Air Fryer Reference
Tofu
protein · fresh
- Temperature
- 400 °F
- 204 °C
- Total time
- 14 min
- 1 block extra-firm tofu (14 oz)
- Shake at
- 7 min
- shake once
- Internal temp
- —
- use visual cue
Doneness
Cubes are deeply golden-brown and crisp on all sides; bite test reveals a tender, slightly chewy interior with no raw cold centre.
Oil & seasoning
Toss with 1 tablespoon neutral oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch — the cornstarch is the secret to a crisp shell.
Season with: salt, garlic powder, soy sauce after cooking, sesame oil after cooking.
Watch out for
- Press the tofu for 30 minutes before cooking — wrap in paper towels under a heavy book or cast-iron pan. Pressing out the water is the single biggest crisp-factor.
- Use extra-firm or super-firm only. Silken and soft tofu fall apart in the basket.
- Cornstarch in the toss is what gives the shattering-crisp shell. Skip it and the tofu turns out chewy instead of crisp.