Our Air Fryer Crispy Tofu is deliciously crunchy, guilt-free, and super easy to make. This recipe requires six ingredients and can be cooked and ready in under half an hour. Serve as a vegan salad bowl component or snack with sriracha mayonnaise.
We enjoy using the air fryer to prepare tofu. It creates a perfectly crispy exterior with a soft, silky centre. It requires less oil than traditional frying methods and is faster than the oven.
I recently published a blog post on how to bake a jacket potato in the air fryer, and I plan to use my air fryer more in the coming months, so be sure to come back and check out more delicious air fryer recipes.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Plant-based - we use flour and water mixed instead of eggs for coating the tofu.
- Very versatile - see serving suggestions below for ideas on how to enjoy crispy tofu.
Recipe Ingredients
Note: The full ingredients and quantities are shown in the recipe card below.
Key Ingredients
- Tofu - use FIRM tofu only. Do not use silken tofu; otherwise, it will fall apart.
- Breadcrumbs - use panko breadcrumbs.
- Flour paste - plain flour and water mixed together to form a runny paste so the breadcrumbs stick. We prefer to use this instead of lightly beaten egg yolks.
How to Cook Crispy Tofu in the Air Fryer
Note: This is a summary of the instructions. The full ingredients and instructions are shown in the recipe card below.
- Mix the flour and water to form a runny paste. Cut the tofu into 2.5-3cm cubes and dip them into the flour mixture.
- Shake off the excess flour liquid from the tofu, then coat them in the panko breadcrumbs.
- Arrange the tofu in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 12 mins at 190°C (350°F), shaking the basket halfway through.
- You may need to do this in batches if you have a small air fryer.
Recipe Variations
- Spicy - add ¼ teaspoon or more of cayenne pepper to the panko breadcrumbs.
Serving Suggestions
We enjoy serving tofu with our homemade sriracha mayonnaise.
Storage
Crispy tofu tastes better fresh whilst it's still warm. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Crispy Tofu
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 400 g firm tofu, cut into 2.5-3 cm cubes
- 80 g plain flour
- 150 mls cold water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 80 g panko breadcrumbs
- olive oil for spraying
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer (if it has a preheat function).
- Add the flour and water to a mixing bowl and stir to form a runny paste. Scatter the panko breadcrumbs and salt on a large plate.
- Cut the tofu into 2.5-3 cm cubes, dip them into the flour paste, then coat with panko bread crumbs.
- Arrange the tofu in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray olive oil over the top. Air fry for 12 minutes at 190℃ (350℉), shaking the basket halfway through (at 6 mins). You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Serve the tofu warm with a dipping sauce or as a main meal. It's excellent in a salad bowl or as a chicken substitute in katsu curry.
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