Air fryer sesame tofu
Crispy air-fried tofu in a glossy, sweet sesame garlic sauce with toasted sesame seeds and broccoli steamed right on the rice, the takeout order you can make at home.
- 45 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 2
- About $2.40 a serving
- 780 calories
- Vegan
- Dairy-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
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cups frozen broccoli
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 stalks green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
From your pantry
- 1¾ cups water, divided
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 tsp cornstarch, divided
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
Each serving has about 780 calories, 36 g protein, 106 g carbs and 25 g fat, and costs about $2.40 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No extra-firm tofu? Firm tofu works.
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No frozen broccoli? Broccoli works.
- No green onions? Chives 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, the rice and bring it in a small with 1½ cups water and the salt over high heat.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Stir once, cover, and cook on low for 10 minutes.
Low heatTimer: 10 min
Scatter the frozen broccoli over the rice, cover again, and cook 5 minutes more.
Low heatTimer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: The steam from the rice cooks the broccoli, so you don’t need another pot.Take it off the heat and leave the lid on.
the tofu dry, cut it into 1-inch , and with the oil, then with 1 tablespoon cornstarch 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.
While it cooks, the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, the rest of the cornstarch and ¼ cup water in a small .
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring the sauce over medium heat, , and cook about 1 minute, until thick and glossy. Turn off the heat.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Medium heatTimer: 1 min
Tip the hot tofu into the sauce, add most of the sesame seeds, 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.
Fluff the rice and broccoli, spoon the tofu on top, and finish with the rest of the sesame seeds and the green onions.
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.
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