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 this Air Fryer Tofu with some air fryer broccoli or air fryer corn.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE AIR FRYER TOFU
- Air fryer tofu is easy to make!
- The health benefits of tofu are numerous!
- You can season it with the spices you enjoy!
- You can adjust the cook time to get your personal desired texture of the tofu!
- It makes dinner a snap!
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!
AIR FRYER TOFU TIPS AND TRICKS
- Always press your tofu!
- Check in on your tofu while it's cooking. Adjust cook time as needed. This is not a set and forget recipe.
- Want more flavor? Crank up the spice measurements and add in additional spices!
- Use oil to crisp up your tofu! Spray oil directly on tofu chunks when you "shake" the basket mid way through cooking.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER TOFU
Vegetarian Instant Pot Baked Beans go well with the smoked paprika flavors of this tofu as well as this delicious Summer Squash Zucchini Mac and Cheese.
Air Fryer Green Beans or Air Fryer Broccoli would be a perfect veggie side dish.
Use these instructions to make your favorite vegetarian Frozen Dumplings in the air fryer. I even have instructions for how to make Frozen Pierogies in the air fryer.
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey - If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Pinterest, and Facebook, too!
Air Fryer Tofu
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
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!
I love tofu and I have this favorite tofu fried rice from an Asian restaurant that tastes heavenly. I would love to try this. Looks so good!
I hope that you enjoy!
I want an air fryer and this recipe makes me want one even more! I know what I'm asking for this Christmas and then I'm picking up some tofu and smoked paprika! 🙂
Fantastic! That sounds like a plan!
I keep reading things about air fryers. I am debating on getting one. These recipes are tempting me.
I think you should. Its such a nice addition to any kitchen!
You should we just got one, it’s amazing!
My husband and I love tofu! We don' have air fryer. Sounds like a great cooking tool for healthier cooking.
Such a great tool!
Thanks for the tips on cooking tofu. I have never cooked it, nor have I been brave enough to use the air fryer.
No worries at all! Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
Mine came out a bit chalky but I only had tapioca flour and probably used too much. I have discovered that I really don't care for smoked paprika but otherwise it is definitely crispy! Thanks. Next time I will use Old Bay or just garlic, salt and pepper. thanks for sharing your recipe
You are so welcome. You can spray some oil on the tofu during one of the "shakes" this helps to get rid of that chalkiness! Other seasonings would work great too!
Yep, I had the same problem. Way too much corn starch leaving it quite pwdery. I would do no more than 1 tbsp corn starch. I thought it seemed like too much but it was my first time cooking tofu in my air fryer. Hopefully next time will go better!
Thanks for the feedback Nancy, I hope that next time goes well too. Here are some tips from the post on how to get it to be less powdery:
*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!*
I would lessen the cornstarch but also I would spray oil on the tofu too! That has helped me in other recipes such as air fryer pickles etc. It helps to brown it up as well as crisp it up so you don't have any powder or chalkly texture left! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
The traditional Japanese dish Agedashi tofu is a fried tofu recipe. The tofu is also pressed but covered in potato starch. The recipe calls for soft tofu so I don't know if it will work in an air fryer. But fried in oil, the tofu has a light crunch, lighter than tempura. So maybe potato starch might work in place of corn starch.
Thank you Christina! I appreciate the information and idea! I love the sound of a light crunch and also the use of potato starch! I am going to research that more!
i'm chinese and used to buying softer tofu. does this recipe call for extra firm to start? i don't have a press. is using paper towels enough? or a towel? does spraying the airfryer grate with oil work to keep the tofu from sticking and breaking apart or should i add more oil in the beginning when coating the tofu. you are very helpful and i like your site! i'll be coming back again and again to try more airfryer recipes. i' so crazy about the airfryer i've bought them for gifts for friends that are too snobby for them (at the $40 on sale price for small ones). they can get a bigger one once they become hooked too!
Hello! Yes, this recipe needs a firm or extra firm tofu. 🙂 In this link they give some tips on how to press tofu without a press 🙂 https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/a18093/easy-tofu-cooking-tips-47012001/
Yes, you can give the air fryer basket a light spray of oil to help prevent any sticking 🙂 Then be sure to remove the basket part and give it a "shake" to stir it up mide way through the cooking 🙂
Thank you for the sweet compliment I appreciate it!! WE are crazy about the air fryers too! WE are hooked! I love that you are buying them for friends too!
What's been your favorite thing to cook in it so far? Have you joined our Air Fry Newsletter Tribe? If not you can do so here: http://eepurl.com/ggDOaT
Cindy!it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!
Enjoy!
I'm not such a fan of tofu but I have never had them air fried either. The method can make the difference.
I think this method will make a difference for you!
I have not tried this in my air fryer yet. I think this is a really cool idea and I may have to try it now.
When you try, come back and let me know!
This tofu looks absolutely amazing! It's so hard to get tofu looking great and I had no idea that the Air Fryer could make it look like perfection.
Perfection for sure!
I've been thinking of buying one of these but wasn't sure whether they would be worth it. Now I am convinced I need one in my life!
I do not regret getting one, we love it!
I might actually try this out. I've had tofu and enjoy it, but I've never been the one preparing it. I'm intimidated by it for some reason!
Give it a try and let me know!
That sounds yummy! I need to get an Air Fryer and try this recipe! I have only had tofu once and it was in the form on "scrambled eggs". I think I would like it this way more!
I think you'll like it this way!
Cindy, thank you very much! I really liked the recipe, I took it to my recipe book)
Awesome, so glad you tried it and loved it! Thanks for letting me know!
WOW! so simple, yet SO tasty! This is fantastic, yum. Thanks for the recipe.
You are so welcome, glad you liked it!
Just found your page and am looking forward to trying your recipes. A note on crispy tofu, this is the recipe I use now and it is perfection. I'll be trying it in the air fryer, too: 1 T oil, 1 T tamari, 1 T cornstarch (though I usually use a bit more). I'm only posting it because I've seen the comments from people thinking it needs a bit of oil.
AWESOME, thank you SO much!! I appreciate you sharing!!
I liked the texture but did not like the taste. I love smokey paprika but this tasted blah on the outside--too powdery. And needed salt or something else besides the paprika which we are very fond of. I used a whole 14 oz tub. It coated it all well, but just didn't care for the flavoring. Like the texture inside and outside though. Does anyone else have some flavorings they like. btw I only used two tablespoons and not three of the corn starch.
Hi Shelia, thanks for coming back and letting me know that you didn't like the taste but did like the texture. Yes, finding spices and combinations that work for your palette is key. You might try marinating your tofu in a sauce before coating it with the corn starch, that might be helpful. Tofu for sure isn't flavorful it is what you add to it to make it tasty. You might want to try a spice such as chili powder or cayenne to up the flavor factor as well 🙂
Yes!!! CRISPY tofu!! Delicious. Thanks for sharing
So very welcome! Glad you enjoyed!
I noticed that a lot of the comments are from people who haven't actually made the recipe? Anyway, the tofu is flavorless and chalky from the corn starch. Needs to be marinaded to have any flavor. This recipe does not deserve almost 5 stars.
HI Alia, yes some people do come and comment and leave ratings before they try. I don't have any control of that. I appreciate you coming back and leaving a comment after you have tried it. That's a bummer it didn't turn out like it does for us and so many others. You are right tofu is flavorless, it aborbs whatever you add to it. If you felt like it lacked flavor, you could increase the spices that you use or even add a dipping sauce. Here are a few tips (from the post) to help you get less chalk and more crunch, incase you didn't utilize those trick and want to try it again
Based upon reader comments 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!*
I hope that helps! Hope your day gets better! Stay safe out there and keep spreading the kindness 🙂
I would suggest you follow the suggestions that was suggested. Air fryers all run different. It takes some learning to figure yours out. Also I often see so many people bad mouthing FREE recipes. What’s worse is when they don’t properly follow the directions or use exact ingredients. Flavorless? Yes tofu is flavorless. Add your own favorite spice or add a dipping sauce like they suggested. Be your own problem solver and not a complainer. Anyway, as you say...I did make the recipe. I’ve made it several times. To me it’s delicious. If you don’t like something keep on scrolling. Don’t come back to it. If you want to try it again because it didn’t turn out then politely ask for tips.
This is so delicious! I’ve been making this for months! I love all of your air fryer recipes you are my go to website when it comes to air fryer recipes.
Thank you Trisha!! That made my day!
One of my favorite air fryer recipes. So good!
Hi Theresa! So glad you liked the air fryer tofu!
This recipe is so good I love making a Air fryer tofu
Hi Kristi, so glad you like making our air fryer tofu!