Basic Air Fryer Tofu is a great addition to salads or as a quick grab and go snack. Tofu is versatile and can be doctored up with a variety of flavors and seasonings. Read on for the recipe as well as 5 other seasoning and flavor ideas.
Ah, the many faces of tofu. Tofu is known for acquiring the taste of any seasoning or dish you desire.
I wasn’t always a fan of tofu. I think I had some sort of a mental blocking of its texture, but as the years have gone by I find that tofu is incredibly versatile and delicious if seasoned properly.
I have also discovered that soy is incredibly beneficial to women of …er… a certain age in relieving symptoms of both menopause – pre, during, and post.
The first step in mastering crispy air fryer tofu is pressing the tofu. Basically, pressing tofu removes some of its moisture and makes it easier to cook with. Pressed tofu also helps the tofu to absorb more flavor with whatever seasoning you are using.
To press tofu: wrap a block of tofu with a clean tea towel and place on a plate. Place a heavy object such as a cast iron pan on top of the wrapped tofu and leave alone for 30 – 60 minutes, replacing the towel once halfway through its pressing. Or you can purchase a tofu press here.
Tofu can be doctored up with any flavor or combination of seasonings. The recipe below is fairly simple using garlic and onion powder with soy sauce and sesame oil. Add paprika or chili powder if you want a little kick.
Here are some other ideas for adding flavor to tofu. After pressing, cube the tofu and toss the tofu in a sauce or season before air frying.
- Southern BBQ goodness: Toss pressed and cubed tofu in 1/4 cup BBQ sauce before air frying.
- Make it Everything Bagel-ish: Toss pressed and cubed tofu with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and everything bagel seasoning before air frying.
- Go Italian: Toss pressed and cubed tofu with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and 4 teaspoons Italian Seasoning before air frying.
- Make it cheesy: Add 1/2 cup raw almonds, 1/2 cup raw cashews, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles large grains of salt. Toss pressed and cubed tofu with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and the cheesy nutty mixture before air frying.
- Try curried tofu: In a bowl mix together 1 tablespoon each of coriander and cumin, 1/2 tablespoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon of ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon each of dry mustard, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom. Toss the pressed and cubed tofu in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, then toss in the curry mixture before air frying.
After seasoning, place tofu in an air fryer basket or on a baking tray and set the air fryer to 10 minutes. Voila! Perfectly cooked and tasty air fryer tofu!
Basic Air Fryer Tofu
Simple Air Fryer Tofu is a great addition to salads or as a quick grab and go snack. Tofu is versatile and can be doctored up with many different flavors and seasonings.
Ingredients
- 1 pound block of extra firm tofu
- 1/2 tablespoon liquid aminos or low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Drain the tofu and place the block on a clean tea towel. Wrap the tofu and place on a plate.
- Top the tofu with a heavy object such as a cast iron pan. Let sit 30-60 minutes.
- After pressing tofu, unwrap and place on a cutting board. Cut the tofu into 1" cubes.
- Add the tofu to a mixing bowl and toss with the liquid aminos (or soy sauce) and sesame oil.
- Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Add the seasoning to the tofu and gently toss to combine.
- Place the tofu in a single row in an air fryer basket or on a baking tray lined with parchment paper (depending on your style of air fryer).
- Set the air fryer to 400°F.
- Cook tofu for 10 minutes, gently shaking the basket/pan after 5 minutes.
- Let tofu cool for a few minutes.
- Tofu can stay in the refrigerator for up to 1 week in an air tight container.
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