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No cornstarch is needed to make this flavorful air fryer tofu! Drying the tofu well before marinading in a next-level seasoning blend is all it takes to get crispy tofu in your air fryer (no cornstarch needed here – just five simple ingredients).
Pair it with my Marry Me Chickpeas or toss them on a Veggie Wrap for a complete meal!
save this recipe!It’s the conundrum every tofu-eater has had at some point…“How do I make my tofu taste better?”
Well wonder no more, friends! I’ve unlocked the secret to the very best tofu…air frying! I’ve been cooking tofu in the air fryer multiple times per week for years, so you can be sure this tofu will turn out perfectly for you!
Not to be dramatic but this air fryer tofu is life-changing
- It’s a bit crispy on the outside but pillowy on the inside
- It doesn’t rely on cornstarch to make it crispy (I’ve got three tricks that help give it that perfect texture!)
Reader rating
“I started an air fryer tofu recipe before realizing I was out of corn starch…so I landed here. I was pleasantly surprised at the level of crisp I got without a starch! Easy and delicious!” —Lola
Here’s what you’ll need
This crispy tofu has two main components: the tofu (of course) and the marinade (big yum). Jump to the recipe card for measurements!
- Tofu: Use extra-firm tofu, which has more water squeezed out of it than the soft or silken varieties. Less water = more crisp!
- Soy sauce: Soy (or tamari for gluten-free) adds a rich and salty flavor that levels up your tofu. Feel free to use a low-sodium soy sauce.
- Oil: We’ll use a blend of sesame and olive oil to add flavor and enhance the crispiness. I wouldn’t recommend cutting out the oil completely, but you could use sprayable oil if you’re looking to reduce fat.
- Garlic: I use this for quick and simple flavor in the marinade. Feel free to go crazy with it and at your own blend of spices or herbs!
Secrets to air fryer tofu
There are actually three secrets to making crispy tofu without cornstarch or bread crumbs.
Secret 1 – Press the tofu: Pressing your tofu before cooking with it removes excess moisture (which would otherwise make for soggy, not-at-all-crispy tofu). I recently got this tofu press and absolutely love it, but you can also press your tofu by setting a heavy pan (like a cast iron) on top of your tofu and letting the moisture drain out.
Secret 2 – Air frying: My cooking obsession and the ultimate way to cook anything that needs to be crispy, air frying! I use this air fryer which has held up well with the many (many) kitchen experiments I’ve thrown in it.
Secret 3 – Freeze your tofu: This is optional but highly recommended. Freezing and then thawing your tofu before cooking with it improves the texture and allows it to soak up even more flavor from the marinade!
Want to skip pressing?
You can skip pressing the tofu altogether by buying vacuum-packed tofu! This is the firmest variety and the pressing has already been done for you. Just cut into tofu cubes, flavor, and fry!
The Very Best Air Fryer Tofu (No Cornstarch!)
Ingredients
- 1 16-oz block extra-firm tofu, 453 g
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 30 mL
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil*, 15 mL
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
- Press: Press 1 16-oz block extra-firm tofu for at least 15 minutes, using either a tofu press or by setting a heavy pan on top of it and letting the moisture drain. When finished, cut tofu into bite-sized blocks and transfer to a bowl.
- Flavor: Combine 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil*, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and 1 clove garlic (minced) in a small bowl. Drizzle over tofu and toss to coat. Let tofu marinate for an additional 15 minutes.
- Air Fry: Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Add tofu blocks to your air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to promote even cooking.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for a great idea, I often bake tofu slabs but I’ll try the airfryer now too. I think there is a typo in your recipe instructions – temp. 375 deg F is more like 190 deg C, not 300.
Thanks for pointing that out Dan!! 😀
amazing and just what I was looking for. 5/5 would press on my tofu again
So happy to hear! 😀
I just did 2 batches using your recipe. The first batch I followed your directions to the letter. It turned out GREAT. The second batch I increased the temp to 400 for 15 mins and the bites got darker & crispier. I think I like that better. Thanks for the great inspiration!!! I do love tofu.
So happy you liked it, Mike! I’ll have to try it a bit hotter next time, sounds great! 😀
Delicious! Until air fryers, I never cared for tofu. Now,…I’m addicted to air fried tofu…and YOUR recipe is so, so good! Thank you.
YAY! So happy to hear we have a new lover of tofu and air fryers in our midst 😀 Glad you liked the recipe!
HI Sarah
I bought the exact Air Fryer you mentioned in this recipe.
I am trying to figure out how to Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees.
I looked in the directions and I couldn’t figure it out.
Will you please help me?
I just put it on 375 degrees and started the Tofu air frying.
I will keep checking on it till. It looks done.
I can’t wait to see what happens!!!
Thanks so much,
Viv
Hi Vivian! Yay for the new air fryer! When you set it to your desired temperature, it will take about 5 minutes and then it will beep to let you know it has reached the temp (that’s what mine does anyways!). With that said, you can get away without preheating with most air frying 🙂
Turned out AWESOME! Hubby said he wanted to just stick some in a baggy and eat them as a snack. The only thing I did differently was I started with frozen tofu (just threw unopened package into the freezer when I bought it.. ), put the block-o-tofu in a pot of boiling water for 20-25min, grabbed it between two spatulas and squeezed what water I could out, put it on some paper towels and gently squeezed additional water out. Then cut then up and put them in the marinade. They pretty much immediately soaked it all up so after maybe 5min, I cooked them like your instructions say to.
I discovered that by doing the frozen to boiling bit, it totally changes the tofu texture into something our family likes WAY better- it becomes more “meaty” like instead of jello-like lol and they generally cook/crisp up faster and don’t retain nearly as much water.
But anyhoo..
This recipe is bloody awesome 🙂 I added them (what I could salvage anyway from my hubby stealing the crispy little buggers ) to this budgetbytes.com Singapore noodle recipe (the base for the sauce has some of the same ingredients as this recipe so they went really well together).
My hubby liked this stand alone tofu so much though he asked how I made them and started jotting notes down in his phone lol
Thank you so much! The air frier is amazing.. SO much easier than cooking them on the stove.. and SO much better with this marinate too!
YES! Frozen tofu is the BEST! So happy you guys liked it. Budget Bytes has some awesome recipes, so I’m sure you all were eating like kings. Enjoy! 😀
I loved it! It was easy and very tasty. I cut out one tablespoon of oil and it still came out nice. I’ll definitely be making this again.
So happy to hear, Jose! 😀
I just got an Air Fryer for Christmas and this was the first recipe I made with it! It turned out great and I’ll definitely be making it again! Thanks!
So happy to hear, Macy! Enjoy your new air fryer! 😀
Wow, I tried this for dinner tonight and it is fantastic.. Thank you for the thorough instructions and the tips
So happy to hear it, Rachelle! 😀
OMG this recipe is perfection.
This is my second day with my airfryer and I just made 2 batches of this, yum.
I also added some chipotle seasoning to give it a little kick and it’s wonderful.
Yay! So happy you liked it, Dolores! Sounds delish with the chipotle!