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One of the best and foolproof ways to cook crispy tofu is using an air fryer.

In restaurants, the salt and pepper tofu is often deep-fried until crispy. When cooking at home, I don’t often deep fry anything as it involves using a lot of seed oils which I am trying to avoid. Instead, I found a way of making crispy tofu by using the air fryer.

“Salt and pepper” is a method of Chinese cooking that is now quite popular in Chinese takeaways and restaurants. Some of the most popular salt and pepper dishes are salt and pepper squid (crispy deep fried battered squid) and salt and pepper chicken wings. If you haven’t tried it, order it when you next go to a Chinese restaurant.

If you have not cooked with tofu before or are not sure how to cook tofu properly, this Air Fryer Spicy Salt and Pepper Tofu recipe is a good one to start with. It is not technically challenging and doesn’t involve deep frying. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can cook the tofu in an oven instead.

What type of tofu is best for air frying

To get the best result for this dish, you need to start with using the right type of tofu. Secondly, you need to use the right process to ensure that you get the best result for crispy tofu.

Use medium or firm tofu for the best results. Soft tofu will not work and you will probably end up with a soggy mess.

dry the tofu thoroughly before you move on the step
Coat the tofu in seasoned corn flour before air frying. This helps to create a crispy coating and if you choose to make a sauce for the tofu dish, this coating helps the sauce to adhere to the crispy tofu.
The crispy coating will help to keep the tofu crispy when cooking.

How to make crispy tofu in the air fryer

Step 1. Cut tofu into small cubes and then coat with a thin layer of corn flour seasoned with 1 tsp of the sichuan pepper salt. I prefer to add some seasoning at this stage as it adds another level of flavour to the tofu. Tofu like to take on the flavour of the seasonings or sauces you use in a dish.
Note: I am using a prepackaged Sichuan peppercorn flavoured Chinese salt but you can add 1 tsp of ground Sichaun peppercorns and some sea salt instead.

Step 2. Place the coated tofu in the air fryer in a single layer, spray cooking oil and air fry the tofu cubes until crispy and slightly browned. About 10 minutes. Turn the tofu cubes after 5 minutes to ensure it evenly browns. Remove and set aside. If you air fry it for longer than 10 minutes, the tofu will get too dehydrated and will go from being crispy to chewy.

Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Tofu — Air Fry tofu in a single layer

Step 3. In a separate wok or large flat bottomed saute pan, add 1 tbsp of oil. On medium heat, fry garlic for about 30 seconds, making sure it doesn’t burn. Add chilli and spring oinions and stir for about 20 seconds until it you can smell the aromatics, about another 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. Add in the crispy air fried tofu cubes and toss well in the aromatics.
Note: You can add more garlic and chilli if you prefer.

Step 4. Plate up the air fried crispy tofu. Add another sprinkle of the Sichuan pepper salt. Serve hot as part of a multi dish meal.

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Vegan Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Tofu

Sichuan pepper and salt tofu. Excellent vegan recipe.

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 315kcal

Ingredients

1 pack medium or firm tofu
1/2 cup corn flour or potato starch
Olive oil cooking spray for air fryer
1 spring onion finely sliced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
3 fresh chilis
1 tsp white pepper mix
1/2 tbsp. Sichuan peppercorn salt

Instructions

Cut tofu into small cubes and then coat with a thin layer of corn flour seasoned with 1 tsp of the sichuan pepper salt.
Place the coated tofu in the air fryer in a single layer, spray cooking oil and air fry the tofu cubes until crispy and slightly browned. About 10 minutes. Turn the tofu cubes after 5 minutes to ensure it evenly browns. Remove and set aside.
In a separate wok or large flat bottomed saute pan, add 1 tbsp of oil. On medium heat, fry garlic for about 30 seconds, making sure it doesnt burn.
Add chilli and spring oinions and stir for about 20 seconds until it gets aromatic. Turn off the heat. Add in the crispy air fried tofu cubes and toss well in the aromatics. Add another sprinkle of the Sichuan pepper salt.
Serve hot as part of a multi dish meal.

Notes

You can use the base recipe of the crispy air fryer tofu in different ways. Add some vegetables and a sauce to make a complete meal of braised tofu and vegetables.

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