Air Fryer Crispy Pickle-Brined Tofu
This Air Fryer Pickle Brined Tofu is crispy, savory and super fast & easy to make! Great to snack on, tossed over a salad or even as an easy vegan burger swap!
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu 14 oz drained and pressed
- ½ cup pickle juice of choice
Breading
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs I use the whole wheat variety
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- oil spray optional to help crisp and brown breading
Instructions
- Marinate Tofu- Slice pressed tofu into shape of choice (¾ inch thick slices work well for sandwiches). Add sliced tofu to a container and cover in pickle juice. Let marinade for at least 30 minutes. Note- if you do not have enough pickle juice to cover the tofu, just gently toss or mix up juice occasionally so all tofu gets marinated.
- Prepare breading- In a small bullet style blender (or similar), quickly blend together all breading ingredients except oil spray. Mixture should look like a coarse flour.
- Dredge the Tofu- Put breading ingredients into a shallow plate or bowl. Remove tofu from marinade and allow to briefly drip dry, one piece at a time. Dip each piece in breading on both sides and place directly into air fryer in one layer. Do not overlap the tofu. You may need to do this in batches, depending on size of air fryer.
- Cook Tofu- Air fry tofu at 400° for 8 minutes, carefully flip and cook another 8 minutes until crispy and golden. If needed continue in batches until all tofu is cooked.
- Enjoy as you please, like on a bun or sandwich, salad or just as a snack or main dish!
Notes
Storage- Best eaten fresh. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container and reheat briefly in the air fryer to crisp up again before enjoying.