Air fryer tofu nuggets are a healthy and easy appetizer or snack. Gluten-free and vegetarian, these tofu nuggets are soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and absolutely delicious.
We don’t eat tofu very often in this house. But whenever we go to our favourite Japanese take-out restaurant, which is entirely too often, we always order the agedashi tofu.
Agedashi tofu is breaded and deep fried, then served in a wonderful, rich broth. It is delicious!
I wanted to make something similar, but didn’t want to deep fry it and finding the proper ingredients for the broth was going to be difficult.
So, in order to make things easy and versatile, I chose to just serve this crispy tofu with a dipping sauce. You can simply use soy sauce, or you can serve it with a ponzu sauce or chilli sauce.
This tofu is great as an appetizer, but served with a salad it also makes a great meal.
These crispy tofu nuggets come together quickly and are a healthier version of the usual deep fried tofu.
The process of double battering this tofu creates a crispy, tempura like batter while still being simple to make.
These tofu nuggets become crispy on the outside and remain soft and creamy on the inside and they are perfect as an appetizer, side or as the main dish of your meal.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Semi-firm tofu – semi-firm tofu has a softer, creamier texture than firm tofu and still holds up well. You can use firm tofu if you prefer, but silken (soft) tofu will fall apart in this recipe.
- Gluten-free flour blend – use your favourite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
- Eggs – Help create the crispy, battered coating
- Water – Thins the eggs and making the dipping process a bit easier
- Salt – Just a sprinkle for added flavour
Step by Step Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the brine and set it on paper towel to absorb some of the liquid. Pat the other sides of the tofu block with paper towel to absorb the moisture.
- Cut the tofu into cubes approximately 1 inch square and set them on paper towel while you prepare the batter.
- Place the flour in a small bowl
- In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg and water
- Dip each cube in the flour, then in the egg, coating all sides, then repeat the process one more time. (Flour, egg, flour, egg)
- Cut a piece of parchment to fit the air fryer basket and spray with olive oil spray or non-stick spray
- Set the battered tofu in the air fryer basket, spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt.
- Set the air fryer to 370 degrees for 8 minutes
- After 4 minutes, gently slide the parchment paper from the basket and flip the tofu, then return to the fryer and cook for an additional 4 minutes.
Once the cook time is complete, remove the tofu nuggets from the basket and serve hot!
Sprinkle with sesame seeds or sliced green onion and serve with your favourite dipping sauce.
Cook Time
These tofu nuggets only take 8 minutes to cook.
If you’d prefer them a bit crispier you can leave them in a minute or two longer.
Top Tips & FAQS
This recipe will work perfectly substituting regular all-purpose flour for the gluten-free flour if you prefer.
Yes, if you want these to have a more solid texture you can use firm tofu.
Yes, they can! You can store any left-over nuggets in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Simple place them back in the air fryer for a couple of minutes to re-heat and crisp up before serving.
More Air Fryer Recipes to Try
Air Fryer Orange Chicken – by All Ways Delicious
Air Fryer Pizza – by The Kitchen Bucket List
Air Fryer Twisted Bacon – by The Busted Oven
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Printable Recipe
Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Semi-firm tofu
- ½ Cup Gluten free flour
- 2 Large Eggs beaten
- 1 tablespoon Water
- Salt to taste
Optional toppings
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Sliced green onion
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the brine, set it on a thick layer of paper towel, then pat it with paper towel on all sides to absorb some of the moisture.
- Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes and lay the cubes on paper towel.
- Place the gluten free flour in a small bowl
- In a seperate bowl, whisk the eggs and water until well mixed.
- Cut a piece of parchement paper to fit your air fryer basket and spray with olive oil spray.
- Dip each piece of tofu in the flour being sure to coat all of the sides, then dip in the egg mixutre. Repeat this process one more time, dipping in the flour and ending with the egg.
- Place the dipped tofo onto the parchment paper in the air fryer basket.
- Once all of the tofu has been coated, spray them with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt.
- Place the basket in the fryer and set it to 370 degrees for 8 minutes.
- Half way through, remove the basket from the fryer and slip the parchment paper out of the basket. Carefully flip the tofu nuggets and return to the air fryer for the last 4 minutes.
- Once the air fryer timer is complete, remove the tofu from the basket, sprinkle with seasame seeds or sliced green onion and serve with dipping sauce of choice.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Robbie
Tuesday 8th of March 2022
I’ve just tried this today… and LOVE IT!!
Laura
Sunday 22nd of November 2020
Do you intentionally not press the tofu? I’m new to air fryers and don’t want to screw up this recipe.
Deanna
Sunday 22nd of November 2020
I tried this recipe multiple times and found that I preferred the texture of the tofu when it wasn't pressed. Just blotting it with the paper towel to absorb the excess moisture on the sides was enough. It made it dry enough for all the batter to stick, yet moist enough that the inside was super soft and creamy. Good luck with your air fryer!