Crispy Air Fryer Tofu

Line a loaf pan large enough to fit the block of tofu with a double layer of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Place the tofu in the lined pan. Cover the tofu with another double layer of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Set another loaf pan on top of the covered tofu and place a couple of large heavy cans into the top pan to press the tofu down. 

Press the tofu until drier to the touch, about 15 minutes.

If using paper towels, swap out the soaked paper towels for new, dry paper towels about halfway through (if needed). Alternatively, the tofu can be pressed between 2 lined plates or in a tofu press.

Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha, grated garlic and ginger, sugar, and pepper to a medium bowl. Whisk the marinade together with a whisk or fork until well combined. 

For the coating, add the cornstarch to a shallow bowl or pie plate.

Once pressed, cut the tofu into cubes. Place the pressed tofu onto a cutting board so that it’s standing on one of its long sides. Slice the tofu in half lengthwise into 2 thin rectangles. Lay the tofu slices down on top of one another, resembling the original block of tofu. Cut the tofu into 4ths along the long edge and 4ths along the short edge to yield 32 cubes.

Add the cubed tofu to the bowl with the marinade and use a rubber spatula or gentle hands to toss the tofu until each piece is evenly coated in the marinade. Take care to not break up the tofu. Let the cubes marinate at room temperature for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F if your air fryer requires preheating. If your air fryer has different settings, use the “air fry” setting.

Once marinated, coat the tofu. Working with one piece at a time, roll each cube of tofu in the cornstarch, taking care to coat each side. The layer of cornstarch should be thin and not clumpy. If clumpy, gently tap the tofu against the bowl to get rid of excess. 

Place the coated tofu on a dry cutting board or a large plate. Repeat until all of the cubes of tofu have been coated.

The cornstarch will absorb into the marinated tofu—this is what you want. Any unsaturated, extra bits of cornstarch will not brown. If you notice this, simply dust off the excess cornstarch.

Lightly coat the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place the tofu in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer, leaving a small gap between each piece for the heat to circulate and evenly brown the cubes. Spray the tofu with a light coating of cooking spray.

Return the basket to the air fryer and cook at 400°F for 5 minutes. Flip the tofu and spray lightly with cooking spray. Continue cooking until the cubes of tofu are golden brown and crisp, about 5 more minutes (10 minutes total).

If desired, make a sauce from the marinade while the tofu air fries (if you have not already done so, double the marinade ingredients). For a thin sauce, whisk together the excess marinade until well combined. Top with sliced scallion and toasted sesame seeds. 

For a thicker sauce, add the marinade to a very small pot. Whisk the mixture over medium-low heat until gently bubbling and reduced slightly, 3 to 5 minutes.

The sauce should be slightly thicker and hold a line for a few seconds when a spoon or spatula is dragged through the bottom. Immediately transfer the sauce to a small bowl and top with sliced scallion and toasted sesame seeds. Take care to not cook the sauce too aggressively or too long as it will thicken too much.

Transfer the tofu to a plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired. Top with sliced scallion and toasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately while still crispy (with dipping sauce, if using).

The tofu can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Love the recipe? Leave us stars below!