Air-Fryer Tofu

By Eleanore Park

Air-Fryer Tofu
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(1,649)
Notes
Read community notes

Much like air-fryer French fries, tofu becomes perfectly crunchy in the air fryer without the need for deep-frying or an abundance of oil. This recipe takes a cue from Eric Kim’s crispy tofu nuggets, using potato starch to create a crackly exterior. The potato starch and salt coating, as well as the circulating high heat, helps evenly draw out the moisture. Similar to many air fryer recipes, the tofu benefits from being tossed or shaken halfway through to ensure even cooking. If using a smaller air fryer, cooking spray helps prevent the cubes from clumping when piled into the basket. For a full meal, serve with rice and a squeeze of lime for an extra shot of brightness.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 servings
  • 14ounces medium or medium-firm tofu (if unavailable, go with firm), drained
  • ½cup potato starch
  • 1½teaspoons kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • ¼cup light or dark brown sugar
  • 3tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • ½teaspoon sambal oelek or sriracha
  • Sliced scallions (optional), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

722 calories; 44 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 25 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 64 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 19 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 858 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat air fryer to 375 degrees, if preheating is recommended for your air fryer.

  2. Step 2

    Wrap the drained tofu in a clean kitchen towel or in a few layers of paper towels. Place on a plate and weigh down tofu with something heavy, like a glass bowl, skillet or can, and allow to drain for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    While the tofu drains, in a large, wide bowl, combine the potato starch, salt and pepper. Unwrap the tofu and pat dry once more. Cut the tofu into ¾-inch cubes and add to the potato starch mixture. Use your fingers to gently toss until coated.

  4. Step 4

    Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place the tofu in the air fryer basket, shaking off any excess potato starch while transferring. Once the tofu is in the air fryer basket, spray once more with the cooking spray to prevent clumping. Cook until tofu becomes slightly puffed, about 10 minutes. Use tongs to move tofu pieces around the basket. Continue to cook until lightly browned in some spots and crisped all around, about 10 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Discard the potato starch from the large bowl, wipe it clean and set it aside. While the tofu cooks, make the sauce: In a small skillet, combine the brown sugar, vinegar and soy sauce over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and clings lightly to the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sambal.

  6. Step 6

    Return the crispy tofu to a large bowl. Pour the soy glaze over the tofu; toss to coat. Transfer to a serving plate and top with scallions, if using.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,649 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Lauren in Spain

Hard to find potato starch in my village. Would cornstarch be an acceptable substitute?

Lynda Spiegel

Used cornstarch instead of potato starch

Barbara

For people having trouble finding potato starch (at least in the US)- you're in luck! Look in the Passover aisle of your supermarket.

Bill

I wonder if the tofu could be torn into pieces rather than sliced. It would create lots of craggy places to promote crispiness...I have seen that it works well with tofu.

Gina

I toss drained tofu cubes with cornstarch, ground ginger, garlic powder, pepper, and salt in a brown paper bag and skillet-fry or air-fry them; works well.

Sheila T

how would you cook this in an oven or a convection oven?

LarryAt27N

Cooking note: the tofu chunks kept their pale complexions despite extra time in the air fryer. So, after dunking them in the sauce, I returned them to the still-hot fryer at 400 for about four minutes, turning them once. That did the trick, giving me tofu chunks that looked as good as they tasted. I served them with buttered sticky rice out of a 90-second bag, delicious.

Tony Maiorana

Made everything as the recipe, except doubled the glaze. So yummy. Made crispy brussel sprouts and rice to complete the meal.

kjporfavor

Yes, you can use corn starch in place of potato starch. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/potato-starch-substitute

Suz

I made this using the potato starch instead of corn starch for the first time last night. I don't have an air fryer, just convection. I can not believe the night and day difference between the potato starch and corn starch. MUCH crispier, much chewier. Making in the convection though it didn't get as golden. Definitely will use the potato starch again. I made my own sauce and am really just commenting on the difference between the two starches.

Kirsten

I would switch up the first two steps—press the tofu first, AND THEN preheat the air fryer. No need to have an air fryer preheating for 30 minutes.

Karen

Per Sam: Eleanore Park’s air-fryer tofu works almost as well in a regular oven, and exactly as well in an oven with a convection setting. Potato starch gives the tofu an extra crispy skin, and the soy glaze makes it thrilling alongside a mound of rice, perhaps with some stir-fried greens.

Susan

This really needs some minced garlic and scallions for flavor, which is what I add, one of each- some red pepper if feeling spicy. I’d also add sesame seeds/ sesame oil if I had them

Elizabeth

I do this at 400 or 425 as long as your over doesn't smoke too much. I line a sheet pan with parchment paper and flip half way through. Works great.

Mapotato 2

Cornstarch should work in this too, if you can’t find potato starch. The finish potato starch gives is a touch more crisp, but corn starch will be fine in a pinch.

Brydee

This is a great recipe! I always freeze my tofu first for better texture

Eliana

I didn't cook the sauce down enough even though I simmered it for like 15 minutes, also the tofu just tasted so stretchy.

Marla L

I made this once with cornstarch and tonight I tried it with potato starch. I actually liked the cornstarch better, the potato starch came out a little chewier. Both times I tossed the sauce onto the tofu once cooked, and then put it back in the air fryer

Jane

How can tofu be this tasty? I kept popping chunks into my mouth before I even got to the recipe for sauce, then found I had no soy sauce. I used a squirt of hoisin instead, leaving out the brown sugar and substituting black vinegar. More sweet than I’d planned, but still delicious. This will be my go-to prep for tofu.

RosebudTX

Followed the recipe exactly, but the crunchy looking bubbly exterior seen in the photo did not materialize for me. The whole thing was just kind of chewy. Tasted okay, but kind of bland overall. Had to go to 3 stores to find potato starch, and I don’t know enough about tofu or the air fryer to adjust this recipe and try again. Hope it works better for others.

Marli

I am a diabetic - this worked so well my husband could not tell it was not sugar: Used 1 Tb of brown monkfruit sweetener with 1/4 c soy and 1/4 c Eden brown rice vinegar. (I buy it by the case from Eden).Splashed in 1-1/2 Tb or so of chili garlic sauce from the Asian grocery. Thickened beautifully. Added garlic powder and almost too much cayenne to the potato starch. Yum!

sarah m

The crust was tough in our oven air fryer. Maybe I had coated the tofu too thick? Would not make again

Margarita

Good recipe for quick meal. Adding spices (garlic powder, five spice powder, cayenne and black pepper) to potato starch definitely helps with flavor. Foodie worked great- Tofu was nice and crisp .

Rebecca Fisher

Not a good idea to spray your air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray — it ruins the coating on the basket

sam

gonna use paneer instead of tofu

Alex

Why not buy firm super-firm tofu instead of having to press medium-firm tofu? ?

LcTh

Instead of wasting a bunch of non-food grade paper towels, just cube the tofu and microwave it for a minute or two. Faster, less messy.

Janet

This didn’t work well for me. I substituted tapioca starch for potato starch, so this might be why I didn’t get the golden, crunchy potato nugget appearance. The tofu cubes puffed up, but were tough on the outside and rather deflated on the inside. Any thoughts?

el Hefa

Nothing I could do to make this recipe resemble anything like the picture. Amazing how we keep trying to get deep fried texture without deep frying.

Saj

Great quick recipe! In addition ti playing it by the book, it also turns out great without the sauce and using it for tofu sandwhiches with the tofu sliced into inch thick patties. Also experimented by doing a nice of potato starch and flour so that the tofu catches a bit more brown while cooking. Both ways are fantastic!

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