Our popular marinated tofu air fryer recipe without cornstarch is gluten free and full of flavor with a killer Asian sauce. You can make in Ninja Foodi or Cosori for a delicious snack with a crispy outside and tender insides!
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Air fryer tofu is amazing if I don’t say so myself. No breading required, just a to die for sauce to make crispy bites you can throw right into your mouth! My teens make this after school as an easy air fryer recipes snack almost every day and have even gotten their friends to love it!
Ok so I was born and grew up in Hawaii and did eat a lot of rice and tofu there. I thought it was a “normal” every day food until I got older and lived in the states. I realized that wasn’t entirely true.
Some are a bit weirded out by it, and won’t even try. I will say the soft version isn’t my favorite BUT firm with a great sauce and crisped is amazing. There are TONS of different flavors you can add. I encourage you to try a few different tofu asian marinade creations and see which you like best.
Ninja Foodi (Option)
Tips: My Favorite models are the Cosori or making Ninja Foodi recipes with the lid that is attached.
It is best practice to put food into a hot basket. This is how to preheat air fryer first before adding your food so it becomes as crispy as possible. For best results, here’s a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.
How many different types of tofu are there?
Two types, and then there are slight variations in those categories. Silken and regular are the 2. The first is soft, like silk. Regular has a variety of firmness from soft to extra firm which is well….quite firm. 😉
Which tofu is best for frying?
You want to choose the refrigerated package labeled extra-firm. This will ensure that it doesn’t fall apart when marinated or cooked. It’s a great recipe that requires no breading and if you use Tamari or coconut aminos and a bit of garlic powder it would be a gluten free option.
How to Air Fry Tofu Without Cornstarch
You don’t need this powdery substance at all to get the outsides crispy friends. Some people like to toss cubes in flour or cornstarch which is not okay if you need an option that is gluten free. We left it off entirely and it still got golden brown to perfection without it.
Tips for Success
Wrap the tofu block in a light cheesecloth or a few paper towels that have been folded together to remove as much moisture as possible. This will help it get crisp, any liquid on the outside will inhibit this.
The timing will vary just slightly depending on how crispy you want the outsides to be. The most important thing is to press down when wrapped in some paper towels or cheesecloth to eliminate moisture at the beginning. I do not recommend after 6 minutes shaking the basket as they may break apart, just flip each one over.
The trick to making any food super crispy is a bit of a spray, with oil. I generally use olive oil because it is healthier than other varieties. Near the end if it isn’t as golden brown as you’d like just lightly spritz the top and it will become crunchier than if you skipped this step. Enjoy as is with salt and pepper when done or drizzle a sauce like our sweet and sour tofu.
Variations and Substitutions
You could skip the sauce and dip in egg wash instead like we did with our tofu nuggets. I will say that those are crunchier but not as tender on the inside when done.
We love to make these into a complete meal like we did with our tofu lettuce wraps. Filled with veggies on top it is a great way to make a protein packed meal for meat free Mondays (or any day of the week really)
Tofu in Air Fryer Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 14 oz tofu, extra firm is best
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, used low sodium
- 1 tbsp garlic chili sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 pinch sesame seeds, garnish
- 1 pinch green onions, diced, garnish
Instructions
- Wrap the tofu block in a light cheesecloth or a few paper towels that have been folded together, press firmly but don't break it apart. You want to remove as much moisture as possible with this step.
- Cut your tofu into 1" cubes and put into a shallow dish.
- In a bowl mix together your marinade ingredients and pour on top of your tofu bites. Leave for 5-10 minutes so it can soak up the sauce.
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- Spray inside of basket and place pieces inside so they're not overlapping.
- Set time to 12 minutes, at minute 6 flip each piece over.
- Take out when they're as crispy as you'd like them to be and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions or chives.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How do you store leftover tofu?
If you have a bunch then only prepare what you’re going to cook. Once you press the water out you’ll need to eat it that day. If you just want to cook half put the other piece in a container with some cold water. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days and use at that time. Keeping any longer will change and break down the consistency.
How do you reheat leftovers?
If you want to just warm up your leftover tofu you can put it into the oven at 325 degrees F for about 10 minutes. If cut into cubes it won’t take quite that long either. Looking for more easy under 30 minute recipes?
Other air fryer recipes you’ll love
For a fun finger food meal, serve these with meatballs in air fryer and air fryer frozen tater tots. OMG so delicious right?? My mouth is watering right now and I have to make these babies again soon.
- We love these air fryer sweet potato chips alongside hamburgers.
- We have a bunch of air fryer chicken breast recipes to choose from. They go together quite well with these.
- OR serve them with some salmon in the air fryer.
FAQ
It is hard to compare the two exactly as each cut of beef and/or chicken will vary it’s nutritional content. BUT it IS an excellent source of plant based protein and fiber without the cholesterol and saturated fat.
If you’ve never tried it there isn’t much flavor at all. That is why you really need to add your own twist to it. This tofu marinade brings it to an all new level of WOW if you ask us.
I am the type of person who likes to try new things. Although I am not a vegetarian, I decided to give this recipe a try. It was actually quite tasty. I was impressed!
Delicious flavors of sauces. The crunch of Sesame seeds and chopped garlic. The Air Fryer cooking sounds healthier too.
Ooooo…. I just love air frying tofu now! I don’t eat a lot of tofu, but it was really tasty to me. 🙂
Fantastic tofu! The marinade + the crisp of the air fryer really just amps it up a ton. Great for stir frys!
Mine were significantly darker than your beautiful ones, but an easy recipe. I sliced carrots and marinaded them as well and fried with the bites for the second half of the cook time. Delicious!
This is close to my marinade only I add ginger, honey and sweet sake to it. I have some marinating as we speak hi but hi hi hi by by