Air fryer tofu
Crispy golden cubes made with a single tablespoon of oil, tossed in sweet chili sauce and piled over rice with cool cucumber, the easiest way to fall for tofu.
- 45 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $2.30 a serving
- 740 calories
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- 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
- 1 tbsp gluten-free tamari
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 2 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)
From your pantry
- 1½ cups water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Each serving has about 740 calories, 33 g protein, 109 g carbs and 20 g fat, and costs about $2.30 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 cucumbers? English cucumbers or mini cucumbers work.
- No green onions? Chives work.
- No limes? Lemons work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and set something heavy on top, like a pan with a can in it. Leave it 15 minutes.
Timer: 15 min
Dolly’s tip: Pressing squeezes out water so the tofu crisps instead of steaming. Even 5 minutes helps.Meanwhile, the rice, put it in a small with the water and salt, and 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.
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 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.
High heat
Stir once, cover, and turn the heat to low. Cook 15 minutes, then take it off the heat and leave the lid on.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
the tofu dry and cut it into 1-inch . Put them in a bowl with the tamari and oil and gently until coated.
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.
Sprinkle on the cornstarch and garlic powder and again until no wet spots are left.
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: The cornstarch goes on after the tamari so it has something to stick to. Dry patches stay pale.Spread the tofu in the air fryer basket in one layer and air fry 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
Dolly’s tip: If the cubes are piled up, cook them in two batches. Crowded tofu steams instead of crisping.Food safety: Tofu is safe to eat straight from the package; cooking is only for texture and flavor.
Tip the hot tofu into a clean bowl, pour over the sweet chili sauce, and until every piece is glossy.
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 with a fork, top it with the tofu and cucumber, and scatter over the green onions. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
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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