The Tofu Trick I Wish I'd Known Years Ago—It's a Game Changer

At my house, we eat tofu at least once a week. No one in my family is vegan or vegetarian; we just happen to really like it. Plus, I take comfort in stocking the fridge with a few blocks of tofu knowing I can turn it into almost anything with the addition of a few pantry staples.

I've experimented with all sorts of ways to cook the soybean-based food. My favorite is a crispy version: cubes of pressed tofu are coated in cornstarch, pan-fried, and tossed in sauce. It’s pretty simple, but it tends to make a big mess because of all the splattering.

How To Use a Y-Peeler and Air Fryer for Tofu

Recently, I came across a new-to-me technique for making tofu, and it involves a very specific duo of kitchen tools: a Y-peeler and an air fryer. Jeeca Uy of The Foodie Takes Flight blog shared this genius weeknight dinner hack on Instagram last December, and perhaps I live under a rock, but I just experienced the joy of this clever tofu trick this summer.

Using a peeler, Uy peels the tofu into thin strips, tosses them with a little oil, and air-fries them for about 6 minutes. Her recipe then calls for these crisp, golden brown strips to be stir-fried with garlic, vegetables, and sauce.

When I first saw the video, I was a bit skeptical. Even when pressed for an hour, I thought my tofu would never hold up to a Y-peeler. (It was even harder to believe she was peeling unpressed tofu—Uy just drained it and patted it dry.)

Low and behold, when I tried it myself, it worked like a dream. I used an extra-firm variety of tofu and then cooked it in two batches in my air fryer. This allowed every slice of tofu to get super crisp; it even gave it a meat-like texture. The edges were crunchy, and the tofu was chewy and substantial.

I was worried that once it was stir-fried it would lose all of these tasty attributes, but combining it with the sauce just made it that much better.

Other Ways To Use Air-Fried Tofu Strips

Besides stir-frying the tofu strips, I’ve also been experimenting with making tofu bacon. I toss the strips with smoked paprika, maple syrup, tamari, and avocado oil, then and air-fry them until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. It’s great on a vegan BLT or on top of a salad for a protein boost.

I've also tried swapping the tofu strips for noodles in dishes like pad Thai or pad see ew. Surprisingly, once air-fried, the tofu is quite sturdy.

But back to the stir-fry—it’s a really great way to get little ones to try new flavors. My youngest daughter absolutely loves it; once the tofu is air-fried, she can easily pick up the strips and feed herself. Let this serve as a reminder to never underestimate the power of a Y-peeler!