Air-fried Spicy Tofu エアーフライピリ辛豆腐

This is a variation of “Baked marinated tofu” which morphed into “Braised marinated tofu”. We thought the morphed preparation was easier and a better way to add a nice char to the surface. This time we “morphed” it further into “air-fried” spicy marinated tofu. This turned out to be the best way to make this dish. As you can see in the picture #1, the surface browned/charred nicely making a thick crispy crust around a soft interior. The tofu was house-brand medium-firm tofu from Weee. We like “medium-firm” tofu for this dish rather than “firm” or “extra-firm” tofu.

There is no difference between this and the original marinade but I list it here for our convenience.

Ingredients:
One block of medium-firm or firm tofu, drained and cut into bite sized pieces (I usually halve the thickness horizontally, then cut vertically into four blocks. I then cut each block into three equal sizes, see picture #2)

Marinade:
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 medium clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped (or from a tube)
1-inch piece peeled ginger root, grated (or from a tube)
1 teaspoon or more hot chili paste (I use Sriracha)

Directions:
In a large enough Ziploc bag, add the marinade and the tofu. Remove as much air as you can from the bag and seal it. Let the tofu marinade several hours at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator.

Pre-heat the air-fryer (or in our case, smart toaster oven on air fry mode) at 450F. Drain excess marinade and pat the tofu dry. Place the tofu cubes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and parchment paper, with space between them. Air-fry for 15 minutes, turn the tofu 90 degrees and air-fry an additional 5-10 minutes or until the surface browns (picture #2)

We tried this a  second time without turning the tofu and cooking it just for 15 minutes. It did not bown as much but it tasted pretty good.