a salad.
Not only is this recipe a quick and easy meal that the entire family loves, it truly is a great source of much-needed protein as well. Finding a food that even the kids love can be a bit tricky at times, but when it comes to tofu, they love it too!
If you are new to the tofu world, then take some time to do a bit of research and get educated. You can check out our article on Understanding Tofu – A Beginners Guide or our Benefits of Tofu article.
Both have great information that will give you a little more info about the amazing benefits of tofu, (whether it's airfried tofu or not!)
Truth be told, I’ve been playing with the Air Fryer quite a bit lately. It's so hard not too!
While I was thinking of new things to cook in it, I found that it can cook up tofu in a SNAP! Like, super duper easy. No issues at all.
INGREDIENTS IN AIR FRYER TOFU
Extra Firm Tofu - Pressed to remove any extra moisture and cut into cubes.
Corn Starch - this is the thing that helps the tofu cubes crisp up with that beautiful crust.
Smoked Paprika - The flavor of this spice is so good on everything. I love the barbecue vibes I get from it.
Salt and Pepper - to season your tofu properly
Oil - This is optional, but a little bit of spray oil can help with the crispiness.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP!
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER TOFU
- Press your tofu to help remove extra liquid.
- After pressing the tofu, cut into squares or little bite sized pieces.
- Mix the cornstarch and smoked paprika together then sprinkle over tofu.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Put into Air Fryer basket.
- Air Fry as directed in the recipe below.
- Every 4 minutes remove the air fryer basket and "shake" to stir up the tofu. Every air fryer is different, be sure to monitor how it is cooking.
- Enjoy your air fryer tofu!
HOW TO MAKE EXTRA CRUNCHY TOFU IN THE AIR FRYER
I have played a lot with the cooking options associated with this Air Fryer Tofu recipe. I've made a crispy tofu version with cornmeal before. I've tried a crispy orange tofu version, even. I've found that this recipe using cornstarch is the winner. Super crispy, crunchy tofu. Every time.
DON'T FORGET TO PRESS THAT TOFU
One little tip that I want to share with you is that before I do anything with this tofu recipe, I always press the tofu. I do this with my EZ Tofu Press.
If you're unfamiliar with the pressing of the tofu, it's basically a way to help remove the water and moisture that can be found in it. It's nothing new, and a lot of people do this as well.
In other recipes pertaining to tofu, I’ve talked about the press many times before also. If you find that you like tofu and want to start cooking with it more frequently, pressing is something that you should most definitely educate yourself on!
You can score an EZ Tofu Press on Amazon! It usually ships super duper quick!
Please keep in mind that not all air fryers are 100% the same. If you find that during the cooking of this recipe that it isn't quite as crisp as you would like, then give it a bit more time in the air fryer.
The beautiful part about cooking tofu is that you can play around with it a bit to make certain that it's cooked exactly how you would like!
If you want it extra crispy, make it extra crispy! There is no true right or wrong way to make fried tofu and if you love vegan air fryer recipes, this tofu recipe should be right up your alley!
Pro Tip: To help crisp up your tofu and eliminate the powdery coating to your airfried tofu, you can give the tofu bites a quick spritz of oil. This helps the coating to crisp up! Then you will have crispy airfried tofu that will keep you coming back for more!
TOFU IN THE AIR FRYER- SPICE IT UP!
Also have a bit of fun with the seasonings for your tofu. If you like it spicy, make it spicy. I know that I can appreciate a hint of heat so if I'm making this tofu in the air fryer for myself, I'll give it quite a kick that I know I'll enjoy!
A little cayenne pepper never hurt anyone, right?
But seriously, adding spices to the fried tofu give it such a unique flavor each and every time. It's 100% possible that you can make your fried tofu taste different each and every time.
AIR FRYER TOFU TROUBLESHOOTING
Based upon reader comment it seems that Air Fryers out there are varying widely and that is affecting this recipe.
*If your tofu is not crisping, consider adding time to your cook time. Just add in small amounts and remember to shake*
*If you are getting a chalky feeling to your tofu, be sure you are pressing the tofu for at least 10 minutes before hand in a tofu press. Then you can also lessen the amount of corn starch :)*
*You can also SPRAY a small amount of oil onto the tofu when you are shaking it mid way through. This will HELP your tofu to crisp up and get rid of any extra corn starch!*
MORE AIR FRYER TOFU TIPS
- Be sure to press your tofu before adding your cornstarch and paprika.
- Be sure to coat your tofu on all sides so it cooks evenly.
- Be sure that you are using a firm or extra firm tofu for this recipe.
- Be sure to "shake" your air fryer basket during the cooking so that your tofu turns and cooks on all sides.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER TOFU
Vegetarian Instant Pot Baked Beans go well with the smoked paprika flavors of this tofu.
Air Fryer Green Beans or Air Fryer Broccoli would be a perfect veggie side dish.
Have you made this recipe? Please leave a comment AND rating below! It helps other readers!
Be sure to tag @VegetarianMamma on instagram, if you share a picture on the gram! Let's get social, you can follow me on Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or join one of our Facebook Groups: Tasty Vegetarian Recipes and Vegetarian Air Fryer Recipes.
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Air Fryer Tofu - with a touch of smoked paprika
Ingredients
- 1 block of extra firm tofu pressed
- 2-3 T cornstarch
- 1 T smoked paprika
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Press your tofu to help remove extra liquid.
- After pressing the tofu, cut into squares or little bite sized pieces.
- Mix the cornstarch and smoked paprika together then sprinkle over tofu.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Put into Air Fryer basket.
- Set temperature for 370 Degrees F. Turn on the Air Fryer for 12 minutes. (You may need to add a few minutes if you like crisper tofu) Your air fryer tofu is almost ready!
- Every 4 minutes remove the air fryer basket and "shake" to stir up the tofu. Every air fryer is different, be sure to monitor how it is cooking.
- Enjoy your air fryer tofu!
Notes
Air Fryer Tofu Tips:
- Be sure to press your tofu before adding your cornstarch and paprika.
- Be sure to coat your tofu on all sides so it cooks evenly.
- Be sure that you are using a firm or extra firm tofu for this recipe.
- Be sure to "shake" your air fryer basket during the cooking so that your tofu turns and cooks on all sides.
Nutrition
All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
Hungry for more gluten-free main dish recipes? Be sure to check out our recipe index.
You can also visit our Amazon store to see our favorite gluten-free products and kitchen equipment! This post contains an amazon affiliate link.
We recently updated the photos in this post. The day we originally took these it was quite dark outside (ugh rain clouds!) So we gave them a fresh look! But here is a sneak peak at the old ones!
Vegetarian Air Fryer Resources – We have a vegetarian air fryer newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. We also have a specific vegetarian air fryer recipes group on facebook. You can find that Veg Air Fryer FB Group here.
If you are looking for vegetarian recipes beyond air fryer ones, we have a Vegetarian Newsletter as well as a Vegetarian Recipes facebook group. This newsletter and FB group offers up recipes that on the stove, in the oven, on the grill, in the instant pot and more!
Other Resources:
- Air Fryer Calculator (convert oven recipes to air fryer)
- Common Air Fryer Mistakes
- Air Fryer Cooking Times Cheat Sheet
- Can You Put Foil in the Air Fryer
- How to Clean Your Air Fryer
- Tips for Your Air Fryer
- Cosori Air Fryer Reviews
More Air Fryer Goodies:
- Meat + Veg Newsletter
- Air Fryer Recipes – Facebook Group (large + fast paced – meat/veg)
- Air Fryer Recipes for Seniors – Facebook Group
- Gluten Free Air Fryer Recipes – Facebook Group
- Air Fryer Eats – Facebook Group (slower paced)
If you are new to air frying and you have some oven recipes that you would like to convert to air fryer recipes, we can help! Our sister site Air Fryer Eats, just launched an Air Fryer Calculator.
To use the air fryer convertor, simply enter your oven temp and time into the calculator and it will give you an estimated time and temp (in F or C) to start with when you use your air fryer!
Yum! Our daughter is vegan, and always looking for new recipes to try. I'll have to show her this one next.
Please do!
I've never had tofu but you make it looks so good. I'll have to try your recipe because I've been wanting to try tofu.
Thanks this is an easy one to start with!
I am such a big fan of tofu and have heard of air fryers quite recently. I would love to give this a try!
I hope that you enjoy!
My family is not a big fan of tofu, but I am and I love it! I think your recipe is awesome and I agree that adding cornstarch will crisp up the tofu nicely. I'm saving your recipe and making this for me! Yum.
Yes the corn starch adds a nice layer of crisp! Thanks for saving the recipe!
woah, that tofu looks very special! it's easy to do and very affordable!i like it!
Thanks so much!
Tofu is really what I love, and I've missed it for a long time! I would love to try this fantastic recipe.
Thanks Julie, I hope that you enjoy!
I have never tasted tofu. I didn't realize you could cook it. The recipe sounds like a good starter for me.
Yes, this is a perfect starter recipe! 🙂
The beginners guide will come in handy for me! I have always wanted to try to make tofu, but I have always been a little intimidated. I will have to give it a try with the air fryer.
Thank you, I am glad it is helpful!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe ... I've been thinking about buying an air fryer for making french fries and carrot fries that won't have to be cooked in oil and so today was looking to see if it would be possible to cook tofu in it or not before I decided to buy the Air Fryer and now I see that yes ... I can. Thank you again for the info and for the recipe. Can't wait to buy the Air Fryer and to try your recipe. (Hugs)
Debi, you are so welcome. We LOVE ours and have had so much fun with it!
I stumbled across air fryers recently and decided to get one. It's really a small convection oven but it works great. You can make really good French fries but also you can roast veggies like butternut squash --crispy and carmelized, deelish. I'm trying the tofu tonight. But we made our own tofu press with two clamps and two cutting boards. I tilted it into the sink so the water would drain. Works fine and you don't need to buy one more gadget unless you want to.
I must have done something wrong. It came out very dry and powdery with not much flavor. I re-read the recipe and didn't find my mistake. I followed it exactly.
Hi Diana, I am sorry that it didn't work for you. 🙁 You have me stumped for sure. We make this probably once a week. I am trying to think of what might cause that and its really stumping me! 🙂 Here is what I came up with: Did you press or prepare your tofu? If you pressed it too long, that would dry the tofu out and the corn starch wouldn't stick. But if it was powdery it could be because the tofu had too much liquid in it from not being pressed or not pressed enough? Each air fryer is different for sure. If it came out too dry for you, I would recommend checking the tofu every 2-3 minutes at the end and possibly shortening the cook time. Does your air fryer have a temp gauge or just a high/medium/low? Also, the tofu should have a dryer outside to make it crunchy but it should still be tender and have some moisture on the inside. I am thinking that it was cooked too long and possibly your air fryer gets hotter than mine. That would make sense on the drying out part. For the powdery part, I am not sure. I press mine for about 10 minutes which leaves just enough moisture in there for the seasonings to stick. You are welcome to try different seasonings and amounts of seasonings. For our family 1 T of paprika gives it enough flavor for us. But you are welcome to explore with other spices and even dipping sauces to bring it to your liking 🙂 I love dipping this particular one in BBQ sauce 🙂 Thanks for leaving a comment, I hope that your day is a beautiful one!
Oh--this makes me want to get an air fryer! I never really associated the two--tofu and air frying!
I see from your response to an earlier comment what I have been doing wrong when I air fry tofu... I've been pressing it too long! Thanks!
This is my second time trying this recipe. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I love fried tofu and would love some pointers. My tofu ends up with a chalky texture from the cornstarch and never really crisps up. Help!
HUM, let's see if we can figure this out! I had another reader have a similar problem. Here is what I wrote to them: We make this probably once a week. I am trying to think of what might cause that and its really stumping me! ????
Here is what I came up with:
1. Did you press or prepare your tofu? If you pressed it too long, that would dry the tofu out and the corn starch wouldn’t stick. But if it was powdery it could be because the tofu had too much liquid in it from not being pressed or not pressed enough?
2. Each air fryer is different for sure. Does your air fryer have a temp gauge or just a high/medium/low? If your tofu does not crisp up, I would say that you probably need to increase the time slightly. I would test it for another 1-2 minutes but be sure to shake. This sounds like a difference in temps between our air fryers.
3. For the powdery part, I am not sure. I press mine for about 10 minutes which leaves just enough moisture in there for the seasonings to stick. You are welcome to try different seasonings and amounts of seasonings. For our family 1 T of paprika gives it enough flavor for us. Try lessening the corn starch to see if that helps the chalkiness.
4. You can also add some spray oil to the tofu, during the "shakes" of the tofu. I've found it helps to rid the chalkiness.
Let me know what you are thinking about reading my thoughts and if you try it again!
This is the second thing I have cooked in my Air Fryer. it's delicious and next time nutritional yeast. Thank y o u so much.
You are SO very welcome!! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
I keep being more and more convinced that I need to get an air fryer. I love tofu and I love it fried and this looks just fabulous!
Such a great investment for your kitchen!
YUM!!! I just got an air fryer and I've heard tofu is good to make it in but I hadn't found a recipe! Thanks for this!
Very welcome!
I need to get an air fryer - another tasty recipe!
Yes, you do! YUMMM so many great things you can cook up quickly!
Tofu was actually the first thing I cooked in my airfryer, and it is now my go-to method because it comes out perfect every time! Love the simplicity of this recipe!
Thank you!
I've been seeing so many air fryer recipes lately and now I want one. I'm a fan of tofu and love it prepared in so many ways. Love that this one is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside!
Yes, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Just perfect in my book!
Ok, I need an air fryer.
Yes you do 🙂 It is seriously a great addition to the kitchen!
We have family members who are vegan. This will be a great recipe to share with them.
Thank you!
I'm not a big fan of tofu but you make it look yummy! I love my air fryer!
Agreed, I love my air fryer!
What a delicious air-fryer recipe! I need to make these tofu next week!
Hope that you enjoy!
Thankful for the video and all the photos. You make these look really yummy and easy to make!
Thank you so much!