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Air Fryer Crispy Tofu Recipe

Say goodbye to soggy, bland tofu with this 20 minutes crispy tofu recipe. Learn to make vegan crispy tofu in an air fryer.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 4
Calories: 196kcal
Author: Hina Gujral

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 200 gram firm tofu
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (see recipe)
  • 1 tablespoon Schezwan sauce or chili sauce
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Ingredients For Coating A

  • ¼ Cup rice flour (chawal ka atta)
  • 2 tablespoon cornflour (corn starch)
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
  • ¼ Cup ice cold water

Ingredients For Coating B

  • 1 Cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder

Ingredients For Coating C

  • 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

Instructions

Prepare Tofu

  • Press the tofu firmly with a towel to remove excess water or moisture. You can use a cloth or paper towel. Then, cut the tofu into cubes or diagonally into triangles.
  • Transfer tofu pieces to a bowl. Add soy sauce, schezwan sauce, and ginger garlic paste. Mix well, making sure the tofu is evenly coated. Keep it aside or in the refrigerator for a longer duration.

Make Coating

  • Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and cold water. Stir to make a smooth, lump-free, spoon-dropping consistency batter. This is your Coating A.
  • Combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and chilli powder in a bowl. Keep it next to the flour batter. This is your Coating B.
  • Combine black and white sesame seeds in a bowl. Keep it next to the bread crumbs mixture. This is your Coating C.
  • Dip marinated tofu piece in flour batter (coating A), next cover it with bread crumbs (coating B) and, last, Coating C of sesame seeds. Similarly, prepare all tofu pieces.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 180 degrees Celsius. Arrange coated tofu pieces in the air fryer basket. Spray cooking oil over the tofu. Air fry for 15 minutes, turning them halfway through the cooking time.
  • Crispy Tofu is ready to serve.

Notes

  • You can shallow fry coated tofu in a pan or bake it in the oven at 180 degrees Celcius until crisp and golden. 
  • Before air frying, spray the tofu with sesame, peanut, grapeseed, or neutral-tasting oil. 
  • Do not air fry tofu for more than 15 - 20 minutes; otherwise, it will dry and hard. 
  • You can drizzle over crispy tofu my signature creamy Asian-style salad dressing before serving. 

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 999mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 149IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 2mg