Air Fryer Tofu Fried Rice
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Air fryer tofu chunks, scrambled eggs, frozen mixed vegetables, garlic, chilies and onion come together in this easy Air Fryer Tofu Fried Rice! Ready in 40 minutes, packed with protein, it’s full of delicious peppery, savory-sweet flavors and perfect for weeknights!
About This Recipe
I’ve added another easy fried rice to my ever-growing weeknight fried rice collection – this Air Fryer Tofu Fried Rice!
The flavors in this fried rice are the same as in my Chinese Pork Fried Rice but instead of ground pork, we have tofu chunks made in the air fryer for the protein. That said, this recipe is flexible and you can pan-fry tofu cubes or bake the marinated tofu chunks for this recipe.
I absolutely adore this fried rice because it’s easy to make on weeknights and full of incredible savory and peppery notes with the perfect hint of sweetness!
It’s also ready in 40 minutes and definitely better tasting than you can get for takeout from a restaurant!
Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Tofu Fried Rice
- High protein. Thanks to tofu and eggs, you’ll get 30 grams of protein per serving if having it as a main!
- Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free adaptable.
- Easy to make and SO tasty!
Table of contents
- About This Recipe
- Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Tofu Fried Rice
- Ingredient Notes and Substitutes
- Cook’s Tips and Variations
- Dietary Modifications
- What if I don’t have cooked and chilled rice on hand?
- Alternative Cooking Methods for the Tofu
- How to Make Air Fryer Tofu Fried Rice – Step-by-Step
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- FAQs
Ingredient Notes and Substitutes
Fried Rice and Air Fryer Tofu
- Onions: Both yellow onion and spring onion (green onions/scallions) are used in this tofu fried rice.
- Aromatics: Fresh garlic and red chilies. I’ve used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies but use any hot red chilies that are easily available to you. Use more or less chilies based on your heat level preference or omit them to make a mild fried rice.Cooked Long Grain Brown Rice: Use leftover cold rice for best results. I used cooked and chilled Thai jasmine brown rice but white jasmine rice or any long grain rice is fine.
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables: I used frozen mixed vegetables from a bag that had a mix of corn, green peas and diced carrots. However, other store-bought bagged varieties with green beans or cauliflower will work great too. You can also use fresh veggies of choice but to keep things simple and quick on weeknights and reduce the amount of chopping that needs to be done, using frozen mixed vegetables is my favorite hack!
- Eggs: For fluffy scrambled eggs to toss through.
- Sea Salt and Ground White Pepper: White pepper adds a distinctive peppery flavor that is simply elite in Asian fried rice dishes like my Chinese Pork Fried Rice, Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice, and Easy Char Siu Fried Rice to name a few. Substitute with black pepper if you don’t have white pepper on hand.
- Peanut Oil: Or use vegetable oil or any other neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point for cooking the fried rice and also for air frying the tofu. Some other good options are canola oil, refined avocado oil, rice bran oil or grapeseed oil.
- Extra Firm Tofu: A 12-14-ounce extra firm tofu block or super firm tofu will work best for crispier results.
- Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce: Low sodium because you can add more to the marinade to make it mixable without risking the tofu becoming too salty with regular soy sauce.
- Corn Starch: Added to the tofu marinade to help make the tofu pieces crispy in the air fryer.
- Seasonings for tofu: Sea salt, white pepper and garlic powder.
Fried Rice Sauce
- Sesame Oil: For toasted sesame aromas.
- Pure Chili Oil: I use a pure Chinese chili oil without flakes or seeds (sediment). Any type of chili oil you love will work.
- Oyster Sauce: Adds sweet and savory umami flavors. It’s a thick, sticky and viscous sauce available in most mainstream supermarkets as well as Asian supermarkets.
- Shao Xing Rice Wine: A fragrant Chinese cooking wine with floral notes. It’s typically added to stir-fries, sauces and marinades. Substitute with dry sherry.
- Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce: Allows us to better control the salt levels. If using regular light soy sauce, use 2 teaspoons and 1 teaspoon water instead of 1 full tablespoon of regular light soy sauce.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Thicker than light soy sauce and also slightly less salty. I’ve used it to add color but regular soy sauce or low sodium light sauce can be used instead if you don’t have it on hand.
- White Sugar: Just a pinch to balance the savory and spicy flavors.
Air Fryer Tofu Fried Rice
Air fryer tofu chunks, frozen mixed vegetables, garlic, chilies and onion come together in this easy Air Fryer Tofu Fried Rice! Ready in 40 minutes, packed with protein, it’s full of delicious peppery, savory and sweet flavors and perfect for weeknights!
- Total Time: 15
- Yield: 25 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stir-fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
Fried Rice Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
- ½ tablespoon Shao Xing Rice Wine
- ¼ TSP Dark Soy Sauce
- ½ teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Chili Oil, to taste (optional – pure chili oil without sediment flakes)
- ¼ teaspoon White Sugar
Air Fryer Tofu:
- 12-ounce block / 340 grams Extra Firm Tofu (anywhere from 12–14 ounces will work)
- 2 tablespoons / 30ml Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Peanut Oil (or your preferred cooking oil)
- 1.75 tablespoons / 15 grams Corn Starch
- ¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground White Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
Air Fryer Tofu Fried Rice:
- ½ medium / 100 grams Yellow Onion – medium diced
- 2 medium stalks / 20 grams Spring Onion (Green Onions/Scallions) – finely chopped, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts
- 3–4 cloves / 20 grams Garlic – roughly chopped
- 1–8 / 3-20 grams fresh Red Chilies, to taste (optional – note 1*) – finely chopped
- 2 Eggs – lightly beaten
- ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon Peanut Oil, divided (or any other neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point)
- 8.81 ounces / 250 grams Lean Ground Pork (pork mince)
- 1.5 cups / 240 grams cooked Thai Jasmine Brown Rice, day-old, chilled (100 grams / 3.5 ounces uncooked weight)
- 1 cup / 100 grams Frozen Mixed Vegetables (I used a bag with corn, peas and carrots)
- ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground White Pepper
Instructions
Prep:
- Make the sauce: Mix together the oyster sauce, low sodium light soy sauce, Shao Xing rice wine, sesame oil, chili oil and white sugar in a small measuring cup (for easier pouring) or bowl until combined well.
- Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop the yellow onion, spring onion (separating the white and light green parts from the dark green parts), garlic, and fresh red chilies as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Crack the eggs into a bowl and season with a pinch (⅛ teaspoon) of salt. Lightly beat using a fork.
Air Fryer Tofu:
- Prepare the tofu: Drain the water from the package of tofu. Gently squeeze the tofu block over the sink so that excess water drips out. Wrap the block with a kitchen paper towel and gently squeeze again so that the paper towel absorbs any remaining water. (Tip: If you have time, you can press the tofu using a tofu press. Alternatively and if you don’t have a tofu press, wrap the tofu in paper towels and place on a cutting board. Place a plate and a heavy object like a book or skillet on top to help drain out more moisture. Set aside for 30 minutes. Then come back and drain off the excess water before proceeding with the recipe. You want the tofu to be as dry as possible so that it becomes crispier.)
- Marinate the tofu: Mix together the low sodium light soy sauce, peanut oil, corn starch, sea salt, white pepper and garlic powder until a paste-like mixture forms. It should be a little thick but still mixable. Tear the tofu into medium to large sized chunks and add to the marinade. Gently mix to coat using a rubber spatula. It’s okay if some pieces break a little when mixing.
- Air fry the tofu: Preheat your air fryer at 400°F/200°C for 3 minutes (or according to manufacturer’s instructions) if needed for your specific model. Place the marinated tofu chunks in an even layer in the air fryer basket without overlapping (they can touch though). You may need to air fry in batches depending on the size of your air fryer basket in order to avoid overcrowding. Air fry for 12-14 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until golden brown and crisp on the outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside. The tofu will crisp up further as it cools.
Air Fryer Tofu Fried Rice:
- Cook the eggs: Heat 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a large nonstick wok (or a large nonstick skillet) over medium-high heat. Then lower the heat to medium low and pour in the beaten eggs. Allow to set for 15 seconds, then use a rubber spatula and pull across the eggs to form large, soft curds of scrambled eggs. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, folding and stirring the eggs every few seconds. Once 70% cooked but still slightly runny, transfer back into the bowl you beat the eggs in and set aside.
- Stir-fry the aromatics: Add the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil to the wok and heat over high heat. Add the yellow onion and spring onion white and light green parts. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until the onion is translucent. Then add the garlic and chilies and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the veggies: Add the frozen mixed vegetables and stir-fry to combine until starting to soften – about 30-40 seconds.
- Add the rice and sauce: Add the cooked rice and pour the sauce on top. Stir-fry until every grain is evenly coated in the sauce – about 1 minute.
- Toss through the tofu: Add the tofu and toss and mix to combine, taking care to not break the chunks.
- Add the eggs, seasonings and spring onion. Add the mostly cooked eggs, spring onion dark green parts, white pepper and sea salt. back into the wok. Use your spatula to break the eggs into smaller pieces and give everything a good mix to combine. Switch off the heat.
- Serve: Divide evenly into bowls or on plates and serve immediately.
Notes
- Fresh Red Chilies. Use more or less chilies based on your heat level preference or omit completely for a milder fried rice.
- Chili Oil. Use less or more depending on how spicy you want the fried rice to be or omit for a milder flavor.
- Be sure to check out the full article below for ingredients notes/substitutions, tips, variations, storage instructions, and more!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
- Calories: 641
- Sugar: 7.6g
- Sodium: 1469.8mg
- Fat: 26.4g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22.1g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 76.7g
- Fiber: 7.4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 194.5mg
If you’re looking for more delicious tofu recipes, try my Crispy Tofu Spicy Fried Rice, Tofu Noodles Stir-fry with Vegetables or Kung Pao Tofu Puffs next!
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Cook’s Tips and Variations
- Add pork. I sometimes stir-fry a little cooked ground pork before adding the onions. Pork pairs so well with the tofu and fried rice! I’ve also tossed through some diced cherrywood smoked deli ham and it adds an incredible smoky flavor!
- Add different or more veggies. Any stir-fry friendly veggies can be added to this fried rice. Some great options are bell peppers (capsicum – any color), green beans, frozen green peas, frozen sweet corn, edamame, blanched broccoli florets, sugar snap peas, snow peas, bean sprouts, sliced shiitake mushrooms (or any other mushrooms), bok choy, choy sum, Chinese broccoli (‘gai lan’), etc.
- Adjust the spice level to taste. Use more or less fresh red chilies in the fried rice and chili oil in the sauce. Or omit both for a milder fried rice.
- Add nutritional yeast to the tofu marinade. It’ll add a savory cheesy flavor, more protein, B vitamins and also help make the tofu pieces even crispier on the outside! If using, I recommend using 1 tablespoon corn starch instead of 1.75 tablespoons and adding ½ to 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast. If the marinade mixture is too thick, stir in ½ to 1 tablespoon of low sodium light soy sauce to make it of mixable consistency again.
- Tear the tofu into large pieces. Some chunks will inevitably break into smaller pieces while mixing to coat with the marinade. It’s best to start with larger chunks!
- Squeeze out as much water from the tofu. Dryer tofu will yield a crispier exterior texture after air-frying.
- Use a vacuum sealed package of extra firm tofu. These packages of tofu are ready to use and don’t have any added water to keep the tofu fresh. You only need to pat-dry the block, no pressing required! This type of tofu is great for saving on prep time and effort.
- Cook over high heat. Very important for getting that signature restaurant style ‘wok hei’ (breath of the wok) smoky, charred flavor and texture! Too low heat will cause the rice and veggies to steam instead.
- Use cooked day-old rice. Day-old rice or even two days-old cooked and chilled rice works best for making fried rice and won’t become mushy. Freshly cooked warm rice will have too much moisture and will be too “wet” in the wok, even if you are cooking over high heat.
- Mise en place. Make the sauce, prepare and air fry the tofu, and chop your veggies/aromatics while the tofu is air-frying! It’s best to have all your ingredients measured out and by the side of your wok before you start stir-frying. You don’t want to be scrambling around gathering or prepping things once the heat is on high and it’s go time!
Dietary Modifications
- Vegetarian. Use a vegetarian mushroom flavored oyster sauce for the fried rice sauce.
- Vegan. Leave out the scrambled eggs. You can add diced mushrooms or other veggies if you like to bulk up the fried rice. Alternatively, you can add a some plant-based ground meat instead.
- Make it gluten-free. Use a gluten-free soy sauce, gluten-free oyster sauce, and dry sherry instead of Shao Xing rice wine.
What if I don’t have cooked and chilled rice on hand?
Cook the rice in a pot on the stove with water or in the rice cooker as you normally would. Fluff with a fork, then spread it out on a large baking tray once cooked. Place uncovered in the freezer for 20 minutes or fridge for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. This will help the rice to cool quickly and also dry up some of the moisture.
Alternative Cooking Methods for the Tofu
- Pan-fry. If you don’t have an air fryer or prefer not to use it, you can pan-fry or bake the tofu. For pan-frying, heat oil in a nonstick pan and pan-fry the marinated tofu chunks until golden brown on all sides.
- Bake. Spread out the tofu pieces on a parchment paper lined baking sheet pan and bake at 400°F/200°C for 15-20 minutes, flipping the pieces around the 10-minute mark, until crispy and golden brown.
How to Make Air Fryer Tofu Fried Rice – Step-by-Step
For the tofu, first you’ll drain it well and squeeze out as much water as possible. The dryer it is, the crispier the tofu will become in the air fryer. Next, make the marinade and gently mix through the torn chunks of tofu until coated well. Then air fry for 12-14 minutes at 400°F/200°C, shaking the basket halfway through or flipping the pieces using a spatula, until golden brown (image 1). Transfer to a plate and set aside. It’ll become crispier as it cools even if it is still a little soft once it’s done air frying.
For full step-by-step photos and instructions for the tofu, check out my recipe post for Easy Air Fryer Tofu.
On to the fried rice! Cook the scrambled eggs in peanut oil in a large nonstick wok until mostly cooked (image 2). Transfer to the same bowl you beat the eggs in and set aside. Add more oil to the wok and stir-fry the yellow onion and spring onion white and light green parts (image 3).
Add the garlic and red chilies and stir-fry until fragrant (image 4). Then add the frozen mixed vegetables and stir-fry to combine (image 5).
Add the rice and pour the stir-fry sauce on top (image 6). Mix and toss until every grain is evenly coated in the sauce. Add the air fryer tofu pieces (image 7) and gently mix to combine, taking care not to break the tofu pieces.
Season with white pepper and sea salt and toss through the chopped spring onion dark green parts (image 8). Switch off the heat and serve!
Serving Suggestions
- Top with chili crisp. I’m obsessed with Fly By Jing Xtra Spicy Sichuan Chili Crisp!
- Serve with a side of steamed or stir-fried vegetables.
- Pair with other Chinese dishes if serving as a side. I highly recommend my Authentic Kung Pao Chicken, Yu Xiang Chicken (Sichuan Shredded Chicken with Hot Garlic Sauce), and Sichuan Dry Fried Green Beans to go with it.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Storing: Store in an airtight sealed container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat on high in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot throughout. Note that the tofu will be softer than it was originally after storing in the fridge and reheating, just like other air fried and deep-fried foods. But it will still be tasty!
FAQs
It is a little softer than if you were just to eat the Air Fryer Tofu pieces without tossing it with the rice and sauce. However, it is still delicious and the tofu chunks have a nice, squishy texture! If you prefer the tofu to have a crispy texture, top the fried rice with the air fryer tofu at the end instead of tossing it through.
Yes, but the texture may be softer than when you make the air fryer tofu just before cooking the fried rice. If making ahead, re-crisp the tofu in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes at 400°F/200°C. Transfer to a plate and let it crisp up as it cools slightly. Then use it in the fried rice.
This recipe serves 2 as a main or 3-4 as a side to other main dishes. Check out my Chinese recipes collection for ideas on dishes you can pair it with if serving as a side.
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