These air fryer tofu nuggets are so crispy and delicious with a chicken-like texture on the inside. This really is the most delicious way to enjoy tofu! Made with simple ingredients, this recipe is so easy and is a great base recipe to add some extra plant-based protein to your favourite meals.
This is the tofu recipe you need in your pack pocket that you know tastes good, has amazing texture and is going to make the perfect base for a range of weeknight meals.
It’s tasty, it comes together quickly and it’s a great option for some flexible meal prep.
I based this recipe off the delicious and crispy oven baked tofu that I use for my Vietnamese noodle salad bowls as while I love that recipe, I was looking for an even more delicious and easy to prepare way to make crispy tofu.
You may have noticed that I am loving air fryer recipes at the moment. That is because they are very hands off, set and forget. It means I can have something cooking away while I do the rest of my meal prep. Plus it usually takes much less time than cooking in the oven and the results are much more consistent.
I’ve been making this tofu once a week at least lately. With a block of firm tofu costing just $3 from my local supermarket, it’s a really affordable way to ensure you’re eating protein whether you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet or not.
How you serve this tofu is your choice. It’s perfect on its own as a high protein snack dunked in spicy mayo, but I personally love it for lunch or dinner in a rice bowl with a side of crunchy green salad and yes, still topped with spicy mayo.
Key Ingredients
Just a few basic ingredients are added to the tofu to achieve a delicious and crispy result perfect to pair over rice or with your favourite salad.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Firm tofu – a packet of firm tofu is what we’re looking for here. Don’t buy silken tofu, it won’t work the same. You’ll need to prep the tofu first by popping it in the freezer and then defrosting when ready to make this recipe.
- Soy sauce – for essential salty, umami flavour that makes this tofu delicious. You can use tamari for a gluten free alternative.
- Olive oil – Helps everything stick to the tofu pieces and crisp up while air frying.
- Corn flour – also known as corn starch in the US, this is going to give a light coating to the tofu pieces which absorbs the moisture and ensures they crisp up.
- Seasoning – as this is a base recipe designed to be added to your favourite dishes and served with a sauce of your choice, we are keeping seasonings to a minimum using the never fail combination of garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Equipment and Tools
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Air fryer – It’s no surprise you’ll need an air fryer to make this recipe. This is the one I have which I love and use a lot! It is perfect for 2 people, but if you’re feeding a family look for an XL or XXL size.
Step-By-Step Instructions
I love how easy this recipe is to make. All you need is an air fryer of course. I am using my Philips Essential Air Fryer which is a smaller, basket style one at 4.1 Litres which is perfect for one block of tofu. If I wanted to double the recipe for meal prep, I would cook the tofu in batches.
You’ll need to start with a block of tofu that has been frozen and then thawed so before starting, make sure you’ve done this step. I’ve added below a section with everything you need to know about this process.
Once you have your frozen and thawed tofu, gently press out any excess moisture using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and then gently tear the tofu into approximately 1 inch pieces.
I love tearing the tofu rather than slicing it as it creates these bumpy edges that get really crispy and helps us achieve a delicious texture. I also prefer eating the more organic shapes rather than perfect squares.
Next, make your coating for the tofu. This is going to give us flavour but also help give us that crispy outside. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the soy sauce, olive oil, corn flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper to combine. Add in the pieces of tofu and toss through the mixture until the tofu is completely covered. You want to make sure all the grooves of the tofu pieces have been coated.
Add the tofu pieces to the air fryer and cook at 200°C/400°F for 10 minutes. Shake the basket to ensure the tofu isn’t sticking to each other, and cook again for another 5-8 minutes or until crispy.
All air fryers run a little different so just keep an eye on the tofu for the final minutes and stop cooking once your desired crispiness is reached.
You can enjoy these air fryer tofu nuggets immediately on their own, dipped in your favourite sauce or in a rice bowl with your favourite salad, or place them into a container for meal prep until ready to use.
Freezing The Tofu
The key to the texture of the tofu in this recipe is to use a block of firm tofu that has been frozen and then thawed.
To do this, simply place a block of firm tofu either in its packaging or in a container and freeze for 8 hours. Allow the tofu to defrost either at room temperature, in the fridge, or in a bowl of warm water and you’re ready to use it.
Frozen and thawed tofu will still contain a lot of water, so it’s helpful to press this excess out by wrapping the tofu block in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible.
The process of freezing and then defrosting, changes the structure of the tofu giving it a more chicken-like texture. It also is going to give your tofu more of a yellow colour.
If you want to make this recipe but haven’t frozen your tofu, you can still make it ensuring you’re using a firm tofu. It will still be delicious but the texture of your tofu will be different.
Storage and reheating instructions
These tofu nuggets will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, put them in the air fryer again for about 5 minutes or until hot and crispy again.
I do not recommend freezing these as freezing again will change the texture as we’ve already frozen and defrosted the tofu once. The easiest way to plan ahead for this recipe is to store your package of tofu in the freezer when you get home from the shops and just defrost when you’re ready to make this recipe.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More vegetarian air fryer recipes:
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Air Fryer Crispy Chickpeas
Vegetarian Curry Puffs
Air Fryer Pumpkin
Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets
Equipment
Ingredients
- 450 grams firm tofu frozen and thawed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon corn flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- This recipe uses tofu that has been frozen and then thawed so before starting, make sure you’ve done this step. See notes for more details.
- Gently press any excess moisture from your block of tofu using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and then gently tear the tofu into approximately 1 inch pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the soy sauce, olive oil, corn flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper to combine. Add in the pieces of tofu and toss through the mixture until the tofu is completely covered. You want to make sure all the grooves of the tofu pieces have been coated.
- Add the tofu pieces to the air fryer and cook at 200°C/400°F for 10 minutes. Shake the basket to ensure the tofu isn’t sticking to each other, and cook again for another 5-8 minutes or until crispy.
- Enjoy immediately or place into a container for meal prep. Reheat the tofu pieces for 5 minutes in the air fryer when ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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