Asian Recipes/ Japanese/ Recipes/ Side Dish

Easy 20 Minute Agedashi Tofu (Air Fryer Recipe)

04/11/2021

For a delicious appetiser that’s crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, look no further than Agedashi Tofu! This simple air fryer version of the traditional Japanese deep fried tofu recipe is paired with a tsuyu sauce of dashi, mirin and soy sauce.

Three pieces of agedashi air fried tofu.

Why We Love This

Air fried agedashi tofu is a healthier version of the traditional deep fried tofu dish. Using an air fryer means you only need a fraction of the cooking oil, but the tofu is still just as crispy and delicious, with no mess or splatter of cooking in hot oil!

This is such a light side dish, it’s perfect for serving up as an appetiser before a bigger Japanese dish like okonomiyaki or spicy miso ramen!

Love tofu? See more amazing tofu recipes and marinade ideas here.

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Related: Hiyayakko Cold Tofu for Summer / Simple Tofu Hot Pot (Yudofu)

Two bowls of agedashi tofu in tsuyu sauce.

What is Agedashi Tofu? 

Agedashi tofu (揚げ出し豆腐 in Japanese) refers to a dish of fried tofu served in a light tsuyu sauce made from dashi stock broth seasoned with soy sauce and mirin. It’s usually enjoyed as an entree or side dish at Japanese restaurants alongside a small portion of rice, Japanese salad, stir fried burdock and/or pickled vegetables (takuan).

Where the traditional agedashi tofu recipe is usually deep fried, today we’ll be using an air fryer so that we can use less cooking oil and avoid waste.

What You’ll Need

  • Tofu – Medium firm tofu is a great choice as it will hold its shape well during frying. You can also use silken tofu. 
  • Cornstarch – We use cornstarch as it’s more readily available in our area, but you can also use potato starch.
  • Dashi Make your own dashi stock using kombu and/or bonito flakes, or use powdered dashi stock for convenience. 
  • Mirin – A sweet rice wine for cooking. If you can’t find it at your supermarket, you can omit or add in a 1/2 tsp of sugar instead. You can sometimes find this in regular supermarkets, otherwise head to your nearest Asian grocer or online.
  • Soy Sauce – Use regular or light soy sauce – avoid dark soy sauce as this will make the tsuyu sauce too salty.
  • Cooking Oil Spray – This helps to brown the outer coating on the tofu and crisp it up. Use a high quality cooking oil spray such as extra virgin olive oil for the best flavour. If you don’t have a spray, just use regular oil and lightly brush it over the tofu and air fryer cooking basket with a basting brush.
  • Garnish – Traditional options include thinly sliced green onion and dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi). You can also top with a small dab (½ to 1 tsp) of freshly grated ginger, onion or daikon radish to taste.
Ingredients laid out to make agedashi tofu.

How to make Agedashi Tofu:

  1. To make the agedashi tsuyu, pour the dashi stock into a medium saucepan along with the mirin and soy sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then turn off heat and set aside.
  2. Drain the tofu and wrap in a piece of paper towel to absorb any excess water.
  3. Slice into segments, and gently wipe each piece with paper towel to dry. 
  1. Coat each piece of tofu in cornstarch and tap off any excess. Spray or brush air fryer basket with oil, then preheat for 2 minutes at 200˚C / 390˚F. 
  2. Place tofu pieces into the air fryer, making sure there’s plenty of space around each piece for the hot air to circulate, then spray or brush each piece with oil. Air fry for 6 minutes, then spray or brush once again with oil. Air fry for a further 6 minutes then flip over each tofu piece. Cook for a further 2 minutes until lightly browned and crispy!
  3. Transfer tofu onto serving plates. Gently ladle tsuyu into the dish (for the best presentation, don’t pour it straight over the tofu), then top with spring onion, katsuobushi, shichimi, daikon and/or your other chosen garnishes.

Wandercook’s Tips

  • Extra Crispy Coating – Always wipe away any moisture from the surface of the tofu pieces using a piece of paper towel or cloth to avoid it becoming soggy. Don’t forget to lift the lid half way through and reapply more oil if required for an extra crispy finish!

FAQs

Is agedashi tofu vegan?

You can make this recipe vegan as long as you use kombu dashi (made with just kombu, no bonito flakes), or shiitake dashi.

I want to deep fry the tofu instead. Which oil should I use?

Vegetable oils with a high smoke point such as canola or rice bran oil are best, as they will cook the tofu quickly without burning or filling your kitchen with smoke.

What can I do with leftover stock?

Use it to make zosui rice soup! It’s also a great way to use up leftover sushi rice.

Variations

Close up of air fried tofu pieces topped with bonito and spring onion.

Flavourful Japanese appetisers to pair with your tofu:

★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star rating below!

Agedashi tofu in tsuyu sauce in a white bowl.

Easy 20 Minute Agedashi Tofu (Air Fryer Recipe)

For a delicious appetiser that’s crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, look no further than Agedashi Tofu! This simple air fryer version of the traditional Japanese deep fried tofu recipe is paired with a tsuyu sauce of dashi, mirin and soy sauce.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 2 serves
Calories: 235kcal
Author: Wandercooks
Cost: $5

Equipment

Ingredients

Optional garnishes:

Instructions

For the Tsuyu Sauce:

  • To make the agedashi tsuyu, pour the dashi stock into a medium saucepan along with the mirin and soy sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then turn off heat and set aside.
    ¾ cup dashi stock, ¼ cup mirin, ¼ cup soy sauce

For the Agedashi Tofu:

  • Drain the tofu and wrap in a piece of paper towel to absorb any excess water.
    300 g medium firm tofu
  • Slice into 6 even cubes, and gently wipe each piece with paper towel to dry.
  • Coat each piece of tofu in cornstarch and tap off any excess. Spray or brush air fryer basket with oil, then preheat for 2 minutes at 200˚C / 390˚F.
    2 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour
  • Place tofu pieces into the air fryer, making sure there’s plenty of space around each piece for the hot air to circulate, then spray or brush each piece with oil. Air fry for 6 minutes, then spray or brush once again with oil. Air fry for a further 6 minutes then flip over each tofu piece. Cook for a further 2 minutes until lightly browned and crispy!
    vegetable oil
  • Transfer tofu onto serving plates. Gently ladle tsuyu into the dish (for the best presentation, don’t pour it straight over the tofu), then top with spring onion, katsuobushi, shichimi, daikon and/or your other chosen garnishes.
    1 spring onion / green onion, 1 tbsp bonito flakes / katsuobushi, shichimi togarashi, 2 cm daikon radish

Video

YouTube video

Recipe Notes

  • Extra Crispy Coating – Always wipe away any moisture from the surface of the tofu pieces using a piece of paper towel or cloth to avoid it becoming soggy. Don’t forget to lift the lid half way through and reapply more oil if required for an extra crispy finish!
  • Make it Spicy – Add a drop or two of rayu chilli oil or a tiny smear of yuzu kosho.
  • Make Yudofu Instead – Simmer fresh tofu (without the cornstarch coating) in the dashi broth instead. This is known as yudofu – hot simmered tofu
  • Tofu – You can also use silken tofu. 
  • Dashi – Make your own dashi stock using kombu and/or bonito flakes, or use powdered dashi stock for convenience. 
  • Mirin – A sweet rice wine for cooking. Sub with 1/2 tsp of sugar. 
  • Soy Sauce – Use regular or light soy sauce – avoid dark soy sauce as this will make the tsuyu sauce too salty.
  • Cooking Oil Spray – This helps to brown the outer coating on the tofu and crisp it up. Use a high quality cooking oil spray such as extra virgin olive oil for the best flavour. If you don’t have a spray, just use regular oil and lightly brush it over the tofu and air fryer cooking basket with a basting brush.
  • Garnish – Traditional options include thinly sliced green onion and dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi). You can also top with a small dab (½ to 1 tsp) of freshly grated ginger, onion or daikon radish to taste.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy 20 Minute Agedashi Tofu (Air Fryer Recipe)
    Serving Size
     
    300 g
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    235
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    7
    g
    11
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    1
    mg
    0
    %
    Sodium
     
    2145
    mg
    93
    %
    Potassium
     
    162
    mg
    5
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    25
    g
    8
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    8
    g
    9
    %
    Protein
     
    19
    g
    38
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    63
    IU
    1
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    1
    mg
    1
    %
    Calcium
     
    226
    mg
    23
    %
    Iron
     
    3
    mg
    17
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    Easy 20 Minute Agedashi Tofu (Air Fryer Recipe)
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    2 Comments

  • Reply
    dina tate
    06/07/2022 at 10:53 am

    the tofu just doesnt crisp up in the air fryer. i’ve done this numerous times. the dashi is great, but the air fryer doesnt cut it with silken tofu unfortunately. works ok with medium/firm.

    • Reply
      Wandercooks
      06/07/2022 at 11:56 am

      Good to know re: silken tofu. The higher moisture content may affect the crispiness if using silken tofu. In that case, you could try using a little extra cornstarch / potato starch and turn up the air fryer a little higher (maybe 220C / 430F) to try and burn off that moisture. Otherwise, stick with the medium firm. 🙂

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