Life fact – air fryer tofu is one of the most delicious, quickest, and easiest vegan and vegetarian recipes. Combining crunch with tasty seasoning, and only a short while in the kitchen, this meal gets 5 stars every time.
All hail the air fryer.
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a high-powered convection oven that’s small enough to sit on your countertop. It’s a cleaner way to cook meals, as it provides you with the moreish deep-fried taste, but without the guilt. Essentially, it fries food with hot air, and it’s only gaining more popularity as people begin to experiment with healthier recipes – just like this crispy air fried tofu.
You can make so many other things with this cooking instrument, too. From tasty fries and crispy roast potatoes to plantain and breadfruit, the world is quite literally your oyster.
But let’s go back to the tofu for a second, and find out how easy it is to make this wonder of a recipe!
How Much Protein is in This Crispy Air Fryer Tofu Recipe?
This particular recipe has 7 grams of protein, and you need just a little bit more than this for every 20 pounds of your body weight. To work out how much protein your body needs per day, you can divide your weight into pounds by 20 and then multiply it by 7.
So, if you weigh 200 pounds, you’ll require around 70 grams of protein per day.
Crispy Air Fryer Tofu MACROS Amount
Along with the 7 grams of protein, this air fried tofu recipe contains 4 grams of fat and 9 grams of carbohydrates.
The advised macronutrient ratio is as follows:
- 45 – 60% carbohydrate
- 20 – 35% fats
- Remainder from protein
You can also calculate your recommended macronutrients amount by following this method:
- Work out how many calories you eat (or are striving to eat) on a daily basis.
- Determine your ideal ratio (i.e distribute your preferred carbs, protein, and fat. For example, 50% carbohydrates, 25% protein, 25% fat, etc.)
- Multiply your total daily calories by your preferred percentages.
- Divide these calorie amounts by the calorie per gram number.
Why is Air Fry Tofu Healthier Than Fried Tofu?
As the name suggests, deep-fried tofu is cooked in lots of oil. This is not the healthiest option, due to it being excessively high in salt, saturated fat, and calories. And obviously, too much fried food has been linked to serious health issues, like diabetes and heart disease.
In comparison, air fryer tofu uses little oil, and still crisps perfectly. The best of both worlds, eh?
How to Cook Tofu to Perfection in an Air Fryer
There are four key components that contribute to the best crispy tofu. These are:
- Press the Tofu: This removes any excess water that could cause the tofu to become soggy.
- Marinated tofu: It’s no secret that plain tofu cubes are bland – it’s all about the seasoning. Let your tofu marinade for about 15 minutes and you’ll notice the difference once you begin air frying.
- Use Corn Starch: When you toss marinated corn starch before air frying, you’re setting it up for extra crispiness.
- Cooking on a High Temperature: The best temperature for air fried tofu is 400°F. This crisps the outside, as well as leaving extra-firm tofu on the inside.
What Ingredients Do You Need For This Tofu Recipe?
- Extra-Firm Tofu: Obviously, this goes without saying. Tofu is packed with protein, calcium, and iron, and is a favorite for vegetarian and vegan recipes. Extra-firm tofu is super important, as it doesn’t hold as much water as other tofu cubes. This means it will hold its shape easier when air frying.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: For a flavorful tofu marinade, soy sauce is very important!
- Maple Syrup: This goes well with the soy sauce as it sweetens the marinade.
- Rice Vinegar: This gives the marinade some sweet acidity.
- Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger, and ground black pepper complement the marinade.
- Sriracha: A dash of this hot sauce will add a tasty kick. Naturally, use as much or as little as you’d like.
- Corn Starch: As we mentioned before, you can’t neglect the ingredient that gives the tofu some extra crisp! Toss the tofu in the starch before you fry it and indulge in the golden and crispy exterior.
The Method
Now, for the main event!
- Press tofu block gently and cut into cubes.
- Pat the extra-firm tofu cubes dry with paper towels to remove as much water as possible.
- Stir the marinade mixture together.
- Let the tofu marinate for 15 minutes.
- Toss gently in corn starch.
- Place the tofu cubes in a single-layer air fryer basket with a touch of olive oil. Cook at 400°F for 9 minutes to being with. Toss the tofu and then cook again for a few minutes more.
- Repeat with the remaining tofu until you’ve cooked everything to perfection. You want to make sure your tofu cooks evenly before serving.
- All that’s left to do now is enjoy!
What Recipes Can You Add Your Crispy Tofu to?
Now you’ve got your gluten-free tasty tofu pieces ready, why not add them to your favorite vegan or vegetarian recipes? Here are some of our favorites below:
- Ramen Salad: Add your tofu cubes to a delicious ramen salad and drizzle some teriyaki sauce over the top for another pop of flavor. Or, use it as a dipping sauce! You can also sprinkle some sesame oil and sesame seeds over the salad for some extra crunch, too.
- Avocado Salad: Another veggie favorite that’s packed with protein. Place your tofu pieces over the top of a freshly prepared salad and drop some avocado oil over the top.
- Tofu Cubes in Peanut Sauce: (You can make this recipe with baked tofu, too.) This is a super tasty Thai/Indonesian-style dish with a solid amount of protein.
- Stir Fry: Add your cubed tofu to a classic low-calorie stir fry meal. The soy sauce marinade works perfectly with this recipe!
Get Creative!
So, now you’ve got crispy air fryer tofu covered, and you’ve got a bunch of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free recipes for inspiration, all that’s left to do is get cooking (and eating!)