Vegan · American-inspired
Crispy Air Fryer Hot Honey Tofu Bites
Extra-firm tofu turns crisp in the air fryer, then gets tossed in a sticky hot honey, garlic and soy glaze for bowls or snacking.
These crispy hot honey tofu bites are built for the air fryer: dry tofu, a light cornflour coating and high heat create crunchy edges without deep-frying. The sweet-spicy glaze goes on after cooking, so the tofu stays crisp while picking up bold garlic, chilli and soy flavour.
Ingredients
Instructions
Air fryer:200°C / 392°F
Press the tofu for 10–15 minutes, then pat very dry. Tear or cut into 2–3 cm bite-size pieces; torn edges crisp especially well.
Preheat the air fryer to 200°C for 3 minutes. Toss the tofu with neutral oil, then add cornflour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss until lightly coated with no dry clumps.
Arrange tofu in a single layer in the basket, leaving a little space between pieces. Cook in batches if needed; crowded tofu will steam instead of crisp.
Air fry for 12–14 minutes, shaking or turning halfway, until the tofu is golden, dry-looking and crisp on the edges.
While the tofu cooks, combine honey, hot sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, grated garlic and sesame oil in a small pan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes until lightly syrupy, then remove from the heat.
Transfer the crisp tofu to a bowl. Pour over the hot honey glaze and toss quickly to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions, then serve straight away.
Tips & tricks
- For maximum crunch, glaze only what you plan to eat immediately; keep extra sauce on the side for leftovers.
- If using a very salty soy sauce, reduce the salt in the tofu coating to 1/4 tsp.
- Serve over rice with cucumber, slaw or steamed greens for an easy hot honey tofu bowl.
- Refrigerate leftovers promptly and do not leave cooked tofu at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Air fryer cooking guides
Exact times & temperatures for the ingredients in this recipe.
