Air fryer tofu nuggets
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 4
Light and crispy, these are great veggie alternatives to chicken nuggets. Serve with vegetables for a family-friendly dinner or simply with a dip of your choice as a snack.
By Jules Mercer
Ingredients
- tofu: 300g/10½oz extra firm tofu
- soy sauce: 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- garlic: 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- plain flour: 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú plain flour
- paprika: 2 tsp smoked sweet paprika
- buttermilk: 150ml/5fl oz buttermilk
- vinegar: 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- olive oil: olive oil spray
- black pepper: salt and freshly ground black pepper
- chilli sauce: sweet chilli sauce, to serve (optional)
Method
Drain the tofu on kitchen paper for 10 minutes. Cut into 3cm/1¼in cubes and mix with the soy sauce and garlic in a bowl.
Mix the flour and paprika on a rimmed plate or in a wide bowl and season well with salt and pepper. In a separate small bowl, mix the buttermilk and cider vinegar. Dip a tofu cube into the flour mixture, then into the buttermilk mixture and then again into the flour mixture. Place on a baking tray and repeat with the remaining cubes.
Meanwhile, heat the air fryer to 200C. Spray the tofu nuggets with the olive oil spray. Place one layer of tofu nuggets on the rack or in the basket (you may have to do this in two batches) and cook for 6 minutes, then shake and return for another 3–4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining nuggets.
Serve warm with sweet chilli sauce, if using.
Recipe tips
For a vegan option, use nut milk with the juice of half a lemon to replace the buttermilk.
Use chicken cubes instead of tofu for a fakeaway-style crispy chicken nugget. The cooking time may need to increase by a minute or two so check that the chicken is cooked through before you serve.
This recipe was developed using a 5.5 litre/9½ pint air fryer.
