Air Fryer Crispy Tofu

I believe that tofu is one of the best foods in the world. It’s healthy, packed with protein and so versatile to cook with. Their base flavor is simple so it can literally be combined with any sauce and food. They come in many forms — silken, soft, firm, extra firm. These textures open doors to so many different cooking methods. One of my favorite ways to enjoy tofu is to make them crispy.

Usually, when you order crispy tofu at a restaurant, it’s breaded and deep-fried. Don’t get me wrong, it’s freaking delicious! But sometimes, I want crispy tofu without all of that. Sometimes, I want a simple crispy tofu that allows me to top a salad or mix in a grains bowl. This is the EASIEST way to make crispy tofu, I promise you won’t go back to whatever your method was before.

Ingredients:

• 1 14-oz pack of firm tofu (feeds 2)

• Avocado Oil Spray

Instructions:

• Remove the tofu from its packaging and pat it dry

• Place the entire block of tofu on a plate and place a paper towel folded in half over it

• Take a stack of heavy plates (3-4) and put it on top of the paper towel

• Leave it alone for 20 minutes

• Your tofu will shrink by about half

• Slice your tofu into blocks, about 20 pieces

• Coat your tofu blocks with avocado (or other) oil spray

• Place your tofu blocks on parchment paper in your air fryer basket

• Air fry at 375 for 10 minutes on each side

AND THAT IS IT. Where are the seasonings, you may ask? Depending on how you want to enjoy your tofu, you can either season your tofu prior to air frying it or coat it in a sauce after it’s fried. Most recently, I opted for the latter, here’s my recipe for a simple grains bowl for 2:

Base Grains Bowl:

• 4 cups spinach

  • I recommend tearing your spinach into smaller pieces so it’s more manageable to eat :) Ideally, this bowl should be eaten with a spoon, so everything should be bite size!

• 1/2 cup of cooked whole-grain bulgur wheat (or your choice of grain such as millet, quinoa, or small pasta)

• 1 cup of sliced broccoli

  • I like to blanch mine so it’s not completely raw and too crunchy. In a pot of boiling water, drop in your sliced broccoli for 30 seconds, drain, and set aside to cool

• 1 pack (6-8oz) of mushrooms

  • Saute quartered mushrooms (stem on) in a pan over medium heat with a teaspoon of oil. You really don’t need a lot because mushrooms release so much water! The teaspoon is just to prevent sticking, be sure to stir occasionally

• 1/2 English cucumber, finely diced

  • English cucumbers are more expensive than regular ones but cheaper than Persian. I love English cucumbers because it’s more crunchy and you don’t have to peel the skin!

• 1/2 cup shredded carrots

• 1/2 cup finely diced yellow or white onion

• 1 roasted red pepper (from a jar), finely diced

Mustard Soy Vinaigrette Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/3 cup soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter protein powder (or us 1 tablespoon of any nut butter)

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon mirin

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• Black pepper to taste

Tips:

• Combine all of the dressing ingredients into an airtight container and shake it up!

• Toss your salad and let it sit for 10 minutes before enjoying - the flavors will really merry

• Use that same airtight container to shake your air-fried tofu with the leftover dressing