This easy air fryer tofu with a sweet sriracha sauce is our favorite quick tofu recipe! It’s perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner or meal prep lunch. Tofu is diced and air fried (with no oil needed!) and then tossed in a sweet and spicy sriracha sauce. Serve this sweet sriracha tofu recipe over rice and roasted veggies or in a vegetable stir fry!
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Tofu and I had a long hard road to get to the place we are now. We just did NOT get along at first.
Today, however, I love the stuff. Breaded tofu, baked tofu, tofu quiche or tofu cannoli or tofu cheese…. I can’t get enough!
And now, I’m adding a new (no oil!) cooking method + quick tofu recipe to my ever-growing arsenal: Air Fryer Tofu with Sweet Sriracha Sauce! You’re going to love this recipe!
Why We Love Air Fryer Tofu:
- Air Fryer Tofu is one of the healthiest and easiest ways to cook tofu – especially if you’re looking for a method that uses no oil but still comes out crispy and meaty AF. Super delicious but totally healthy. (Don’t you LOVE when that happens?!)
- It makes for the BEST weeknight dinner – perfect served with a vegetable stir fry or over a simple rice with steamed or roasted broccoli! The sweet and spicy tofu sauce makes eating steamed broccoli legit exciting – who knew?!
- Air-fried tofu comes together SO quickly and easily. Just cube it up, pop it in the air fryer, and toss it in the sauce. Perfect for last-minute meals on the fly.
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Sweet Sriracha Tofu Ingredients
You only need 6 ingredients to make this air fryer tofu with sweet sriracha sauce! Remember, the full recipe card with ingredient amounts can be found at the bottom of this post.
- Extra firm tofu – drained and pressed with either a tofu press or over paper towels
- Agave nectar or maple syrup – for the “sweet”
- Soy sauce – for the salty / umami
- Sriracha – for the spicy!
- Minced fresh garlic + ginger – for the “oh, YEAH!!”
Substitution Tips
If you don’t have or can’t eat one of the ingredients above, we’ve got you covered! Here are our best substitution tips:
For the extra firm tofu: Depending on the brand, you may be able to get away with using firm tofu instead of extra firm here. I haven’t tried air frying tempeh yet, so I can’t suggest using it as a sub in this specific recipe. This sauce could also be awesome over air-fried/roasted chickpeas, but again, the cooking time would be different.
For the agave: Feel free to use either maple syrup or agave here. If you’re using maple syrup, make sure it’s the pure maple syrup and not the “pancake syrup” because that could taste really weird. A little warm water mixed with coconut sugar or light brown sugar could also work nicely!
For the soy sauce: Use tamari for gluten-free or a low-sodium soy sauce as needed. Braggs liquid aminos also works!
For the Sriracha: Feel free to use any hot sauce here, but remember hot sauces differ in their intensity and texture. However, you want to use one with a thicker, paste-like texture rather than the thin stuff. Also, be mindful that some brands of sriracha contain anchovies or fish oil, so check the ingredients before buying. Feel free to cut back on the amount if spicy isn’t your thing.
For the garlic + ginger: If you’re out of one of these ingredients, I’d just double down on the one you have! I wouldn’t go without both of them though.
How to Make Sweet Sriracha Tofu in the Air Fryer
This is our absolute favorite quick tofu recipe, thanks to air fryer tofu! Have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes with very minimal work. And we mean minimal!
Step 1: How to air fry tofu
Making air fryer tofu is easy: drain it, cube it, and toss it in your fryer basket. Cook it at 400F for about 10-20 minutes, stopping to shake the basket every 5 minutes. That’s it!
You’ll know the tofu is ready when the outer edges are lightly golden, but there’s still some “give” when you squeeze the cube of tofu. That means it has achieved tender-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside perfection!
Step 2: Make the Sriracha tofu sauce.
While the tofu is cooking, mix your sweet and spicy tofu sauce together in a small bowl – no fancy equipment required here, except a fork!
Step 3: Combine the tofu + sauce.
Finally, you’ll toss the tofu in the sauce until it’s all nice and coated. And that’s that. Sweet Sriracha Tofu is ready to eat!
FRIENDS, you’re going to fall in love with this recipe just like we have!
Can I make this tofu recipe without an air fryer?
If you don’t yet have an air fryer, feel free to saute or bake this tofu to your desired crispiness before coating it in the sweet and spicy tofu sauce. We also have a baked sweet chili tofu cutlet recipe you might enjoy!
Air Fryer Review / Suggestion
If you’re looking for an air fryer or trying to decide if it’s a smart decision for you, I highly suggest checking out our Vegan Air Fryer Recipes post.
It’s FULL of our own air fryer tips, a review of our Cook’s Essentials air fryer as well as info on many of the current air fryer models available. These days there’s an air fryer to fit EVERY kitchen, so see what’s right for you!
I’m not big on having an excess of kitchen gadgets, but I have to say it’s hard to imagine life without our air fryer – especially now that I know I can make the best tofu ever with such little effort and no oil!
How to Serve Sweet Sriracha Air Fryer Tofu
Takeout-Style: This dish SO reminds me of the takeout dishes I love to order – only it took less time and certainly cost less. SCORE! In that vein, we love to serve this air fryer sriracha tofu over rice with some steamed broccoli and extra sauce drizzled on top. Look how pretty!
Stir Fry: A quick stir-fry with rice or noodles can always be whipped together while you’re waiting for the tofu to cook. It would utilize some of the same and similar ingredients! We love to keep a few bags of the frozen stir fry veggie mix on-hand for emergencies.
Noodle Bowls: These tofu pieces are fantastic over spicy or sesame noodles with or without veg…I recommend with! I also recommend using soba or udon noodles, but even overcooked spaghetti or linguine would work in a pinch.
Sweet Sriracha Tofu + Wine Pairing
An off-dry German riesling is a classic wine pairing with spicy food like this and one we are very fond of! The sweetness in the wine balances the spicy in the sriracha tofu sauce.
In return, the spicy tofu balances the sweetness in the wine, making the wine taste remarkably refreshing and crisp! If you’re new to German wines, we suggest this vegan-friendly Riesling from Dr. Loosen. (T makes crafts with their pretty blue bottles!)
How to Store Leftover Sriracha Tofu:
Depending on how you’re serving it, this air fryer tofu recipe makes about 3-4 servings.
In the fridge: Stored in an airtight container, this tofu will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Be mindful that the sauce will get more intense in flavor and heat and may thicken a bit.
In the freezer: I wouldn’t freeze the tofu after cooking it (nor would I use tofu that has been frozen) because that would change the texture upon thawing and it isn’t what you’re looking for with this recipe. We have other recipes for that (check out our post on The Tofu Freezer Trick). I do think you could freeze any extra sauce you may have leftover. I say “think” because we never have any sauce left over. LOL!
How to reheat: You can heat leftovers in a heated nonstick pan over low heat for about 3-5 minutes. Alternatively, you can reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
More Vegan Air Fryer Recipes:
The next time you’re hankerin’ for some takeout, try making this Air Fryer Tofu with Sweet Sriracha Sauce instead!
And when you do, tag us in your beautiful photos on Instagram. If you’re not already hanging out with us over there, we’re @theplantpowercouple, with the ‘the’.
We can’t wait to hear how it goes. 🙂 Cheers!
Air Fried Tofu with Sweet Sriracha Sauce
This easy air fryer tofu with a sweet sriracha sauce is our favorite quick tofu recipe! It’s perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner or meal prep lunch. Tofu is diced and air fried (with no oil needed!) and then tossed in a sweet and spicy sriracha sauce. Serve this sweet sriracha tofu recipe over rice and roasted veggies or in a vegetable stir fry!
Ingredients
- 1 (16-oz) block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup sriracha
- 2 Tbsp agave nectar*
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce**
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
Instructions
- PREP THE TOFU: First, drain and press your block of tofu. Then, preheat your air fryer to 400F and cut your tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.
- AIR FRY THE TOFU: Add the cubed tofu to your air fryer basket and cook for 10-20 minutes or until it reaches your desired level of crispiness, stopping to shake the basket every 5 minutes (important). When you stop at these 5-minute intervals, you may notice some pieces are stuck to the bottom. Use a rubber spatula to gently pull these pieces away from the air fryer basket before you continue cooking.
- MAKE THE SAUCE: Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and mix with a fork until combined.
- FINISH + SERVE: Toss the air fried tofu in your sauce and serve it over rice with steamed broccoli or your favorite veg. Enjoy!
Notes
- *Feel free to sub pure maple syrup for agave nectar.
- **For gluten-free, use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.
- We have (and really love) a Cook's Essentials air fryer. If you don't have an air fryer, feel free to bake or saute the tofu to crispy perfection!
- This is also a great meal prep recipe. Make it on Sunday and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 69Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 855mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may not always be accurate.
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