Air fryer buffalo tofu
Crispy air-fried tofu tossed in tangy buffalo sauce, with cool celery, carrots and a creamy yogurt ranch dip, all the wing-night flavor in a lighter dinner.
- 40 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $2.31 a serving
- 370 calories
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 package extra-firm tofu, drained
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ tsp dried dill weed
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup Buffalo wing sauce
- 2 stalks celery, cut into sticks
- 1 cup baby carrots
From your pantry
- 1 tsp garlic powder, divided
- ½ tsp salt, divided
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Each serving has about 370 calories, 29 g protein, 20 g carbs and 21 g fat, and costs about $2.31 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No extra-firm tofu? Firm tofu works.
- No plain Greek yogurt? Plain yogurt or sour cream works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Wrap the tofu in a clean towel and press it under something heavy for 15 minutes.
Timer: 15 min
Meanwhile, stir the yogurt, dill, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. Chill the dip until dinner.
Dolly’s tip: The dip gets more ranch-like the longer it sits, so make it first.the tofu dry, cut it into 1-inch , and with the oil, the rest of the garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon salt. Sprinkle over the cornstarch and toss until no wet spots are left.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Cube. Cubing means cutting food into chunky, even squares, usually three quarters of an inch to an inch. Same-size cubes cook at the same speed and brown on every side.
How you’ll know: Your pieces look like a handful of sugar cubes, a little bigger than diced, all close to the same size.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Air fry in one layer at 400°F for 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway, until and .
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 15 min
Food safety: Tofu is safe to eat straight from the package; cooking is only for texture and flavor.
Tip the hot tofu into a bowl, pour over the buffalo sauce, and until coated.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Dolly’s tip: Sauce it right before eating. The crust softens if it sits in the sauce too long.Serve right away with the celery, carrots and dip on the side.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
