Salt and pepper tofu with air-fryer

Salt and pepper tofu is a delicious and easy-to-make recipe that has become a staple in Asia and many other Western countries. Its uniqueness comes from the combination of the ground seasoning’s savory, salty, and peppery notes.

🛒Ingredients needed for making salt and pepper tofu

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Here is a summary of the key ingredients required to prepare air fryer salt and pepper tofu.

• Extra firm tofu. The tofu used for this pepper tofu recipe must be at least medium to extra firm. This type of tofu can withstand flipping and stirring during cooking. Soft tofu and silken tofu are not suitable, as they will break down into small pieces during stir-frying. The tofu is coated with cornflour and regular flour to make it crispy.
• Seasoning. The seasoning for the tofu includes white peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorns, cumin seeds, and salt. These spices provide an explosive flavor to the tofu. Sichuan peppercorn is a unique ingredient that causes a numbing sensation on the tongue. It can be found in Asian grocery stores or the spice section of some large supermarkets. 
• Aromatics. Besides, it includes aromatics such as garlic, ginger, green onions, and dry chili to enhance the flavor of the ground seasonings further. 

👉 How to make Salt and Pepper Tofu

Traditionally, it is made by deep-frying the tofu in hot oil until the surface becomes crispy. The crispy tofu is then sprinkled with a blend of salt, pepper, and other aromatic spices to create a mouthwatering flavor that is comforting and explosive.

In this recipe, I air fry the tofu instead of deep frying. The difference is that it is slightly less crispy but uses much less oil and is healthier.

1. First, you need to cut the tofu. Place it on a piece of kitchen paper towel in a single layer to absorb as much moisture as possible. Please keep the tofu dry because we will air-fry it to create a crispy surface.

2. After drying the tofu, cut it into one-inch cubes.

3. Preheat the air fryer according to the instructions. Based on the model I used, I set the temperature to 240 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes in the deep fry mode. Please refer to the instructions for your air fryer, as the required temperature may vary. Place a teaspoon of oil in the air fryer and then put the tofu cubes into it to start the air-frying process.

4. Since my air fryer has a tilt-and-rotate feature, the tofu cubes will tumble inside, making the heating very even. If your air fryer does not have this feature, stop the air flying halfway, open the cover, and stir it before you continue to finish the remaining air frying time.

5. The second part of the cooking process is preparing the aromatics. I use the green section of green onions (spring onions), dry chilies, garlic, and ginger. First, I heat some oil over low heat to saute all these ingredients slowly until they become aromatic. During this process, you can add some light soy sauce and sesame oil to these aromatics.

6. After that, I add the tofu cubes and mix thoroughly.

7. Next, prepare the salt and pepper that are to be used to coat the tofu. The ingredients are white peppercorns, cumin seeds, and Sichuan peppercorns. Place all these items in a pan without oil and slowly toast them over low heat until they turn aromatic. After that, remove it from the pan, let it cool, and then grind it with either a mortar and pestle or an electric spice blender. After that, I prefer to let it pass through a fine sieve to remove any large particles if that is available. Lastly, mix it with fine salt, and it is ready to use as the coating for the tofu.

8. Before serving, add the salt and pepper seasoning to the fried tofu in the pan liberally and then mix well. Transfer the tofu to a serving plate and then garnish with some finely chopped red chilies and green onions to serve.

Salt and pepper tofu can be a main dish served with plain rice or a side dish.

🥘 Can I deep fry the tofu instead of air fry?

The original recipe calls for deep-frying the tofu, but an air fryer is a healthier and less messy alternative. However, deep-frying will produce a crispier texture, which most Chinese restaurants prefer.

To deep fry the tofu, heat the oil to 180 degrees Celsius and then deep fry the cornflour-coated tofu cubes until they turn golden brown. Then, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and drain them on paper towels. You can do this at home by using a large frying pan to shallow fry the tofu in batches.

📜 Other simple recipes for you

If you like this salt and pepper tofu recipe, I would love to suggest other recipes on this blog.

• Sauteed Cajun shrimp
• Air fryer sweet and sour pork
• Easy cheesy cauliflower soup