Cook tofu without hating your life. It’s not hard & it’s not gross—pinky promise! These crispy Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets are how to cook tofu without it tasting like a soggy cardboard box. Customize this tofu recipe with any of your favorite spices or dips for a healthy snack – without feeling like a starving rabbit!
Finding a snack that pleases meat-lovers AND vegetarians can be tricky…but both will find it irresistible to pop these golden nuggets in their mouths! Crispy on the outside, silky & fluffy on the inside – they’re the perfect vegetarian recipe to serve on game day alongside air fryer karaage, air fryer Taiwanese popcorn chicken, or air fryer soy sauce chicken wings!
🎥 Watch How to Make the Recipe
🥘 Ingredient Tips
- Tofu: Grab firm tofu or extra firm tofu for this crispy air fryer tofu recipe because it holds its shape well, while still being fluffy and tender in the middle! I don’t recommend using soft or silken tofu because it’s so delicate, it falls apart as soon as you look at it lol.
- Cornstarch: A light coating of cornstarch helps give the tofu an extra crispy exterior!
- Neutral Oil: My fave is grapeseed oil because it also has a high smoke point for frying, but other neutral flavored oils (vegetable, avocado, canola oil) work too. Using a neutral oil gives you more flexibility of the flavors & seasoning for your tofu – swap out the spices in this recipe to anything you like!
- Seasonings: For this air fryer tofu recipe, I’m using super basic spices (salt, garlic powder, & onion powder) – but use any of your fave seasonings! Like my 5-spice seasoning from my Air Fryer Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken is SOOOO good!
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪 How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Tofu
I’m sure you’ve heard it SO many times – moisture is the enemy to crispiness. And my faveee (aka the laziest) way to pull out moisture is to soak the tofu in a hot salt-water bath!
I know it sounds counterintuitive, but the salt water actually draws out liquid through osmosis. The result is SUPER crispy tofu on the outside, creamy & tender on the inside, and perfectly seasoned throughout!
I’ve tested this method by boiling tofu in a pot of salt water vs soaking it in boiled salt water & the results are pretty similar. SO I prefer the soaking method because it’s more hands-off. My tea kettle does the hard work to heat the water & I don’t need to keep an eye on the stove for an overflowing pot.
But use whichever method is easiest for you!
Step 1: Rip Tofu. Rip tofu into about 2-inch or 3-inch pieces as equally as possible, then transfer to a heat-proof bowl.
Step 2: Remove Excess Moisture. Combine boiling hot water and salt until the salt has dissolved, then it pour over the tofu. Make sure the tofu is fully submerged, then cover & let it sit for 10 minutes.
Drain the tofu, then use paper or kitchen towels to soak up excess moisture.
Step 3: Coat & Season Tofu. Transfer the tofu into a bowl, drizzle a little oil, & cornstarch. Toss them to coat evenly, then season with the spices in the recipe card or any of your favorite seasonings!
Step 4: Air fry. Preheat your air fryer to 385 degrees F, then once hot, lightly spray the air fryer rack. Add the tofu in the air fryer in a single layer, making sure not to overcrowd so the tofu isn’t touching. Spray or brush with a little more oil, then cook for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway through. Enjoy!
👩🏽🍳 Key Tips
- Rip Tofu for Extra Texture & Crunch: Instead of cutting tofu into cubes, rip them into cube-ish shapes! This creates extra texture, which means more crunchiness!
- Tofu Nuggets No Smaller Than 2 Inches: While cooking, the tofu shrinks a bit as it cooks off excess moisture. Don’t cut/rip your tofu into pieces smaller than 2 inches, otherwise, they’ll turn out much smaller & harder.
- Avoid Overcrowding: Leave space between each piece of tofu because it’ll help them even crisp up! If they’re touching, they also get stuck together & won’t cook evenly.
- Play Around with Seasonings & Dips: This air fried tofu recipe uses very basic seasonings, but don’t be scared to shake things up with any of your favorite spices & dips! Like, the 5-spice mixture from my Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken would be great or using my spicy peanut sauce for rich & creamy dippage action!
💭 Recipe FAQs
🍲 What to Serve with Air Fried Tofu
These air fryer tofu nuggets are a great snack or appetizer on Game Day! Serve it with other easy small bites, like Spicy Garlic Edamame or Shrimp Spring Rolls!
🥗 More Easy Tofu Recipes You’ll Love!
Tofu is SO versatile! Serve it as the star of a dish, like my Eggplant Tofu Stir-Fry (one of my readers’ faves!) or savory Korean Braised Tofu. Or, add it as extra protein for a more filling one-pot meal, like in my Tofu Pad Thai or Vegetarian Pad See Ew!
Let’s get cooking!
Get into my secret stash of Goody-Packed Newsletters with meals planned for you & time-saving tips! Want step-by-step videos of how to make my recipes too? I gotchu over at my youtube channel. Aight, enough chatting, more eating!
Air Fryer Crispy Tofu
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS:
- 14 ounce block firm tofu ripped into 2-inch cubes
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch
SEASONING:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch of white pepper
Instructions
- Rip tofu block into about 2-inch cubes as uniformly as possible.
- In a large bowl, combine boiling water with salt & stir to dissolve. Add tofu to fully submerge. Cover with a lid or plate & let it sit for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat air fryer to 190 degrees F.
- Drain & pat dry tofu well with paper towels or a kitchen towel. In a bowl, combine tofu, oil, & cornstarch. Sprinkle seasoning mixture onto the tofu & toss together.
- Lightly oil the air fryer rack, add tofu into a single layer working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding. It’s important not to overcrowd, otherwise, the tofu won’t turn crispy. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy, flipping halfway through.
- In the meantime, in a small bowl, whisk together the dipping sauce.
- Remove tofu from the air fryer, serve with the dipping sauce, & enjoy!
Notes
- Tofu: Firm or extra firm tofu is ideal for this recipe because they hold their shape and MUCH easier to handle! Silken or soft tofu is too delicate and will easily crumple apart.
- Soaking tofu in hot salt water draws moisture out of the tofu through osmosis (more about this in the blog post above)!
- This air fryer tofu recipe uses very basic seasonings but you can customize it by using any of your favorite spices and serve it with any of your fave dipping sauces, like sweet chili!
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
