Crispy Sesame Tofu (Air Fried or Baked)
This sesame tofu is easy and flavorful! You can cook the tofu in the air fryer or the oven, and the glaze is so easy to make.
We love crispy tofu, and this sesame tofu is one of our favorites. I love it because you can make it using your air fryer or the oven. Either method makes crispy tofu that pairs perfectly with the sauce.
Since getting my air fryer, I’ve been using it a lot. One of my favorite things is using it to cook tofu. Air-fried tofu comes out golden, crispy, and chewy. It is so much faster and easier to make in an air fryer than in an oven. There is no need to press the tofu ahead of time!
We like this sesame tofu as a snack or appetizer, but you can also serve it with garlic broccoli or garlic green beans and rice for an easy dinner.
Ingredients
- Extra firm tofu
- White sesame seeds
- Sliced scallion or green onion
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Ground ginger
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Light brown sugar
- Sriracha sauce
Tofu: If you use an air fryer, you don’t need to press the tofu first to remove the moisture. If you use the oven, you will need to press it for 30 minutes to remove as much moisture as possible.
Soy sauce: I prefer low-sodium soy sauce
Cornstarch: This thickens the sauce.
Air Fried Tofu
- With an air fryer, you do not need to press the water out of the tofu ahead of time or pre-treat it. Just slice up the tofu and put it directly into your air fryer.
- You don’t need to coat the tofu in oil. It will crisp up on its own.
- It also takes only about 20 minutes to cook.
Baked Tofu
Of course, if you don’t own an air fryer, you can still make this recipe in the oven. I shared this method in my crispy baked tofu recipe or you can also cook them on the grill like I did with my BBQ Tofu Fries.
- First, you will need to press the tofu with a tofu press for about 30 minutes to remove as much liquid as possible.
- The tofu is then baked for about 30 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Whichever method you choose, you will have crispy, chewy cubes of tofu.
Sesame Sauce
You can make the sauce while the tofu cooks. Whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, cornstarch, and water in a bowl. Be sure to whisk it well so all of the cornstarch dissolves.
Pour the sauce into a saucepan and heat it over medium-low heat. When it starts to heat up, whisk continuously until it thickens.
Toss the crispy tofu in the sauce, add the garnishes, and it’s ready to serve.
More Recipes with Sesame Sauce
Crispy Sesame Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) block extra firm tofu
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
Sesame Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/16 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp water
- 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp sriracha sauce
Instructions
Air Fried
- Slice tofu into ¾ inch cubes. Place tofu cubes in a single layer in air fryer basket, making sure none of the cubes touch. Cook at 375°F for about 20-25 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Baked
- Loosely wrap the block of tofu with a few paper towels or a tea towel. Place a cutting board over tofu and place something heavy on top of the cutting board to press on the tofu to release water. I used a large 28 oz can of tomatoes. Whatever you use, you want it to apply pressure evenly across the surface of the tofu. The heavy object should apply enough pressure to squeeze out some of the water but not so heavy that it will crack and break your tofu.
- Let the tofu be pressed for about 30 minutes. When it is almost ready, preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- After 30 minutes, pat your tofu dry and slice into approximately ¾ inch cubes. Place tofu pieces onto baking sheet in a single layer, not touching. Bake tofu for about 30-35 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Sauce
- While tofu is cooking, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, add all sauce ingredients. Whisk to evenly mix, making sure to completely dissolve the cornstarch.
- Add sauce to a small saucepan and bring to low-medium heat. As the mixture heats up, stir continuously to prevent the cornstarch from cooking and clumping up. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until it thickens (this should take less than 1 minute). Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
- Add cooked tofu to sauce. Toss tofu until evenly coated. Plate tofu and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve with rice or rice alternative.
Notes
- Make sure to use extra firm or firm tofu. Other types of tofu are too soft and will not crisp up with this recipe.
- If you desire a stronger sesame flavor, swap out half of the sesame oil for sesame paste or tahini.
Delicious! Easy to make, will make again! I love how I didn’t have to DO anything to the tofu, just put straight into the air fryer and did other things while it cooked. Sauce is delicious too. My whole family ate it! The tofu stayed puffy and delicious even after being in the sauce. I used homemade Korean tofu from the Asian shop that’s medium firm and even though it wasn’t super crispy, this method made it puffy and delicious, like chicken. This is a new family favourite! Thank you
I’m so glad you liked this! This is my favorite way to make tofu.
My tofu cubes came out a bit dry. Flavor was good, so next time I’ll cook a shorter time in the air fryer
Very tasty n easy. Air fryer of 20 minutes was super easy.
I added Hot n sweet sauce instead of Sriracha and it was perfect for my family palate.
We’re happy you loved the recipe!