These air fryer tofu nuggets are perfectly crispy, simple to make, and ready in 30 minutes! A high protein plant based dinner or snack – great with your favorite dipping sauce.
A great way for kids to eat more plant protein, and also perfect for adults to add to a grain bowl for some extra protein.
I love our air fryer, especially how it turns a plain block of tofu into crispy delicious air fryer tofu nuggets with just a few ingredients! We use our air fryer weekly for crisping up potatoes or reheating leftover pizza.
I prefer using my air fryer over the oven, as my recipes take less oil to make and less time to cook. These air fryer vegan chicken nuggets are a quick and healthy addition to your dinner plate.
These Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets Are:
- Crispy on the outside
- Juicy in the middle
- Crispy
- Delicious
- Satisfying
- Loaded with Flavor
- Ready in 30 Minutes
- A Great High Protein Vegan or Vegetarian Dinner for Kids & Adults
Perfect Tofu in the Air Fryer
We have a Cosori Air Fryer (it has legit over 30k positive reviews on Amazon 🙂 ) and we are in LOVE with this thing! Since we don’t use a microwave, this air fryer is perfect for heating up things quickly. It’s been really fun to make all kinds of recipes in the Air Fryer: crispy vegetables, tofu, muffins, and it’s great for reheating leftovers. I was an air fryer skeptic for a long time, but highly recommend this air fryer for anyone who loves to cook! I got this one for Christmas, so would also recommend this as a great gift for friends or family.
What’s In These Air Fryer Vegan Chicken Nuggets?
- Shelf Stable Tofu – I have been LOVING these shelf-stable tofu packs from Amazon. I literally have 3 cases of them in my pantry as we speak. They are an inexpensive and healthy way to get some plant protein in. The texture of this extra firm tofu is perfect for this recipe, no pressing required!
- Garlic Powder: Also a major pantry staple ingredient that gets used in our house daily! I love this garlic powder and add it to a lot of recipes that I would use fresh garlic in too.
- Montreal Steak Spice: Our favorite spice blend, probably the one we use most in our home! Montreal Steak Spice is a blend of garlic, pepper, salt, oregano, crushed pepper flakes, and a little dill for an amazing flavor. With a half-Canadian household, you better believe we put this spice on everything!
- Smoked Paprika: give an additional depth of flavor to this dish.
- Corn Starch: the secret to thicken the sauce at the end, it really makes a difference. I like Anthony’s brand organic corn starch best. I use it weekly to make crispy potatoes and tofu!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Olive Oil: I like to use this fruity Zoe olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry. For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
Easy 30 Minute Air-Fryer Tofu Recipes
This crispy air fryer tofu nuggets recipe is what I call an Easy Weeknight Meal – which is on your table in about 30 minutes. These quick and simple recipes are perfect for those nights when you want a healthy homecooked meal but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. I have a whole section of The Herbeevore dedicated to Easy Weeknight Meals, that are great for the whole family. From soups and stews, to pastas and proteins – a healthy meal can be on your table in no time. Even faster than ordering takeout!
How Do I Make Vegan Chicken Nuggets in the Air Fryer?
- Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees.
- Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes, and add to a bowl. Add all ingredients to a bowl, and mix well to combine. Make sure each piece of tofu is coated evenly in spices and corn starch.
- When air fryer is finished preheating, add the tofu to the air fryer basket. Cook at 370 for 26 minutes, shaking halfway.
- Once finished cooking, carefully plate the tofu (the air fryer basket will be hot) and dip into your favorite sauces, add the crispy tofu nuggets to a veggie bowl or salad, and enjoy!
One of the BEST Pantry Staple Tofu Recipes
This air fryer vegan chicken nuggets recipe is a fantastic pantry-staple meal – you can use shelf stable tofu or fresh if you have it! It uses almost all ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards – most of which you probably have on hand. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious and healthy meals using a few staples you can rotate.
I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep stocked. And you can check out all my favorite pantry staple ingredients in my Amazon shop here. By stocking up on healthy whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!
Other Delicious Tofu Recipes You’ll Love!
Sticky Garlic Noodles with Tofu Recipe (Vegan)
Vegan Butter Tofu Recipe (High Protein, Dairy Free)
Turmeric Tofu Salad Sandwich (Vegan)
Crispy Tahini Tofu Wraps (Vegan, Nut Free)
Tofu Mac and Cheese Recipe (Vegan)
Get the Same Ingredients I Use for my Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets Recipe
I get all the fresh produce for my recipes from my garden and from Misfits Market – they sell all organic produce at a super discounted price, and it’s purchased direct from the farmers. We get Misfit Market boxes every other week and love picking out our favorite seasonal produce for delivery. You can get $10 off your first $30 box by clicking here!
If you think organic produce is too expensive… think again, and give Misfits Market a look!
As always, if you make this vegan high protein air-fryer tofu nuggets recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce block extra firm tofu unpressed
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Montreal steak spice
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees.
- Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes, and add to a bowl. Add all ingredients to a bowl, and mix well to combine. Make sure each piece of tofu is coated evenly in spices and corn starch.
- When air fryer is finished preheating, add the tofu to the air fryer basket. Cook at 370 for 26 minutes, shaking halfway.
- Once finished cooking, carefully plate the tofu (the air fryer basket will be hot) and dip into your favorite sauces, add the crispy tofu nuggets to a veggie bowl or salad, and enjoy!
Notes
Save Money on Organic Produce
I get all the fresh produce for my recipes from my garden and from Misfits Market - they sell all organic produce at a super discounted price, and it’s purchased direct from the farmers. We get Misfit Market boxes every other week and love picking out our favorite seasonal produce for delivery. You can get $10 off your first $30 box by clicking here! If you think organic produce is too expensive... think again, and give Misfits Market a look!Nutrition
Or tag me @theherbeevore in your photo on Instagram!
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