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    Home » Recipes » Asian

    Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Tofu

    Modified: Oct 3, 2024 · Published: Dec 31, 2023 by Christie Lai · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Crispy tofu tossed in a sweet tangy sauce with crunchy bell peppers, onions, and juicy pineapple. This quick and easy air fryer sweet and sour tofu is a great main dish that's better-than-takeout. I also share how to deep fry the tofu. [Vegan]

    Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Tofu
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients & Substitutes
    • Expert Tips
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Pairing Suggestions
    • FAQ
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    This sweet and sour tofu is made of extra-firm tofu coated in cornstarch and fried until golden, then tossed in a sweet and sour sauce. The sauce is simply made of ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, water, vinegar and cornstarch.

    This is a spin-off of my classic Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe. It’s a fantastic Chinese dish for dinner or lunch and best served with white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice.

    Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Tofu

    This is a great Asian tofu recipe to make for busy weeknight meals when you're craving takeout. I created this dish for my husband, who is trying to eat more plant based foods, like tofu.

    One day I asked him, "What's an exciting way to cook tofu?" and he answered, "sweet and sour!" After some testing in the kitchen, that's how this recipe was born!

    Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Tofu

    Ingredients & Substitutes

    Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

    • Extra-firm tofu: or substitute with firm tofu but be very gentle when preparing it. Avoid using soft to medium firm tofu or it will easily break apart.
    • Red Bell Pepper: or substitute with yellow, orange or green bell pepper.
    • Onion
    • Pineapple: fresh diced pineapple, canned pineapple chunks or frozen pineapple chunks will work.
    • Cornstarch: to coat the tofu. Or substitute with potato starch.
    • Salt: to season the tofu.
    • Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any heavy scented oils. 
    • Green onions: optional garnish

    Sweet and Sour Sauce

    • Ketchup: to give it that red color and tangy flavor.
    • Brown sugar: or substitute with white sugar or cane sugar.
    • Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice. 
    • White vinegar: or substitute with rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
    • Cold Water
    • Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch.

    Expert Tips

    • Pat the tofu very dry with paper towel to remove excess moisture so the cornstarch can evenly stick. If there is excess moisture, the cornstarch will come off.
    • Don't skip lightly spraying the air fryer basket before you place the coated tofu into it or the coating will stick to the basket.
    • Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket or the tofu won't get crispy and air fry in small batches.

    Instructions

    Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make sweet and sour tofu:

    1. First in a small bowl, combine the sweet and sour sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.
    2. Then strain your tofu of the liquid in the package. Dice tofu into 1-inch cubes. Pat very dry with paper towel to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
    3. On a baking sheet or a large plate, generously coat the tofu cubes in cornstarch until evenly coated.
    4. Next lightly spray the air fryer basket with vegetable oil. Transfer coated tofu in a single layer into the air fryer basket giving each piece enough room. You'll need to air fry in small batches depending on the size of your air fryer basket.
    5. Choose ONE cooking method below:
      • To Air Fry the Tofu: Then lightly spray 1 tablespoon or 15 ml vegetable oil over the tofu and evenly season with salt. Air fry at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on one side. Flip the tofu over, lightly spray with another tablespoon or 15 ml vegetable oil and season with with ¼ teaspoon salt. Air fry for another 5 minutes until crispy and golden. If it’s not crispy, air fry for 1-2 more minutes.
      • To Deep Fry the Tofu: Heat 2 cups or 500 ml vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat or 350 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Fry coated tofu on both sides until golden crispy brown. Remove and transfer fried tofu to a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate to remove excess oil. While the tofu is still hot, season with salt.
    6. Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry onions and bell peppers until softened. Then toss in pineapple chunks. Pour in the prepared sweet and sour sauce and mix everything together. Increase to medium-high heat and simmer the sauce to thicken it. Once thickened, reduce to low heat.
    7. Toss in fried tofu and gently mix. Remove off heat. Garnish with green onions. Enjoy!

    Storage

    • Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
    • Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing sweet and sour tofu because the freezer will change the texture of the tofu.

    Pairing Suggestions

    Sweet and sour tofu serves well with:

    • starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
    • white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, plain noodles, soup noodles 
    • cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
    • protein dishes like Lemon Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Shrimp Omelet, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu, Teriyaki Tofu, or Spicy Gochujang Sesame Tofu

    FAQ

    Can I make this in advance?

    Sweet and sour tofu can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.

    Can I add other veggies?

    Yes! I would suggest broccoli florets, snap or snow peas, chopped green beans, cauliflower, or carrots.

    📖 Recipe

    sweet and sour tofu

    Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Tofu

    Christie Lai
    Crispy tofu tossed in a sweet tangy sauce with crunchy bell peppers, onions, and juicy pineapple. This quick and easy air fryer sweet and sour tofu is a great main dish that's better-than-takeout. I also share how to deep fry the tofu. [Vegan]
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 4
    Calories per serving 276 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 lb extra-firm tofu or sub with firm tofu but be gentle!
    • 1 red bell pepper diced
    • 1 onion diced
    • 1 cup pineapple diced (or sub with strained canned pineapple chunks)
    • ⅓ cup cornstarch or sub potato starch
    • ½ teaspoon salt to season tofu
    • vegetable oil for air frying or deep frying tofu
    • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil for stir frying
    • 1 green onion finely chopped for garnishing

    For the Sweet and Sour Sauce

    • ⅓ cup ketchup
    • ½ cup brown sugar or sub with white or cane sugar
    • ¼ cup white vinegar or sub with rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tablespoon water cold
    • 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or sub with potato starch

    Instructions
     

    • First in a small bowl, combine the sweet and sour sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.
    • Then strain your tofu of the liquid in the package. Dice tofu into 1-inch cubes. Pat very dry with paper towel to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
    • On a baking sheet or a large plate, generously coat the tofu cubes in cornstarch until evenly coated.
    • Next lightly spray the air fryer basket with vegetable oil. Transfer coated tofu in a single layer into the air fryer basket giving each piece enough room. You'll need to air fry in small batches depending on the size of your air fryer basket.
    • Choose ONE cooking method below:
      To Air Fry the Tofu: Then lightly spray 1 tablespoon or 15 ml vegetable oil over the tofu and evenly season with salt. Air fry at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on one side. Flip the tofu over, lightly spray with another tablespoon or 15 ml vegetable oil and season with with ¼ teaspoon salt. Air fry for another 5 minutes until crispy and golden. If it’s not crispy, air fry for 1-2 more minutes.
      To Deep Fry the Tofu: Heat 2 cups or 500 ml vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat or 350 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Fry coated tofu on both sides until golden crispy brown. Remove and transfer fried tofu to a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate to remove excess oil. While the tofu is still hot, season with salt.
    • Heat 1 teaspoon or 5 ml vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry onions and bell peppers until softened. Then toss in pineapple chunks. Pour in the prepared sweet and sour sauce and mix everything together. Increase to medium-high heat and simmer the sauce to thicken it. Once thickened, reduce to low heat.
    • Toss in fried tofu and gently mix. Remove off heat. Garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    • Air Fryer
    • Wok
    • Measuring Set
    • Cutting Board
    • Santoku Knife
    • Kitchen Scale
    Nutrition
    Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 809mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Elin

      February 22, 2024 at 2:55 am

      Delicious. I'm going to see if you have more vegan recipes! Thanks 🙏

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        February 22, 2024 at 2:10 pm

        Thanks so much for making my recipe! So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Mikayla Betz

      September 22, 2023 at 6:25 pm

      Christie!! Your hoisin tofu lettuce wraps have became a staple in my house! Although I don’t always remember measurements for the sauce. I saw that the recipe has been taken down and I’m so sad! Please!! I need that sauce recipe before my husbands leaves me for a better cook!
      Love,
      Mikayla

      Reply
      • christieathome

        September 26, 2023 at 3:18 pm

        Hi Mikayla, ah I am so sorry about that! I took it down to re-work the recipe so once it becomes available again, it'll be posted here. Thanks for your patience and understanding!

        Reply
    3. Maddie

      June 21, 2022 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      Really easy to follow recipe and tastes really great!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        June 21, 2022 at 5:25 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe Maddie! I'm so glad you liked it!

        Reply
    4. Peter

      February 01, 2022 at 1:21 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! I left out the the pineapple (made the whole dish a little more sour), but it was still great with some neutral rice. Will definitely make it again.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        February 01, 2022 at 3:36 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe Peter! That is so kind and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    5. Rosemary

      August 21, 2021 at 2:43 pm

      5 stars
      Air fryer sweet and sour tofu is a great recipe for meatless monday!! And way less messy than making it in the pan!

      Reply
    6. Tasia ~ two sugar bugs

      August 08, 2021 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      Such a great idea to use the air fryer for crispy tofu! I don't think I have ever had sweet and sour tofu so I need to change that!

      Reply
    7. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      August 02, 2021 at 5:19 pm

      I loved your method of using the air fryer to add that extra crisp to the tofu... so smart. Sweet and sour is my absolutely favorite!!

      Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Recipe Blogger with an expertise on Asian recipes! She makes Asian cooking approachable with step-by-step pictures, ingredient & recipe tips and a helpful cooking video. Her quick and easy recipes have been featured on BuzzFeed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn, The FeedFeed, Sur La Table, Yummly and more! With a following of over 1M+, her recipes are made repeatedly by her loyal readers.

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