Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Tofu

Air Fryer Sweet and Sour Tofu. Crispy tofu smothered in a sweet tangy sauce with crunchy bell peppers, onions, and juicy pineapple. I also share how to fry the tofu without an airfryer. This is vegan.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings

Calories per serving 299 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb extra firm tofu
1 red bell pepper diced
1 onion diced
1 cup pineapple diced or sub with canned pineapple chunks
⅓ cup cornstarch or potato starch
½ teaspoon salt to season tofu
2 tablespoon vegetable oil to spray over tofu in the air fryer basket
1 teaspoon vegetable oil for stir frying vegetables
1 green onion finely chopped for garnish

Sweet and sour sauce:

⅓ cup ketchup
½ cup brown sugar or white sugar
¼ cup white vinegar or rice vinegar
2 tablespoon water cold
1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch

Instructions

First in a small bowl, combine sweet and sour sauce ingredients. Set aside.
Then strain your tofu of the liquid in the package. Dice tofu into 1-inch cubes. Pat dry with paper towel. On a baking sheet or plate, add cornstarch and generously coat each tofu cube. Add more cornstarch if needed.
Next lightly spray air fryer basket with vegetable oil. Transfer coated tofu in a single layer into the air fryer basket giving each piece enough room. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may need to air fry in smaller batches.
Then spray 1 tablespoon of 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, add another tablespoon of oil and season with with ¼ teaspoon salt. Air fry at the same temperature for 5 minutes. The tofu should come out crispy, if it’s not crispy enough air fry for 1-2 more minutes. Skip the next step if you're air frying the tofu.
Alternatively to fry tofu without an air fryer: Heat ⅓ cup vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Once oil is hot, gently lower your coated tofu into the pan. Fry on each side until golden crispy brown, about 4-5 minutes per side depending on heat level. Remove and transfer fried tofu to a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt.
Next heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry onions and bell peppers until softened. Then add pineapple and toss together. Pour in sweet and sour sauce and mix everything together. Increase to medium-high heat and allow the sauce to simmer and thicken. Once thickened, reduce to low heat.
Toss in fried tofu into the sauce. Remove off heat. Finally, 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