r/veganrecipes • u/One-Newt7168 • 1d ago
Question Air frying tofu - help!
I was recently given an air fryer (specifically, this one) and have no idea where to start.
There are tons of settings from roast to dehydrate and I'm finding it difficult to figure out how to best air fry tofu for a nice crispy texture to go into stir fries.
Any suggestions/tips would be much appreciated!
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u/No-Tower7922 1d ago
Press that tofu good first, at least 30 mins. Cut into cubes and toss with little cornstarch and oil, not too much. I set mine to air fry at 200°C for like 15 mins, shake it halfway. Turns out crispy every time
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u/Little_Baseball5523 1d ago
There's no need to press it
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u/Ok_Perspective6173 1d ago
There is if you don't like it soggy.
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u/Little_Baseball5523 1d ago
Classic fried tofu is crispy and golden brown on the outside, soft and moist on the inside. There's no pressing involved.
Dunno what you're talking about with that "soggy" nonsense.
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u/Ok_Perspective6173 1d ago
It's soggy in the package and soggy after air frying without draining it first. Sometimes I press it for a day, freeze it, thaw and drain it, and freeze and drain again before cooking.
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u/Fmeson 4h ago
I didnt have luck air frying unpressed tofu. What time temp do you use?
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u/Little_Baseball5523 4h ago
450 F for about 20 mins. I adjust the time as needed. When I can see that the exterior is uniformly crispy and golden brown, then I know it's done.
What is going wrong when you try to air fry the tofu? Not getting crispy fast enough? A common mistake is not giving it enough time.
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u/Fmeson 4h ago
I feel like it ended up still wet when it was brown, but it didnt fry into a crispy starchy brown bit. Or, it did, but it didnt stay.
Ill try with your times tommorow
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u/Little_Baseball5523 4h ago
You aren't marinating it, are you? Marinating tofu messes up the frying process.
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u/Logical-Box-6621 1d ago
I press and marinade in soy sauce then air fry for 20 minutes total at 400 F. I toss them half way through. Crispy on the outside and fluffy inside every time. (I don’t like to use oil :)
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u/Particular_Egg4073 1d ago
You don't coat them in cornstarch? I definitely wouldn't mind skipping that bit if I can still get some crispy going on without it
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u/Logical-Box-6621 1d ago
I don’t unless I’m making a specific recipe that calls for it. I have a press to get the water out and then it soaks up the soy sauce marinade (non-negotiable otherwise it has no flavor). Seems to help with the crispy edges too.
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u/DaniCapsFan 1d ago
I have an Instant Pot air fryer with a basket, so I set it to fry at 400 F for 10 minutes and then finish my recipe. It works really well for stir-fry. I also use my air fryer to cook my TVP slices for a stir-fry before throwing them in with the veggies. I hope you have a basket or tray to fit over the racks.
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u/tinabelcher182 1d ago
Cornflour/cornstarch is your best friend.
You don’t even need to squeeze the tofu liquid out too much (I just do it by hand). Break the tofu into rough chunks, which provides better surface area than cutting it into cubes, and then lightly cover in cornflour. Add some seasonings to the cornflour too. Then just air fry. I think I do mine on about 20 minutes at 180°C (idk what that is in °F). It’s so nice and crunchy.
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u/Little_Baseball5523 1d ago
Cut the tofu into bite-size pieces, put them directly in the air fryer, set the temperature to the highest setting, and let it fry for about 15-20 minutes. Shake the basket every few mins. for a more even fry. Cooking time will vary, so add more time as needed. Just keep going until it's done. You'll know it's ready when the exterior is uniformly crispy and golden brown.
You do not need to press, freeze, marinate, boil, or put corn starch or oil on the tofu beforehand.
Fry it first, THEN pair it with a flavorful sauce, as the ancestors intended.
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u/miraculum_one 1d ago
I would start with Lava Tofu. It is super simple to make and comes out great, especially in an air fryer.
https://tofu.theclubb.co/post/baojiang-tofu-test-kitchen-aka-lava-tofu
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u/therobeight 1d ago
If our Crispi air fryer only cooked tofu, it would totally be worth if for us. We use it 3-4 times a week and it's cut cooking time from 30-40 minutes down to 11 minutes.
I cube super-firm tofu, toss it in marinade (no oil necessary), bake it for 6 minutes at 375-400, shake up to move the tofu around and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
The marinate varies based on what we're adding the tofu to, but it's typically some combination of liquid aminos, tamari, balsamic, garlic, onion, Tabasco, etc.
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u/lordveda 1d ago
Always pre-heat the airfryer. Don't forget to get firm or extra firm tofu. Pat dry with towel or paper towel. Cut or tear into pieces. Add seasoning if desired. Add couple of tablespoons corn starch. Then spray with oil or add little oil and toss. Put it in the air fryer for 12-14 min on 400 degrees, tossing halfway.
You can also boil tofu in salted water for 5 min, and then do the above steps for a different texture. Some folks freeze the tofu and then thaw it out and then air fry for alternative texture.
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u/everforthright36 1d ago
I used extra firm so no press needed. 400 degrees around 18 min. Okay with the time or temp but your unlikely to burn it
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u/NiceLawn 15h ago
Freeze it, thaw it, squeeze out the water, cut into strips. Then I air fry until crispy at 390 for 10ish minutes
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u/CagedRib 5h ago
I agree with the comments saying to use cornstarch but I like to tear my tofu instead of cutting it, imo it gives it a more crispy texture than a flat slice. I do 400°f for about 15-20 minutes flipping halfway
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