Easy Air Fryer Sweet Chili Tofu

This Air Fryer Sweet Chili Tofu is an easy hands-off way to cook and prepare tofu. The tofu is sliced halfway through in a criss-cross pattern to allow the sauces to seep through the cuts. The tofu is best left to marinate overnight to absorb the flavors from a sweet and spicy sauce that will thicken into an almost glaze-like consistency that’ll coat the tofu after cooking.

You can enjoy this tofu with rice, noodles, in wraps, or even with salads! 

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS AIR FRYER TOFU RECIPE

• It's a great hands-off recipe - you can leave your oven or air-fryer to do it's thing!
• Really versatile - you can enjoy the tofu in different ways
• Easy preparations and clean-up

INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED

Tofu

• 1 lb extra firm tofu , pressed (see notes)

Sauce

• 1 tbsp gochujang Korean chili paste
• 2 tbsp room temp water
• 1 tbsp soy sauce adjust to taste
• 1 tbsp dark mushroom soy sauce - optional for color
• 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce adjust to taste
• 3 tbsp maple syrup or other sweetener adjust to taste
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• Ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves minced

For Serving

• Steamed rice
• Sesame seeds
• Chopped green onions

PREPARE THE TOFU AND MARINADE

• If you’re using extra firm tofu that’s already been pressed, feel free to skip to step 2. See notes for some tofu tips.
• Press the tofu to drain out any excess water. I like to press mine by wrapping it in a towel and placing a few heavy chopping boards on top.
• Meanwhile, prepare the marinade by mixing it together in a bowl. Taste the marinade and feel free to adjust it according to your desired taste

• Once the tofu has been drained and pressed, place it on a chopping board. With a sharp knife, slice the tofu into half to create 1-inch thick slabs. I ended up with 2 one-inch thick slabs.
• Afterwards, cut diagonal lines halfway through the tofu.
• Be careful not to cut all the way through so the tofu stays intact. Repeat this in another direction until you have a criss-cross pattern on your tofu.

MARINATE THE TOFU

• Place the tofu in a container. Pour over the marinade. Scoop the excess sauces over the tofu and carefully open up the cuts to allow the sauce to seep through.
• Cover the container. Allow the tofu to marinate for at least 1 hour, but it’s best overnight.

RECIPE NOTES

EXTRA FIRM TOFU

• You can look for extra firm tofu that's vacuum sealed in packs and not submerged in water. These can sometimes be called extra firm or super firm tofu as well, and can come pressed so you no longer have to press these. They are very very firm and easy to work with since they're very compressed and won't break apart.
• You can check y0ur local Asian grocery or supermarket.
• If using extra firm tofu that's not as firm, you can opt to press the tofu well before using tofu.
• I press my tofu by wrapping it on some paper towels before placing heavy surfaces (such as chopping boards) to drain excess water.

AIR-FRYING THE TOFU

• After marinating, remove the tofu from the container unless you’re baking it in the dish.

• For air-frying, I lined my air-fryer basket with parchment paper so the liquids don’t seep through the basket holes (mine has a metal layer before the actual base/floor of the basket).
• Place the tofu on the air-fryer and scoop the leftover marinate to pour over the tofu.
• Allow to air-fry for 12-15 minutes or more at 180C/350F or until the top of the tofu is browned and slightly charred from the sugars in the marinade. The sauce will also slightly thicken from the sugars.
• Don’t discard the marinade since you can brush or scoop this over the cooked tofu for extra sauce and juiciness.

BAKING THE TOFU

• Don't have an air-fryer? You can also bake the tofu!
• If baking in the tofu, you can place the tofu on a lined baking dish or tray and bake for 25-30 minutes at 180C/350F or until the top of the tofu is browned and the sauce has slightly thickened from the sugars.
• Don’t discard the marinade since you can brush or scoop this over the cooked tofu for extra sauce and juiciness.

SERVE AND ENJOY!

• Serve and enjoy hot!

• I also enjoyed mine with some steamed rice and topped it with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. You can also enjoy this cold if desired.

MORE TOFU RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:

You can also check out my other vegan tofu recipes here or down below:

Check out my tips on how to store tofu!

• Shredded Tofu 'Bulgogi’
• Pineapple Cashew Tofu Stir-Fry
• Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
• Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
• Tofu "Chicken" Teriyaki
• Korean Spicy Braised Tofu
• Fried 'Chicken' and Gravy
• Tofu Katsu
• Nori-Wrapped Tofu in Spicy Sauce
• Maple Hoisin Tofu

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