This recipe was inspired by Brunch Chicago’s Veggie Tofu Skillet.
Though I couldn’t crisp the tofu up like I would when frying them in a pan, I’m still quite impressed with the result. I’ll definitely add it to my keto-friendly food list.
You can skip the oyster sauce and egg if you want to make a vegetarian or vegan version of this dish.
Table of Contents
Air Fryer Tofu & Veggies Ingredients
✦ You can find the exact measurements of the recipe ingredients and customize the serving size in the recipe card after the detailed step-by-step instructions section.
Main Ingredients
- Extra firm tofu
- Cherry tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Bell pepper
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Sunny side up egg, optional
Tofu
🚨 Important: Use firm tofu.
Extra firm tofu retains its shape better than soft ones. Make sure you get the right kind of tofu when making this dish. Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time air frying your tofu.
Tomatoes
I made a rookie mistake when making this dish. Instead of cherry tomatoes, I bought grape tomatoes which taste a little sour. Sweeter cherry tomatoes would have complimented this savory dish.
To tell the difference between a cherry tomato and a grape tomato, pay attention to its shape. The former is more round in shape, while the latter is oblong, like grapes. Or, if you’re in doubt, read the label.
Marinade
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Mirin or any cooking wine
- Sesame oil (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Water
✦ You can find the exact measurements of the recipe ingredients and customize the serving size in the recipe card after the detailed step-by-step instructions section.
The oyster sauce is optional. If you prefer a vegan dish. Though it adds umami (sweet and salty flavor) to the dish, using cherry tomato and soy sauce would achieve a similar result.
Slurry
- Cornstarch
- Cold water
Cornstarch diluted in cold water is a classic thickening agent for oriental recipes. The key here is to add the slurry gradually to get the perfect thickness of your sauce.
Recipe Video
How To Cook Tofu and Veggies in an Air Fryer?
Making this Tofu and Vegetables brunch recipe in your air fryer can be a bit challenging, but it’s achievable. It will take approximately 40 minutes to prepare.
The only advantage is that you won’t have to deal with the oil splatter when frying your tofu.
Step 1: Press the tofu to remove excess water.
To press the tofu, look for something heavy in your kitchen. Ideally, something with a flat base. It could be a spice jar or your skillet.
Then, sandwich the tofu with kitchen towel on a plate, saucer or something that would allow for water drainage.
You can skip this part if the tofu bought is vacuum sealed. It’s already been pressed and is ready for cooking.
💡 Pro Tip: Removing the extra liquid from the tofu help the marinade absorb better.
Step 2: Cut the tofu into large cubes.
Larger portions of tofu are easier to work with. But it depends on your preference. Since tofu is the main ingredient of this Air Fryer Tofu & Veggie recipe, we opt for bigger chunks.
⏰ Time Saver: Slice the tofu in the middle, in such a way you’ll end up with two flat squares. Cube the tofu after air frying. It’s easier to flip than those small cubes.
Step 3: Make the marinade.
In a large bowl, mix the water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and pepper.
Step 4: Marinate the tofu for 30 minutes.
In the same bowl, place the tofu chunks into the large bowl to marinate for 30 minutes.
⏰ Time Saver: You can skip this step since it will take half an hour. We are still going to add this flavorful marinade as a thickened sauce when we’re ready to serve the dish.
Step 5: Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF (204ºC).
You can skip preheating by adding 2-5 minutes to your cooking time.
Step 6: Slice and dice your vegetables.
While marinating, you can wash and cut the vegetables.
Halve the cherry tomatoes, slice your mushrooms, and dice your bell peppers.
Step 7: Season your vegetables.
Place the vegetables in another large bowl. Then, drizzle vegetable oil over the veggies and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Toss the veggies to make sure all contents are coated with the seasoning.
Step 8: Air Fry the tofu for 8 – 10 minutes at 400ºF (204ºC).
Let’s cook the tofu first. Place marinated tofu cubes in the air fryer. Make sure there’s enough space between the tofu cubes and no overlapping pieces. Air fry for 8 – 10 minutes at 400ºF (204ºC).
Take the tofu from the air fryer, and set it aside.
✦ Optional: Spray the air fryer basket with oil to prevent them from sticking.
🚨 Important: Set your marinade aside. We’re going to reduce it into our sauce later.
Step 9: Air fry the vegetables.
Place the veggies and air fry at 380ºF (193 ºC) for 5 – 8 minutes. For even cooking, shaking the vegetables halfway through the cooking time is highly recommended.
✦ I used a 6-quart air fryer to test this recipe. Cooking time and temperature may vary depending on your air fryer and the number of servings you are making. For optimal results, begin with the lower end of the suggested cooking time.
Step 10: Reduce the marinade into a sauce.
Add 1 tbsp cornstarch to your 1 tbsp cold water to make a slurry. Turn on your burner, and in a pan, add your marinade. Once it’s simmering, add the slurry gradually.
Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the heat when your marinade becomes thick.
This process can take 7 – 10 minutes.
Step 11: Combine all the cooked ingredients.
Combine the cooked tofu and veggies in a large mixing bowl. Add the marinade and season with salt and pepper to taste. Go easy on the salt, as the marinade already has some soy and oyster sauce. Toss until everything is coated.
Step 12: Serve and enjoy!
Look at that mouth-watering Air Fryer Tofu and Vegetables! Yummm!!! 🤤
What to Serve With Air Fryer Tofu And Veggies?
Since this is a brunch recipe, we topped it off with an over-easy sunny-side-up or a poached egg for extra protein.
You can also add breakfast potato as a side dish to this recipe or any other source of carbohydrates.
Frequently Asked Questions
For air frying, the best type of tofu to use is firm or extra firm tofu. Soft tofu will easily break. It’s difficult to transfer without getting damaged. This brunch tofu recipe is a must try!
This ingredients checklist is interactive; you can use it as your grocery list.
Ingredients
- 1 block of tofu extra firm
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1.5 cups Mushrooms sliced
- 1 Bell pepper diced
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Marinade
- 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce or all-purpose soy
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin or any cooking wine
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup 185 ml water
Slurry (to thicken the sauce)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Remove excess water from the tofu.
- Slice the tofu into large cubes.
- Prepare the marinade by combining water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and pepper in a large bow.
- Place the sliced tofu into the marinating bowl. Mix it gently and baste the tofu for maximum flavor absorption. Marinate the tofu for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF (204ºC) for 5 minutes.
- While marinating and preheating your air fryer, you can wash and cut the veggies. Halve your cherry tomatoes, slice your mushrooms, and dice your bell peppers.
- Place the vegetables in another large bowl. Then, drizzle vegetable oil over the veggies and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Toss the veggies to make sure all contents are coated with the seasoning.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil, then place the sliced tofu. Make sure there’s enough space between them. Air fry for 8 – 10 minutes at 400ºF (204ºC). Then set them aside.
- Place the veggies in your air fryer and cook them at 380ºF (193 ºC) for 5 – 8 minutes. Don’t forget to shake halfway.
- Reduce the marinade into a sauce. Add 1 – 2 tbsp cornstarch water to the marinade. Once boiling, lower the heat to simmer for 7 – 10 minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat.
- After cooking the vegetables, combine the air-fried tofu, veggies, and the sauce (reduced marinade) in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste then toss to make sure everything is coated.
- Serve the Air Fryer Tofu and Veggies, and enjoy your hearty brunch!
Recipe Video
Notes
- If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat mode, set the temperature to 400ºF (204ºC) and let it air fry for 5 minutes.
- You can skip preheating by adding 2-5 minutes to your cooking time. Then check every 1-2 minutes to prevent overcooking your tofu and vegetables.
- One of the easiest ways to remove the liquid is to sandwich it between kitchen towels and two flat surfaces like a plate or saucer. Then, put something heavy on it to apply pressure.
- Another way to remove excess water from the tofu is to press it using something heavy from your kitchen. Perhaps a skillet.
- Time Saver: If you don’t have much time, you can skip pressing and marinating the tofu. The air fryer will dehydrate the tofu anyway.
- Spray your air fryer basket with cooking oil to prevent them from sticking. While most air fryer baskets are coated with non-stick compounds, it’s not foolproof.
- Make sure the tofu cubes are spaced quite nicely. This step prevents them from sticking together and makes it easier to flip halfway through.
- Another time saver: Flipping lots of tofu cubes is such a hassle. The easy fix would be slicing them in the middle (resulting in two flat squares). Then chop them into cubes after air frying.
- Top the Air Fryer Tofu and Veggies with a sunny for extra protein.
- I used a 6-quart air fryer to make this recipe. Cooking time may vary depending on your air fryer and the number of servings you are making. For optimal results, begin with the lower end of the suggested cooking time. Continue air frying until you achieve your desired finish.
Nutrition
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