High Protein Air Fryer Tofu (Cornstarch Free, VE & GF)

Hi friends!

I posted this recipe on my Instagram “reel” a while back but so many of you said you like blog posts to reference in the future and this recipe for crispy tofu is so easy!! I recently got an air fryer (Black Friday 2020 gift to myself) so I’m a tad bit obsessed with air frying everything. The texture gets SO perfectly chewy and crispy. I could eat this for days. If you don’t have an air fryer, have no fear. You can deep fry, pan fry or even bake the tofu. The texture may not be as crispy but it’ll be delicious regardless.

I could write a whole review about my air fryer but I would recommend the Ninja brand for an air fryer. When I FINALLY decided to get one, I was so overwhelmed by all the choices for air fryers online so I settled on a well known brand that I think is worth the investment. I got the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 8-qt. 2-Basket Air Fryer and personally love that it has 2 baskets! I cook a lot so it’s been nice to either cook the same thing or different things for dinner at the same time! For some reason, I find the one I have is hard to find (at least in Vancouver, Canada) so if you can’t find that one, I’d recommend the Ninja Foodi 6.5-QT Pressure Cooker & Air Fryer. The only reason I didn’t get the latter is because it has a pressure cook option, which I didn’t need as I have an Instant Pot.

SO why did I use chickpea flour? I come from a family of food allergies (one being corn) so cornstarch, which is often an ingredient that is used to get tofu nice and crispy is not used in this recipe. Neither is panko, which gets the traditional deep fried texture. INSTEAD… I used chickpea flour as the coating to get the tofu crispy. Bonus points because chickpea flour is high in protein, but you can definitely use cornstarch, if that’s all you have.

Did you know: Tofu is made from soybeans, which are an amazing source of plant based, vegan and vegetarian protein. We are not personally vegan but I like to swap animal protein for plant based protein now and again. We like tofu because it is inexpensive, easily accessible & comes in like 6+ type of textures so it’s never boring + high in protein! However, due to some soy being GMO, I do look for organic/non-gmo tofu. Thankfully it’s not much more in price to buy organic and Costco even carries a value pack.

I like my recipes to have lots of options for you! The dip in the center used tahini as a base but feel free to substitute peanut or almond butter, or even mayo.

I can’t for you guys to try this recipe! The two of us can literally eat this in no time and the tofu even makes an amazing protein option in buddha bowls for those that are plant based, vegan and vegetarian. Please tag me on socials @balancingandie when you try it! It makes my day to connect with you.

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2 Replies to “High Protein Air Fryer Tofu (Cornstarch Free, VE & GF)”

  1. thanks for information

  2. What are some alternatives suggested in the article for achieving crispy tofu without cornstarch?

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