Tofu Air Fryer & Veggie Skillet

Crispy Tofu & Crunchy Cabbage Skillet

About 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 block extra-firm tofu (14 oz) 
• 1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil, divided
• 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
• 1–2 cups red cabbage, shredded
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced fairly thick
• 1 small zucchini, cut into your substantial half-moons/chunks
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
• 1–2 cups bok choy, chopped, stems and leaves separated — optional but I’d use it
• ½ small leek, sliced thin — optional
• Ok, I also added carrots and squash

Sauce

• 3 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp low-sodium chicken broth or water
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½–1 tsp grated ginger
• Black pepper
• Optional: 1 tsp date syrup if you want just a touch of sweetness

I skipped the sauce and instead just added a touch of Worsh. and low sodium soy, but I think the sauce sounds great!

1. Get that tofu properly prepared 

Press it between paper towels for about 15–20 minutes with something moderately heavy on top. It doesn’t have to become bone-dry.

Cut into approximately 1-inch cubes. Toss with about 1–2 teaspoons oil, garlic powder and pepper.

Put directly on your crisper plate and air-fry at 390°F for 12–15 minutes, shaking/tossing around halfway through.

We’re looking for golden edges and Crisp. 

2. Make the sauce

Whisk all the sauce ingredients together. Taste it before adding the date syrup. If you like it without sweetness, leave it alone.

🔒 Don’t change this: Keep the sauce fairly light. We want it coating everything, not creating cabbage soup.

3. Start the vegetables

While the tofu air-fries, heat your deep skillet over medium-high with the remaining oil.

Add the zucchini and bok-choy stems first. Give them about 3–4 minutes, mostly leaving them alone long enough to develop some browned edges.

Add the mushrooms. Cook another 3–4 minutes until they’ve released moisture and started browning.

Then add the leek for about a minute.

4. Crunch Department reports for duty

Add the red cabbage, green cabbage and water chestnuts.

Toss for only about 3 minutes.

This is important for you: don’t cook the cabbage until it’s completely soft. You want it hot and slightly wilted while still having something to bite.

Add the bok-choy leaves during the final minute.

5. Bring in the tofu

Pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss.

Then add your crispy air-fried tofu and toss gently for only 30–60 seconds—just enough to coat it.

Turn off the heat.

We’re not spending 15 minutes cooking the crispness we just worked so hard to create.

🔒 Don’t Change This — And Here’s Why

Air-fry the tofu separately. That’s the whole trick. If we cook it in the skillet from the beginning, it’ll absorb moisture and lose the texture you’re trying to get.

And don’t murder the cabbage. 😂 Three-ish minutes gives you warm cabbage with crunch rather than limp cabbage ribbons.

🎨 Make It Yours

Next time you can swap vegetables freely: sugar snap peas, carrots, broccoli, more bok choy, zucchini, mushrooms. And once you know whether you actually like tofu, we can play with sauces—peanut-lime would be particularly good.

Tofu - you surprised me.  The crispy edges makes you a lot more tolerable and tasty.  You have a nutty flavor when cooked.  It's a fun and different protein source.  It's something different with my lego style cooking.  If you don't know what I mean by lego style cooking, please read the post about it in the "Food for Thought" section.