Crispy Air Fryer Tofu

January 17, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Perfectly crispy this Air Fryer Tofu with cornstarch is the perfect blank slate for a fabulous meatless meal. This basic ‘How-To’ recipe for air fried tofu is simple and easy, perfect for adding your favorite sauces and adding to your favorite dishes!

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Air Fryer Crispy Tofu

Two things I really like are tofu and being able to have a basic cooking method for a protein that I am able to make my own for whatever meal I am making.

This tofu recipe in the air fryer is exactly that. This is less of a recipe and more of a HOW TO make crispy tofu.

With the basic knowledge of how to make this delicious tofu you are able to do whatever you want with it.

Add your favorite sauce
Overtop a Veggie Stir Fry
On top of a Grain Bowl
As the star of a Salad

Plus it is a bonus that if you are introducing tofu to maybe someone who hasn’t tried it yet, including kids this is a great option!

This crispy outside leading way to a soft interior is reminiscent of, dare I say a chicken nugget?

My kids love choosing different sauces to dip it in and basically end up inhaling it!

There are basically two main components to getting good crispy tofu, pressing the tofu and cornstarch.

Honestly it is the same basic recipe I have always use with pan frying the tofu, but you guessed it with a crazy amount less of oil!

Flatlay of a white plate with dipping sauces with a pile of golden brown crispy tofu on the plate.

Equipment

Let’s take a minute to talk air fryers, because yes they can be quite different.

I have the Ninja^® Air Fryer Max XL and that is what I use for all recipe testing.

My air fryer has a circular basket, it also comes with a rack so that I can layer things and/or make things higher or not touching the bottom if needed. Most of the time you can buy extra racks as accessories with most brands!

I use the rack in this recipe because it allows me from not having to make two batches. Instead I can place half on the bottom insert and half on the rack. After about halfway through they are already crispy enough to mix together and take the rack out.

If you are unable to do this because your brand of air fryer doesn’t allow for it or you don’t have a rack no worries you can just easily do two batches!

Ingredients

Extra Firm Block Tofu – In this day and age I have had luck finding extra firm tofu at all groceries where I live, even including the grocery section at Target! If you are new to buying Tofu just note that there are different tofu hardnesses, including silken, firm, and extra firm. For air frying make sure you grab extra firm!
Salt – Just a pinch to help flavor the tofu.
Corn Starch – The secret to the crispiness. A little goes a long way here. When adding it to the tofu try to sprinkle it over it as easy as possible.
Spray Oil – Your choice of oil that is in a spray canister. I prefer olive oil, I fill it myself in a little spray canister. You can use what you like best though.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Package of extra firm tofu sitting a countertop.

Instructions

To begin the prep for this recipe you need to press the tofu. In order to get that crispiness you want enough liquid has to escape the tofu.

Because tofu comes stored in liquid it needs to be pressed out. And yes they make actual tofu presses, I don’t have one but I do have cutting boards, heavy pans, and cookbooks that work just as well. I also recommend using tea towels to get the liquid out, if you don’t have tea towels for this purpose you can also use a few sheets of paper towels folded.

What you will do is press the tofu for at least 15 minutes. Set the tofu in between 2 towels and add a heavy pan on top of it and/or a cutting board and/or some cookbooks (or use a tofu press) letting the moisture drain. Don’t be afraid to really add some heavy weigh to the top of it, it will probably handle more than you think. I usually use a heavy wood cutting board and my heavy stainless steel pan.

Collage showing tofu being pressed and then cut on a cutting board into 1 inch cubes.

Collage showing tofu cubes in a bowl and then being sprinkled with cornstarch.

Collage of cubed tofu in a bowl with cornstarch and then with oil.

Once the tofu is pressed preheat your air fryer to 390º F.

Cut into 1 inch squares. Cut the whole block in half and then into squares.

Transfer to a bowl.

Add cornstarch and salt, gently toss until coated. Spray lightly with oil, just enough for a light coat.

Spread out half of the tofu on the bottom of the air fryer so that the pieces are not touching. If available use a rack for the second half, placing the tofu spread out up above the other batch (otherwise cook in 2 batches). Cook for 6 minutes then toss, including taking the tofu off the rack and removing it, letting it mix on the bottom.

Cook an additional 6 to 8 more minutes tossing every 1 to 2 minutes. Serve once the tofu have reached desired crispiness.

Serve immediately while hot.

Collage with uncooked tofu in the air fryer along and then as it is partially cooked.

Collage of basket of air fryer with partially cooked tofu and dine crispy tofu.

A pair of chopsticks holding a single piece of crispy tofu up close.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

If you are looking for an awesome dish to air this tofu with I would like to suggest my Easy One-Pot Teriyaki Noodles!

White plate with golden brown crispy air fried tofu sitting next to sauce bowls and chopsticks.

If you like this Tofu in the Air Fryer you might like some of these other recipes:

Yield: Serves 2 to 4

Crispy Air Fryer Tofu

Name: Crispy Air Fryer Tofu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 14 ounce block tofu (extra firm); pinch of salt; 1 tablespoon corn starch; spray oil

Perfectly crispy everytime, this basic recipe for Air Fryer Tofu with cornstrach is a great base for a delicous meal. Quick to cook, add your favorite sauces to the crispy tofu for a great meatless meal!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 32 minutes

Ingredients

14 ounce block tofu (extra firm)
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon corn starch
spray oil

Instructions

Press tofu for at least 15 minutes, setting the tofu in between 2 towels and adding a heavy pan on top of it and/or cutting board with makeshift weights (or use a tofu press) letting the moisture drain.
Preheat your air fryer to 390º F.
Cut into 1 inch squares. Transfer to a bowl.
Add cornstarch and salt, gently toss until coated. Spray lightly with oil, just enough for a light coat.
Spread out half on the bottom of the air fryer so that the pieces are not touching. If available use a rack for the second half, placing the tofu spread out up above the other batch (otherwise cook in 2 batches). Cook for 6 minutes then toss, including taking the tofu off the rack and removing it, letting it mix on the bottom.
Cook an additional 6 to 8 more minutes tossing every 1 to 2 minutes. Serve once the tofu have reached desired crispiness.

Air Fryer Pork Schnitzel

October 20, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Lightened up and delicious Air Fryer Pork Schnitzel is a great twist on this classic German dish. Schnitzel cooks up perfectly in the air fryer with a juicy inside and crispy outside, the best part? Ditching all the extra oil from pan frying! So whether you are looking for a new dinner idea or are ready to celebrate Oktoberfest this is a great recipe to make!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Air Fryer Pork Schnitzel lined up on a white plate garnished with fresh parsley and surrounded by lemon wedges.

Air Fryer Schnitzel

It is no wonder that the air fryer has become the rising star of the kitchen appliance world, when you can take a dish that otherwise would have been soaked in oil and lighten it up with only a light spray and it tastes just as good it is basically magic!

I have always been a fan of Pork Schnitzel, and really when you look at what it is it’s no wonder why…

Schnitzel specifically is from Austrian/German background but the idea of a pounded cutlet of meat that is breaded and fried can be seen all over the world. From the Wiener Schnitzel made of veal in Austria and Germany, the Japanese version called tonkatsu, cotoletta in Italy, or even in the southern United States as chicken fried steak. A version of this dish seems to be everywhere!

So I decided to take this delicious dish and give a go in the air fryer, the results wonderful! Not only is lightened up and still delicious but I prefer the air fryer method because it is way less messy than pan frying (maybe it’s just me but the oil always seems to go everywhere)?!

This method will use the traditional method of breading but then instead of pan frying it goes into the air fryer, let’s take a look…

Overhead view of a tabletop with a white plate full of air fryer pork schnitzel garnished with fresh parsley and surrounded by lemon wedges.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Schnitzel

Boneless Pork Chops – I usually grab a pack of 2 boneless pork chops that are each about 1 inch thick, the weight usually is about 1 pound. You will take these 2 pork chops trim the fat off and cut them in half to make 4 cutlets.
All-Purpose Flour – This is for coating the pork, it is the first step to breading the pork cutlet. If need be you can use a gluten free substitute as long as it will stick and coat the pork, gluten content isn’t important in the recipe.
Salt – For seasoning the pork, it will be mixed in with the flour. I prefer using kosher salt when cooking.
Garlic Powder – We are going to slightly flavor the chicken by adding a little of this to the flour.
Paprika – Same as above just a little added to the flour coating to help give a little extra flavor to the schnitzel.
Eggs – The second step the coating the pork. You will whisk these eggs together and after the pork goes through the flour it will be dredged in the egg. Biggest tip is to make sure you let any excess egg drip off before the next step.
Breadcrumbs – For schnitzel I recommend using plain breadcrumbs for a more traditional approach. If you want to though you can use a flavored breadcrumb or Panko breadcrumbs. And like above with the flour if you wish you can use gluten free breadcrumbs here.
Spray Oil – If you are familiar with using an air fryer you probably already have your favorite spray oil, if you do use that one! Otherwise look for a spray oil that will lightly coat the schnitzel, I like to recommend avocado or olive oil.
Lemon Wedges for Serving – And the traditional way to serve pork schnitzel is with parsley and lemon wedges, obviously this is optional but adding a splash of lemon juice right before eating is super tasty!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients for sir fryer schnitzel laid out on a tabletop including pork chops, breadcrumbs, flour, and eggs.

Instructions for How to Make Schnitzel in the Air Fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 390º F, at a minimum you should preheat it for at least 3 minutes but I find preheating for closer to 10 minutes helps just a more even cook!

Start by cutting off any of the white fat on the edges of the pork chop, for best results you will want all that extra fat off.

Now carefully cut the pieces of pork in half to make a cutlet about 1/2 inch or so in thickness.

To keep the area clean line plastic wrap underneath a cutlet and on top. Using a meat tenderizer, heavy pan, or rolling pin pound the pork cutlet down to about 1/4 inch in thickness, repeat with all the cutlets.

4 pork cutlets with fat removed and pounded down to about 1/4 inch thickness.

Small white bowl with flour, salt, garlic powder, and paprika.

In 3 shallow bowls or plates with a side add the items for breading the schnitzel. In the first add the flour, salt, garlic powder, and paprika. In the second add the eggs and whisk to combine. In the third add the breadcrumbs. Have another plate handy for putting the Schnitzel cutlets on once breaded.

One at a time dredge the pork cutlet in the flour until covered, tapping off any excess flour. Then dredge in the egg until covered, letting any extra egg drip off. Lastly dredge in the breadcumbs until fully covered. Transfer to a plate while you repeat the process with the rest of the pork.

Collage showing steps of breading pork schnitzel showing the three dredging stations and dipping pork into the flour seasoning mixture.

Collage showing the steps of breading schnitzel showing dredging the pork into eggs and then bread crumbs.

Two at a time spray the schnitzel lightly on both sides with oil and add to the basket of the air fryer making sure that the schnitzels are not touching.

Cook for 3 minutes, flip. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes until the pork schnitzel is golden brown. Remove and set on a plate while you repeat for the second batch. Once done serve with lemon wedges.

Before and after of two pork schnitzels in an air fryer basket.

Overhead view of close up of air fryer pork schnitzel showing off golden brown breading and garnished with fresh parsley.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

To help keep things clean and speed up the process when dredging the pork keep one ‘wet’ hand and one ‘dry’ hand to keep everything from sticking to you. For example I use my right hand to touch the flour and breadcrumbs and my left hand to tough the egg. This will prevent your fingers from getting coated.
All air fryers will be slightly different sizes so fit in the schnitzel how it works best for your appliance just keep in mind that they schnitzel should not be touching or overcroweded or they won’t cook properly. Working in two batches should work best.

What are some easy side dishes to serve with Schnitzel?

Great question! For a more traditional German meal I recommend making my Warm German Potato Salad. You can also serve it with spatzle or French fries for a traditional approach (Or try it with my Baked Sweet Potato Fries)! I also enjoy adding some sauerkraut to the side. This Schnitzel also goes really well with almost any type of salad, you could try my Antipasto Salad or my Simple Spinach Salad.

Close up of a row of air fryer pork schnitzels on a white plate with parsley and lemon wedges.

If you like this Air Fryer Pork Schnitzel Recipe you might also like:

Yield: 4 servings

Air Fryer Pork Schnitzel

Juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside this Pork Schnitzel isn't pan fried, it's air fried! With simple ingredients this schnitzel is easy enough for a weeknight and fun enough for your own Oktoberfest at home!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound boneless pork chops*
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs
spray oil
lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 390º F.
With a sharp knife cut any white fat off the edges of the pork chop and discard. Now carefully cut the pieces of pork in half to make a cutlet about 1/2 inch or so in thickness. To keep the area clean line plastic wrap underneath a cutlet and on top. Using a meat tenderizer, heavy pan, or rolling pin to pound the pork cutlet down to about 1/4 inch in thickness, repeat with all the cutlets.
In 3 shallow bowls or plates with a side add the items for breading the schnitzel. In the first add the flour, salt, garlic powder, and paprika. In the second add the eggs and whisk to combine. In the third add the breadcrumbs.
One at a time dredge the pork cutlet in the flour until covered, tapping off any excess flour. Then dredge in the egg until covered, letting any extra egg drip off. Lastly dredge in the breadcumbs until fully covered. Transfer to a plate while you repeat the process with the rest of the pork.
Two at a time** spray lightly on both sides with oil and add to the basket of the air fryer making sure that the schnitzels are not touching.
Cook 3 minutes, flip. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes until the pork schnitzel is golden brown. Remove and set on a plate while you repeat for the second batch. Once done serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

*For the pork I usually grab a pack of two boneless pork chops that are about 1 inch thick each, the weight is usually about 1 pound. You will cut these in half making 4 schnitzel.

**All air fryers will be slightly different sizes so fit in the schnitzel how it works best for your appliance just keep in mind that they schnitzel should not be touching or overcroweded or they won't cook properly. Working in two batches should work best.

Air Fryer Baby Potatoes

August 2, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Air Fryer Baby Potatoes are the side dish you will make over and over again! With just a few minutes of prep Baby Potatoes in the Air Fryer are the best crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside potatoes you will ever have.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Air fryer baby potatoes in a white ceramic serving dish covered in salt and garnished with chopped parsley.

Baby Potatoes in the Air Fryer

When I got my air fryer I did not expect the food I would be making most often in it was little potatoes.

I seriously have become reliant on this side dish at least one night a week. It is so easy and very crowd pleasing.

These baby potatoes only take a couple minutes to prep and they come out of the air fryer absolutely perfect. Crisp flavorful salt covered outsides open up into a soft and creamy potato inside. You seriously cannot go wrong.

Next time you are at the store just grab bag of the ‘The Little Potato Company’, you know the super handy pre-washed baby potatoes and you are basically almost done with the recipe. (The Little Potato Company is not a sponsor, I’m honestly just a huge fan).

Then besides the potatoes everything you need should already be at home!

Overhead shot of a ceramic serving dish filled with crispy air fryer baby potatoes covered in salt and garnished with parsley.

Ingredients

This recipe is incredibly simple, you basically just need the potatoes, oil, and salt and then feel free to interchange other spices as you see fit.

Baby Potatoes
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to make the best air fryer baby potatoes.

Instructions to Air Fry Baby Potatoes

Start by preheating your air fryer to 390º F, running the machine at least 3 minutes. I have a Ninja Max XL but this recipe should easily fit into any size air fryer.

While the air fryer is preheating add your baby potatoes, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, & onion powder to a large bowl. Mix to coat the potatoes evenly.

Once the air fryer is ready add the seasoned potatoes to the air fryer. Cook at 390º F for 20 minutes. Shake basket to move the potatoes around every 4-5 minutes.

When done remove the potatoes promptly from the basket and serve immediately.

Two photos showing the steps to prepping air fryer baby potatoes.

Close up of a couple of shiny crispy baby potatoes made in the air fryer.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

Can you put raw potatoes into an air fryer?

Yes! The air fryer heats up quickly and moves the air around faster than an oven, making the potatoes cook even faster than if you were to try to roast them in a conventional oven.

Will this recipe fit in my air fryer?

It should! These potatoes don’t take up to much room, it should fit all size of air fryer.

Can I reheat these?

Yep, the best way I have found is to actually use the air fryer again. Preheat the air fryer to 350º and cook about 5 minutes or until hot again.

If you like these Air Fryer Mini Potatoes you might like some of my other side dishes:

Yield: 4 servings

Air Fryer Baby Potatoes

Super easy and delicious baby pototatoes come out absoulutely perfect out of the air fryer. With just a few minutes of prep this is a side dish you can rely on again and again.

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 23 minutes

Ingredients

1.5 pounds baby potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

Preheat air fryer to 390º F, running the machine at least 3 minutes.
While the air fryer is preheating add potatoes, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, & onion powder to a large bowl. Mix to coat the potatoes evenly.
Add the potatoes to the air fryer. Cook at 390º F for 20 minutes. Shake basket every 4-5 minutes.
When done remove the potatoes promptly from the basket and serve immediately.

Notes

For the potatoes I recommened grabbing a bag of 'The Little Potato Company', they are so conveniently washed and ready to use! (Not an add just a fan)

Feel free to leave out or change up the seasonings! A touch of paprika would be good here, you can also garnish the potatoes in herbs if you see fit!

Air Fryer Crispy Tofu

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Air Fryer Schnitzel

Ingredients for Air Fryer Schnitzel

Instructions for How to Make Schnitzel in the Air Fryer

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

Ingredients

Instructions

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Yield:

Serving Size:

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Baby Potatoes in the Air Fryer

Ingredients

Instructions to Air Fry Baby Potatoes

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

Ingredients

Instructions

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Recommended Products

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