This teriyaki tofu is a quick and flavorful vegan dinner. Cooking the tofu within the air fryer makes it further crunchy, the best complement to the sticky, candy, and salty sauce. Broccoli florets cook dinner alongside the tofu within the air fryer, making this a whole meal with heat rice. This recipe makes use of easy elements like agency tofu, low sodium soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil, and comes collectively in about half-hour complete. Positively a weeknight dinner winner!
Teriyaki tofu (and tempeh) has been a weekly fixture in our kitchen for the final month or so. Teriyaki sauce has that unbelievable salty-sweet taste that I can’t get sufficient of. On this recipe, the sauce options some fairly healthful elements and is sweetened with maple syrup. I’d describe it as “not too candy” with a touch of tang as properly.
The inspiration for this recipe:
- The phrase teriyaki in Japanese factors to the next: teri = the shine on meals + yaki = grilling. This referred to a glaze that was brushed on fish because it grilled—a mix of soy sauce, candy rice wine and sake.
- Within the 1950’s, the Kikkoman model was making an attempt to advertise their merchandise within the US to an viewers past Japanese-Individuals. With the model’s soy sauce, Junki Yoshida started utilizing his mom’s recipe for teriyaki when handing out samples in his grocery retailer.
- From NPR: “Teriyaki dishes have appeared on American menus since at the least the Nineteen Forties. However Seattle’s Toshihiro Kasahara is credited with spurring a teriyaki development within the Nineteen Seventies that kicked this evolution into excessive gear.”
- Additionally from Kikkoman: “Over many generations, the Japanese-Individuals in Hawaii added contemporary ginger, brown sugar, pineapple juice, and inexperienced onions to the unique taste, and it regularly grew to become the teriyaki sauce we’ve come to take pleasure in.” That is the strategy I took with this teriyaki tofu! You’ll be able to learn extra right here.
You primarily thicken the sauce in a large skillet on the range, after which get your tofu crisping within the air fryer. The broccoli goes in for the final half of the tofu’s cooking time. Lastly, you toss the tofu in that thick, luscious sauce, serve it over rice, and place the broccoli alongside. Fairly straightforward! This recipe works rather a lot higher in a bigger air fryer. I’ve the On the spot Pot vortex, which has simply the correct amount of area.
I additionally don’t actually press tofu anymore, favoring the salted scorching water soak methodology that I realized from Severe Eats. It’s simply as efficient and fewer fussy!
The sauce will thicken up fairly a bit after the starch (arrowroot or corn) is added. Proper earlier than including the tofu, simply flip the burner onto low and whisk in a splash of water if vital. Followers of this recipe can also like my sticky ginger tempeh.
Sticky & Crunchy Teriyaki Tofu within the Air Fryer
It is a quick and flavorful dinner–prepared in half-hour! Teriyaki tofu has a crunchy texture with a shiny coating of salty-sweet selfmade teriyaki sauce. Broccoli cooks alongside the tofu within the air fryer for optimum ease.
Servings 2 -3
Elements
Teriyaki Sauce
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced with a Microplane
- 2-inch piece ginger, finely minced with a Microplane
- ¾ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch
Tofu, Broccoli & Meeting
- 1 block (1 lb/454 grams) agency or further agency tofu
- 1 tablespoons salt
- 2 ½ cups boiling water
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- floor black pepper, to style
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- 1 bunch broccoli, minimize into florets (about 4 cups florets)
- cooked rice, to serve
- sliced inexperienced onions, to serve
Notes
- I’ve not been capable of replicate the feel of air fried tofu in a standard oven. For folk working with out an air fryer, I like to recommend trying out my crispy baked tofu bits recipe, which makes use of cornmeal for further crunch. To bake the broccoli alongside within the oven, I’d add it to the baking sheet with quarter-hour left of cooking time.
- My air fryer basket is sort of giant, so it could possibly deal with this quantity of meals. If yours is on the small facet, you will have to do the cooking in batches.
- I’ve additionally used a pineapple & orange juice mix rather than pure pineapple juice and it was nice!
Directions
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Make the teriyaki sauce. In a big skillet, mix the soy sauce, pineapple juice, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Whisk to mix and produce to a boil over excessive warmth. Then, decrease warmth to a simmer and proceed to simmer till sauce has diminished by a 3rd, about 4-5 minutes. In a small bowl, mix arrowroot and 1 tablespoon of chilly water. Stir to mix and add to the sauce. Preserve stirring till the sauce has thickened. Flip off the warmth, leaving the skillet in place.
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Drain the tofu and tear it into 2-inch items. Place the tofu items in a medium bowl. Add the salt and pour over the boiling water. Give it a stir and let it sit for five minutes.
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Drain the tofu and completely blot it dry with paper towels or a clear kitchen towel. Dry the bowl it was soaking in as properly.
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Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Set the timer for 16 minutes.
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Within the medium bowl, toss the tofu items with 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil, floor black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. As soon as coated, sprinkle the arrowroot starch. Toss till you’ll be able to not see any white, powdery bits.
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Switch the coated items of tofu to your air fryer basket, shaking the basket/arranging the items so that every piece has a little bit of area. Pop the basket in.
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In the identical medium bowl, toss the broccoli florets with the remaining tablespoon of avocado oil, salt, and pepper. When there’s 7 or so minutes left on the air fryer timer, push the tofu over to at least one facet and add the broccoli to the open spot within the air fryer.
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Bear in mind to offer the tofu a bit of shake/stir each 5 minutes to evenly brown and crisp up the items. The tofu is completed when it is evenly deep golden brown and crisp on all sides.
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Proper earlier than assembling, flip the warmth on below the teriyaki sauce to low. If the sauce has thickened a bit an excessive amount of, whisk in a splash of water.
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As soon as the tofu is browned and the broccoli is tender, take away from the air fryer. Toss the tofu items within the gently warmed teriyaki sauce. As soon as coated, serve the tofu over cooked rice with the broccoli and sliced inexperienced onions to garnish.
