Air Fryer Agedashi Tofu

I love Agedashi Tofu, a Japanese appetiser dish of lightly fried tofu served in a flavourful sauce called tsuyu. The tofu (typically soft) has a delightfully light crisp exterior with a soft silky interior. A savoury, umami broth is poured around it to inject deliciously umami flavour to the otherwise bland tofu. Traditionally this dish is deep-fried, but what if I told you that you can make this dish healthier and just as delicious using an air fryer? Yes, you read that right! This Air Fryer Agedashi Tofu recipe is effortless easy!

If you don’t have an air fryer, I included instructions on how to shallow fry this as well. Of course, you can also deep fry this, but at home I try to avoid deep frying as much as I can.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Healthier Alternative: Enjoy the classic flavours without the guilt (and mess!) of deep-frying.
• Quick and Easy: Perfect for busy weeknights or a quick snack.
• Crisy Perfection: Achieves that perfect crispy texture using an air fryer.
• Flavorful: The umami-packed broth takes this dish to another level.

Key Ingredients

For the Tofu

• Soft Tofu: I exclusively prefer Agedashi Tofu with soft tofu, the delicate soft interior is unbeatable! Feel free to use firm tofu, which will be much easier to handle.
• Potato starch: Try to use potato starch, it’s a lighter crisp. Alternatively, cornstarch will work as well.
• Oil Spray

For the Alcohol-free Broth (Tsuyu Sauce)

The traditional tsuyu sauce is made simply with dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin and sake. I prefer to keep mine alcohol-free (both sake and mirin has alcohol in them).

This is my Tsuyu sauce:

• Dashi stock: Unsalted is best, if you are using salted, adjust the soy sauce. Alternatively, use anchovy stock, this is my go-to!
• Soy sauce
• Sugar or alcohol-free Mirin
• Rice Vinegar / Apple Cider Vinegar (optional): You can stop at the the three ingredients above but this is my ‘secret’ ingredient! Just a small dash of rice or apple cider vinegar adds that slight fermentation tang to the sauce that would otherwise be infused by the sake and mirin.

Toppings

• Green onions
• Bonito flakes (optional)
• Grated daikon radish (optional)
• Shredded nori (optional)
• Grated ginger (optional)

1. Prepare the Tofu

• First, preheat the air fryer to 180°C (356°F) while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Spray the rack with oil first.
• Drain and gently press the tofu with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Patting it dry will also prevent soggy batter. If you are frying in oil, this step will also minimise oil splatters.
• Cut into large cubes as larger cubes of soft tofu are much easier to handle.

2. Coat the Tofu

• When you’re ready to cook, lightly coat the tofu cubes with cornstarch or potato starch. This helps achieve that crispy exterior.

TIP: Do a light coating! Do not overcoat as this may result in a hard coating rather than a light, crisp coat.

3. Air Fry the Tofus

• Immediately place coated tofus in the air fryer. Don’t allow the tofus to sit in the flour for too long, as the coating can turn soggy.
• Spray or brush on oil until the floured surface is wet. Air fry at 180°C (356°F) for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through and spraying on more oil on any floury surfaces. Air fry the tofu until crispy. The tofu should only be slightly golden or yellow – this is fine. As long as the surface is crisp, the tofus are done.

See alternative frying instructions down below.

Alternative Frying Methods

I will avoid frying in oil over the stove as much as I can! If you don’t have an air fryer, fry the tofus by frying:

Shallow Frying

• Heat: Pour about 1/4 inch (6 mm) of vegetable oil into a skillet and heat over medium-high heat until hot.
• Fry: Carefully add the coated tofu cubes in a single layer. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Deep Frying

• Heat: Fill a deep pot with vegetable oil to a depth of about 2 inches (5 cm). Heat the oil to 350°F (180°C).
• Fry: Carefully add the coated tofu cubes in batches. Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Tips & Tricks for Light, Crispy Tofu

I’ve made this Agedashi Tofu so many times, that I’ve perfected that light and crisp coating! Here are some tips to ensure your tofu comes out perfectly crispy every time, whether you’re using an air fryer, shallow frying, or deep frying.

1. Remove as Much Moisture as Possible

• Before coating, make sure to drain and press the tofu to remove as much moisture as possible. Cover with paper towels and gently press, but not too hard otherwise the soft tofu will crumble. Excess water can prevent the tofu from getting crispy.

2. Just a Light Coating of Starch

• Cornstarch and potato starch are both excellent for achieving a crispy texture. They create a light, crunchy coating when fried.
• Lightly coat each tofu cube with the starch, ensuring an even and thin layer. Shake off any excess starch before frying.

5. Immediately Fry

Immediately air fry the soft tofus, to prevent the flour from absorbing too much excess liquid.

6. Oil Well

Spray or brush the soft tofu with neutral-tasting oil. No need to add to much, just enough to ‘wet’ the surface of the floured tofu.