My simple recipe makes the crispiest air fryer tofu and it is ready in under 15 minutes! Eat as a snack or add it to salads, bowls and wraps.
The crispiest air fryer tofu
Say hello to the only air fryer tofu recipe you'll ever need! The flavor in this recipe comes from wildly vibrant spices and seasonings, including garlic, paprika, turmeric and lemon juice. The tofu absorbs these flavors like a sponge. Then, in about 12 minutes in the air fryer, it undergoes a complete texture transformation, becoming crispy on the outside while remaining soft and chewy on the inside.
The recipe can't be simpler. All you have to do is:
- Cut the tofu into cubes.
- Toss it with the flavorings.
- Put it in the air fryer.
The flavor of this air fryer tofu is fantastic, but you can also use this recipe as a guide and experiment with seasonings and flavors you enjoy. Substitute the spices with others like ground ginger, ground black pepper, cayenne and ground cumin, or add dried herbs of your choice to come up with your favorite flavor combination.
I toss these tofu cubes into wraps and salads but I also add them to stews, curries and even my vegetable biryani. They are super versatile and I am sure you will find many, many ways to use them in your kitchen.
P.S. There's very little oil in this recipe - just ½ teaspoon for eight servings - but if you are oil-free, I have you covered in the FAQs.
OMG! These are sooo good! I can't stop eating them straight out of the air fryer! I have been struggling to get my protein intake since turning vegetarian, but these cubes are going to change that, they are addictive! - Laura
Recipe card
Air Fryer Tofu Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 oz extra firm tofu (or high protein tofu. If using extra firm tofu, press out the water).
- 1 teaspoon paprika (or cayenne, which will add more heat than paprika)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cut the tofu lengthwise into four slabs, then cut each slab into 12 cubes.
- Place the tofu and all marinade ingredients in a bowl, toss to mix. You can air-fry the tofu rightaway or, if you have the time, let it stand for 30 minutes.
- Place the tofu in a single layer in the air fryer basket, with a bit of space between each cube, and insert it in the air fryer. You might need to do this in two batches..
- Air-fry the tofu for 12 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius. Halfway through air frying remove the basket and toss the tofu cubes around. This helps the tofu cubes crisp up evenly.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
Recipe FAQs
If you are oil-free add a teaspoon or two of vegetable stock to help the spices adhere to the tofu, then air-fry. Tofu air-fried without oil won't be as crispy but it will still taste delicious because of the seasonings.
You can air fry the tofu without the seasoning, especially if you plan to add it to other recipes like tofu curry. Tofu is bland so add a dash of salt and pepper for some basic flavor.
Air fryer tofu cubes are great for meal prep. Add them to salads, sandwiches, wraps and bowls, like this healthful vegan crack chilli tofu noodle bowl. Use the tofu in stews as a meat substitute (we love it in vegan beef stew and vegan Irish stew), or as a replacement for paneer, Indian cottage cheese, in recipes like Vegan Palak Paneer, Vegan Paneer Butter Masala and Vegan Butter Chicken.
Refrigerate the air fryer tofu for up to four days. Freezing tofu is not recommended because it completely changes the texture. If you do freeze, keep in mind that the tofu will be far chewier. This can be nice in some dishes, like curries.
Reheat the tofu in the air fryer set to 375 degrees for 3-4 minutes or until crispy again.
Freeze the tofu in an airtight container or bag for up to three months. All tofu, cooked or not, will change its texture when frozen and will become more sponge-like. This can actually work great if you want to add the air fried tofu to curries and stews, because the tofu will better absorb the flavors of the sauce.
Vindya Donahue says
Thank you for these delicious vegan recipes. Thank you for your respect for cows. My heart breaks to see their plight too. Thank you for sharing your opinion and your lovely recipes. Would you care to share what is the best vegan milk for coffee. I'm allergic to oat milk. Thank you.
Vaishali says
Hi, I love vanilla soymilk in coffee! Thanks for your kind words.
Luciellenc says
If you don't like flavored creamers (vanilla, hazelnut, etc.) Mocha Mix is a soy based creamer that is unflavored. It actually tastes like cream.
Krista says
Would this work equally well in a convection oven? If so, would I use the same temperature and baking time?
Vaishali says
Yes, I think it would! Use same temp and time.
Julie Fitzpatrick says
I made the air-fried tofu last night and it turned out fine and tasty! This is amazing because I can sabotage almost any recipe without even trying. Not only was it easy-to-make and delicious, one 16 oz. brick of super-firm tofu only cost $3.50 and made five servings with 18 grams of protein in each serving! I had a second serving for lunch in my left-over pasta dish and I still have 3 more servings in the refrigerator. What a great choice! Thank you, Vaishali!
Vaishali says
Awesome, so happy you loved it, Julie. I agree tofu is a really great and economical source of protein, and there are so many things you can do with it!
Minnie says
My favorite air fryer recipe! I just used it again with your veg biryani and it's so awesome in that too. I make this tofu every week.
Vaishali says
So happy you made the tofu and the biryani, Minnie!
Nan says
My favorite air fryer tofu recipe! I love the balance of flavors in the seasonings you recommend and everyone in our family loves it. I make it weekly.
Vaishali says
Hi Nan, that's so great to hear. This is one of my go-to recipes too!
Jocelyn says
I love this crispy air fryer tofu! It is one of our family favorites for a snack and even the kids munch on it all the time. I vary up the spices sometimes for a change, and it never fails!
Vaishali says
So happy to hear, Jocelyn!
Anonymous says
Will try this in a convection oven (which is essentially a larger slower air fryer) Looks good!
Vaishali says
Awesome, hope you love it as much as we do!
Hassan says
are you sure about correctness of nutritional info?
Vaishali says
I use an online calculator so I can’t guarantee it’s all accurate and all nutrition data should be treated as an estimate. You can also just do your own calculations based on the ingredients.
Dianne says
May I ask what the dipping sauce with the air fried tofu is in the picture?
Thank you,
Dianne
Vaishali says
It’s vegan Mayo mixed with some seasonings like garlic powder and nutritional yeast!
Anonymous says
Thank you.
Sherwin says
Hello,
I forgot to let it marinate for the 30 minutes, but it was still good. I recommend remembering that part so the flavors go all the way through the tofu. Thanks for posting a soy sauce free recipe.
Vaishali says
Awesome, so happy you made it!
Ellie says
Amazing! Tofu solved! It was hard not to just eat the whole block. Thank you!
Vaishali says
So awesome to hear! Happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
Janet says
Best tofu cubes I've ever made! I have a small air fryer with two trays and was able to do the whole block of tofu in one go. It came out a little crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Color me impressed.
Vaishali says
Janet, that’s so awesome to hear! That sounds exactly as they are supposed to be. So happy you made them.
Wendy says
Do I really have to use oil (I'm wfpb no oil)? And if I wanted to bake this in the oven, how would I go about doing that? Thanks!
Vaishali says
You can leave out the oil, just use more lemon juice if the spices don’t stick to the tofu! To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake around 50 minutes or until crispy outside. Flip the cubes over halfway through baking.
Kat Crafter says
Thank goodness for you Recipe I had tofu from a Asian restaurant and I was craving that kind of texture so I found your this recipe and I tried it so happy with the results thanks you are a life saver!
Vaishali says
So happy to hear!
Laura says
OMG! These are sooo good! I can't stop eating them straight out of the air fryer! I have been struggling to get my protein intake since turning vegetarian, but these cubes are going to change that, they are addictive! Just one question, how much salt do you recommend using?
Vaishali says
Hi Laura, about 3/4ths of a teaspoon, which is possibly a lot for some and not enough for others.? I use less if making just for myself — my son has a very salty tooth!
Tom says
I tried the Indian style tofu. Although the texture was good, the flavor was overwhelmingly lemony. Maybe the 2 TABLESPOONS should be 2 TEASPOONS?
Vaishali says
Hi, you can definitely reduce the lemon quantity--I find that 2 tbsp is just right for that quantity of tofu as the lemon flavor tends to dissipate during cooking.
Kathy says
I laughed out loud when I read your story about purchasing an air fryer. I bought mine on November 9, really good pre Black Friday sale at Walmart and was planning to open it today until I read your story. In November I also had no counter space, but then my largest kitchen cupboards starting falling off the wall. We moved everything in and below them into the family room so the cupboards could be removed and the backing repaired. Before everything comes back into the kitchen, I'm ready to" fry" some tofu, but if I have to use oil and do it two batches, why not just do it in the oven all at once? I have never tasted anything made in an air fryer. Is it really worth it?
Vaishali says
? thanks for sharing your story! I really love using the air fryer vs the oven because there’s no preheating involved and it’s quicker. I also think the tofu “fries” up more evenly than it would in the oven. Totally worth it, in my opinion.
Julie says
Yes I would like to know also what brand and style of air fryer do you like and recommend? This recipe looks delicious and I want to try it!
Vaishali says
I have a Crux air fryer--I am pretty sure the model's discontinued but here's an affiliate link where you can see it.
Erik B says
Hello Vaishali,
Tried your air fryer tofu recipe and it came out great!
I own both a drawer style and a 3 tray air fryer. I tried your recipe in both and the cooking was definitely more even in the tray style air fryer!
Vaishali says
Hi Erik, that's great feedback. Thanks for sharing, and so happy you tried it!
Shannon says
What kind of air fryer do you have and do you recommend that one or have you learned of better ones?
Thanks!
Vaishali says
Hi Shannon, I haven't tried any other air fryers besides the one I have. It works really well, and I think it's a pretty basic one. It's been discontinued, I think, but here's an affiliate link where you can see it.
John Virag says
a bit confused. in the blog for the Indian style you state you use the spices and lemon juice as well...but in the recipe box no lemon juice for the the spicy style? Are you supposed to use the 2 TBLS of lemon juice for this as well? Thanks i find everything I have made so far from your blog has been delicious! And I'm new at this!
Vaishali says
Hi John, yes, and added! Thanks for the kind words. 🙂
Pavani Nandula says
My family loves crispy tofu and pan frying it until crispy is quite a task. I am definitely try this out very very soon. I love TJ's super firm tofu. Thanks for the recipe.
Vaishali says
Hi Pavani, I love the TJ super firm tofu-- what a blessing it has been, no more squeezing and weighting tofu. 🙂
Radhovan says
Hi Vaishali,
Thanks for another great recipe! A relative gave us an air fryer as a gift and she showed us how to use it once, with good results. But then she left and so it was stored in a closet. I wasn't thrilled with the small portions it makes, especially if you're trying to cook for a large group of friends and relatives. I'm bringing it out now to test this tofu recipe. I use a herb style tofu made by a local company that's already seasoned with Italian herbs and onion/garlic powder, so I think it'll work great.
Regards,
Radhovan
Vaishali says
Hi Radhovan, I don't think I am ever going back to pan frying or baking tofu again. 🙂 I hope you try!