Sweet Chili Air Fryer Tofu

Just 3 ingredients, this sweet chili tofu gets crispy in the air fryer in under 15 minutes. Great for banh mi sandwiches, noodle bowls, stir fry or snacking.

Looking for tofu that's not spicy? Try this Teriyaki Tofu.

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• 🧄 Ingredient notes
• 🔪 Instructions
• 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Serving suggestions
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🧄 Ingredient notes

This recipe requires just 3 ingredients:

• extra firm tofu
• soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free, coconut aminos for soy-free)
• sweet chili sauce

Meal Prep Tip: Double the tofu recipe, so you have extra tofu later this week for sandwiches, bowls or spring rolls.

🔪 Instructions

Preparing the tofu

First, prepare your extra firm tofu by gently squeezing the liquid with a clean dish towel or paper towel.

I recommend using extra firm tofu here because it saves so much time! No need to press

If you're using firm tofu or if your extra firm tofu is very wet, consider pressing it to remove more of the moisture.

Here's how to press tofu:

1. Remove the tofu from the container
2. Place several paper towels on a plate
3. Place tofu on top of paper towels
4. Place another plate or small, flat cutting board on top of tofu
5. Place a weight on top (like a large can)
6. Let sit for 30 minutes

Now, cut your tofu into 12-16 pieces of your desired shape. My favorite shapes to cut tofu are:

• thin, flat rectangles - great for veggie sandwiches
• long, rectangular "fingers" - great for spring rolls and banh mi
• thin, flat triangles - so pretty in vermicelli bowls or rice bowls!
• cubes - versatile for rice bowls, noodle bowls and snacking

Prepare the sauce

Mix together ¼ cup of soy sauce (substitute in gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos, if you wish) and ½ cup of sweet chili sauce in a bowl.

How to marinate tofu

You can marinate tofu by placing it in a plastic bag, but I find that this breaks the tofu pieces.

I prefer to marinate this sweet chili tofu in a small baking dish, since it has a flat, wide, surface.

Pour a thin layer of marinade at the bottom of the dish, then layer your cut pieces of tofu over the marinade. It's okay if they touch, but it would be best if you can make just one layer.

Then, brush the rest of the marinade over the top of the tofu.

Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes. You can marinate it longer, up to overnight covered in the refrigerator, for more flavor to seep inside.

How to air fry tofu

Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper (or spray with oil). Even though my air fryer basket is non-stick, I find I still need to do this to prevent the tofu from sticking.

Then, set your air fryer to 400 degrees F and bake for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through, if necessary, depending on your air fryer model.

Repeat with second batch, if necessary.

If you don't have an air fryer, or you want to bake the whole batch in one go, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake your tofu at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Serving suggestions

This sweet chili air fryer tofu is perfect inside banh mi sandwiches, inside spring rolls or atop rice and noodle bowls.

Thin, flat rectangle pieces of baked tofu make an excellent filling for veggie sandwiches.

Store any leftover tofu in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

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