Crispy Air Fryer Tofu Recipe (Korean Style)

About this recipe

Crispy, golden Korean-style air fryer tofu that's ready in minutes. A simple, gluten-free vegetarian dish packed with bold flavor — perfect as a side or starter for any occasion.

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Crispy Air Fryer Korean Tofu

I admit that I haven’t had much tofu in my life. Last year, I shared my Easy Weeknight Tofu Noodle Stir Fry recipe, which was absolutely delicious and a great switch-up to dinner!

A year later I’m back with more tofu goodness - and trust me, the wait will be worth it!

As I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, seeking inspiration from your favourite meals from eating out can inspire you to try new creations! These fantastic Korean tofu cubes remind me a lot of one of my most frequent cravings, Korean Fried Chicken. I’ve been making Korean chicken thighs a lot at home by basing it off my air fryer Korean wings recipe, so when it came time to share a vegetarian protein option, I knew making Korean tofu was going to be the best choice. You’ll get super crisp tofu thanks to the help of the air fryer without the extra grease!

If tofu is a pesky protein for you and you’re new to Korean cooking, then I definitely encourage you to make this air fried Korean tofu as part of your Live to Cook! Get started on your cooking journey for free today by signing up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll get all of my latest recipes sent right to your inbox

To follow along with all the mistakes you can be making with your tofu in the air fryer and how to troubleshoot, be sure to watch the video! It would also mean a lot to me if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already, and don’t forget to press the bell button to be notified when all my latest video recipes go live! Let's get air frying!

Crispy air fryer Korean tofu served with steamed rice, green beans, and garnished with sesame seeds and scallions.

Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Tofu Recipe

Easy to make
Quick to make
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free (if using gluten-free soy sauce or an alternative)
Crispy tofu that’s so satisfying paired with an incredible sauce!

What Air Fryer Do You Recommend?▼

To make this Air Fryer Korean Tofu recipe, I’m using the Cosori Air Fryer 6 Quart 9-in-1 air fryer. A few years ago, I owned the Ninja Dual Basket 6-in-1 air fryer. However, not too long after I purchased that air fryer, one of the baskets stopped working. The whole reason I bought this air fryer was to be able to air fry two different foods at once, so having one useless basket defeated the purpose for me. I didn’t keep it because the functional basket was just too small to hold very much, so I tossed it. For more information on what happened to my Ninja air fryer, check out this video.

The upside of this story is that when I finally was ready to buy an air fryer again (it took nearly 3 years!), the Cosori air fryer really met my needs, and after nearly a year, it’s still going strong. This model has quite a large basket, being able to hold a decent volume of food. I also love how this air fryer is much quieter. To get a full review of this air fryer, check outthis video where I do an in-depth review of my overall impressions and review the different settings this air fryer has to offer!

Tools Needed For Air Fryer Tofu

Ingredients for Air Fryer Tofu

You can find the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD with all ingredients and their quantities listed by scrolling to the bottom of this post or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can also save the recipe for later and scale the recipe based on how much tofu you’re looking to make. By default, we’re working with a pound of tofu, which will be enough for about 4 bowls if you’re using these for rice bowls, as I’ll discuss later on in this post!

Ingredients for Korean-style air fryer tofu displayed on a kitchen counter, including tofu, soy sauce, gochujang, sesame oil, and various spices.

For the Tofu

Tofu: You’ll see pretty much all recipes for crispy air fryer tofu use extra firm tofu. However, I chose firm tofu. The reason for that is because I actually like the little bit of bounce that comes from firm tofu, and I don’t want a totally hard block. Crispy firm tofu reminds me of paneer!
Seasonings: The tofu will be seasoned with ginger powder, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Water
Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar is my top choice, but if you don’t have it then feel free to substitute with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. This and the water help the spices stick onto the tofu.
Corn starch or potato starch: Either of these will help make the tofu crispy on the outside.
Salt and pepper: Add these to taste.

For the sauce

Passata: Pureed tomatoes that are my go-to! If you only have fresh tomatoes to work with, then don’t worry! You can throw them into a blender to make a puree.
Maple syrup: A touch of sweetness will balance out the heat of the sauce. You could also use honey if you would like.
Garlic: I suggest freshly minced garlic cloves for the best flavor. You can get away with garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic, but I’ve tried both and fresh garlic is really superior!
Soy sauce: Use tamari or coconut aminos if you need this to be gluten-free.
Sesame oil: The aroma of the oil is absolutely amazing. If you want an even nuttier taste, you could use toasted sesame oil for a nuttier taste.
Gochujang paste: This is Korean red pepper paste, and I’m absolutely obsessed with it lately! This will be the main flavour of the sauce. If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, I suggest searching at an Asian grocery store or buy it online.

How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Tofu

Make the Sauce

In a pan, combine all of the sauce ingredients. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Once slightly thickened, remove from heat and set aside.

Red Korean sauce being poured from a jar onto a dark non-stick skillet pan.

Korean-style sauce simmering in a gray pan, with a spoon drizzling sauce above it.

Korean sauce being poured into a pan with red tofu pieces and oil simmering on a stovetop.

Red Korean sauce simmering in a gray pan on stovetop with oil being drizzled in.

Red Korean sauce being whisked in a gray pan on the stovetop until thickened.

Red sauce simmering in a dark pan with a whisk mixing in seasonings.

Prep the tofu

Remove the tofu from the package and pat it dry with a paper towel to remove the moisture.

Hand holding package of tofu over wooden cutting board during prep step.

Hand patting tofu block dry with paper towel on wooden cutting board.

Block of tofu on wooden cutting board being pressed with paper towel to remove moisture.

If time permits, add a large object to press the tofu down.

Cast iron pan pressing tofu block on wooden surface with paper towel underneath.

Then, cut into cubes and pat dry again.

Hands cutting pressed tofu into cubes on a wooden cutting board with a knife.

Sliced tofu blocks arranged on a wooden cutting board in a kitchen setting.

Hand patting tofu cubes dry with paper towel on wooden cutting board.

In a large bowl, add the tofu, ginger powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cornstarch, water, and rice wine vinegar.

Wooden spoon holding dry ingredients for tofu coating: ginger powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cornstarch.

Wooden spoon mixing spice blend of ginger powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cornstarch in a small wooden bowl.

Oil being drizzled over cubed tofu coated with seasonings in a glass bowl.

Cubed tofu coated with spices in a glass bowl with water being poured in.

Mix well to coat the tofu cubes evenly.

Hands mixing tofu cubes with cornstarch and seasonings in a glass bowl

Air fry

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.

Place the tofu cubes in the basket in a single layer. Spray with a coat of olive oil and shake well.

Tofu cubes arranged in a single layer in an air fryer basket before cooking.

Tofu cubes lightly coated in oil arranged in a single layer in an air fryer basket before cooking.

Set the cook time to 15 minutes on the “Air Fry” setting.

Cosori air fryer display showing 400°F temperature with Air Fry mode selected for cooking tofu.

Halfway through the cooking time, flip the tofu cubes and spray with a bit extra oil. Continue cooking until the tofu is crispy and golden brown.

Golden-brown tofu cubes crisping in an air fryer basket halfway through cooking.

Golden-brown crispy tofu cubes in an air fryer basket halfway through cooking.

Hand pressing the air fryer button to set cooking time on a black COSORI air fryer displaying 15:00.

Hand placing a golden-brown tofu cube into an air fryer basket filled with crispy tofu pieces.

Sauce and serve

Transfer the cooked tofu to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the tofu and toss until evenly coated.

Crispy golden tofu cubes in a stainless steel bowl ready to be coated with sauce.

Crispy cubed tofu being coated with glossy red Korean sauce in a stainless steel bowl.

Chopsticks lifting a piece of glazed tofu from a bowl of glossy brown sauce with coated tofu pieces.

Serve hot on their own or over a bed of rice with veggies and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions!

Crispy Korean-style air fryer tofu glazed with sesame seeds and green onions, served with white rice and steamed green beans.

Enjoy!

Common Mistakes You’re Making With Air Fryer Tofu And How to Fix Them!

Excess moisture: With all of my air fryer recipes, I always say that moisture is the enemy! As you’ll notice, tofu is packaged in a ton of liquid. If you don’t take the time to pat the tofu dry, the tofu won’t be able to get crispy since there will be water in it. Really remove as much water as possible by patting it dry when it’s whole and when you’ve cut it into cubes. For even better results, press the tofu block with a heavy object to squeeze out even more moisture.

Cubed tofu pieces arranged in a white bowl, showing proper portioning and moisture removal for air frying.

Not seasoning the tofu properly: If you just throw on seasoning and expect it to get coated perfectly with a light toss, unfortunately you’re mistaken! You really need to massage that tofu well to get the flavour to cover every single tofu cube perfectly.

Cubed tofu seasoned with spices in a white bowl, ready for air frying.

Hand picking up a seasoned tofu cube from a bowl of cubed tofu pieces.

Overcrowding the air fryer basket: If you don’t space out the tofu cubes in the air fryer basket, you won’t allow space for the circulation to get the tofu crisp and golden brown.

Cubed tofu pieces arranged with space between them in an air fryer basket.

Not adding oil: Don’t be scared of oil! A light spray can really make the difference. The oil helps protect the coating of the tofu, so that it won’t over-cook in the air fryer. It will also help to get the golden brown colour on the outside.

Seasoned tofu cubes spaced out in an air fryer basket, showing proper spacing for air circulation.

Cooking at too low of a temperature: If you cook the tofu at too low of a temperature, you’ll be steaming the tofu instead of “air frying.” The tofu will still be a bit wet or soggy if you cook at too low of a heat for not long enough. On the other hand, if you cook at too low of a temperature for too long, then the tofu may completely dry out. Blasting the heat will get you the perfect crust on the outside, and the coating and oil on top will protect the tofu from burning.

Cosori air fryer displaying 350°F temperature on digital screen with cooking mode buttons visible.

Cubed tofu pieces coated in cornstarch in a white bowl, being picked up with fingers.

Even More Tips for the Crispiest Air Fryer Tofu

Don’t skip the cornstarch: Cornstarch helps to create a light and crispy coating over the tofu without deep frying.

Wear gloves: No need to worry about getting your hands dirty! Wear the gloves and really massage the seasoning on the tofu well so every piece is evenly and well coated.

Want even more flavor? Marinate the tofu in the seasoning for 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat the air fryer for best results: This ensure consistent cook times, and it will help your tofu because the air fryer will be at the correct temperature immediately to begin the crisping process.

Flip halfway through cooking: Guarantees that the crust is all over the tofu cubes.

Let the gochujang sauce cool slightly before tossing: It will cling onto the crispy tofu cubes better.

Add the sauce immediately before serving: This will prevent the tofu cubes from getting soggy.

Crispy air fryer Korean tofu bowl with gochujang sauce, green beans, and sesame rice

Can You Make Air Fryer Korean Tofu In Advance?▼

I wouldn’t suggest you don’t make this in advance, simply because the tofu will become all soggy. This air fried Korean tofu really is best served fresh to get that crisp and deliciousness! Otherwise, why even bother?

What you can do is prep the sauce and marinate the tofu in advance. Keep the sauce and the marinated tofu in an airtight container in the fridge. The sauce will last for about a week, and you can keep the tofu for about 2 days. I’d recommend you keep opened tofu without marinade in a container, submerged in water. Then, you can keep it for 5 days.

Crispy Korean air fryer tofu served in a bowl with white rice, green beans, and sesame seeds.

Serving Air Fryer Korean Tofu

You can enjoy these Air Fryer Korean Tofu bites on their own as a snack or as part of a rice bowl, as I show here! I paired it with sushi rice and green beans (broccoli also works great!).

Sushi rice being scooped with a rice paddle into a white bowl for serving with air fryer tofu.

Korean tofu rice bowl with white rice, green beans, and chopsticks in a white bowl.

Then, I garnished with green onions, sesame seeds, and rice seasoning. Yum!

Crispy Korean-style tofu bites glazed with sauce and sesame seeds, served with steamed rice, green beans, and green onions.

Crispy Korean-style tofu bites over sushi rice, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds in a white bowl.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra