Air Fryer Recipe
Salt and Pepper Tofu
A delicious and easy-to-make salt and pepper tofu recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 400g firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 2 tablespoons cornflour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- Lime wedges, to serve
Method
- Press the tofu to remove excess moisture and cut into 1-inch cubes.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cornflour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toss tofu cubes in this mixture until well coated.
- Preheat air fryer to 180°C (356°F) for about 3 minutes.
- Place tofu cubes in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Lightly spray or drizzle with vegetable oil.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until tofu is golden brown and crispy.
- Toss crispy tofu with red chilli slices and chopped spring onions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
Why this works in an air fryer
Pressing tofu removes free water so the cornflour can hydrate into a thin starch film rather than paste. Fast air circulation then dries and sets that film, while a small amount of oil helps heat transfer and browning. Adding chilli and spring onion after cooking keeps them fresh, not scorched.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–5 litre basket holding 400g tofu in one loose layer; in a smaller drawer, cook in two batches. Single-drawer models need a thorough shake and any pale edge pieces moved inward halfway. In dual-zone air fryers, split between drawers and check 2–3 minutes early, as smaller loads brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Coating looks gummy or slides off before cooking? The tofu is still too wet; press for longer and pat the cubes dry before tossing with cornflour.
- Tofu is pale and powdery after 15 minutes? There is not enough oil on the starch; mist or drizzle lightly, shake, then cook for another 3–5 minutes.
- Edges are browned but centres feel soft and damp? The cubes are too large or crowded; cut nearer 2.5cm, leave gaps between pieces, and extend cooking in 3-minute bursts.
- Black specks taste bitter rather than peppery? The pepper or garlic powder is scorching; drop to 170°C for the final minutes or add a little extra pepper after cooking instead.
Variations & substitutions
- Use extra-firm tofu if available; it needs less pressing and usually crisps a few minutes sooner because it contains less water.
- Swap half the black pepper for ground white pepper for a more takeaway-style flavour; it can taste sharper, so keep the heat moderate to avoid bitterness.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice to the cornflour; it darkens quickly, so start checking from 12 minutes.
- Use potato starch instead of cornflour for a lighter, glassier crunch; it browns less deeply, so judge by crispness rather than colour.
Storage & reheating
Keep leftovers chilled for up to 3 days, then reheat in a single layer in the air fryer at 180°C for 4–6 minutes until hot and crisp again.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
