Air Fried Coconut Crusted Tofu Strips (Vegan + Gluten Free)
These Air Fried Coconut Crusted Tofu Strips are calling your name! Crispy, coconutty, and so incredibly easy to make. They are the perfect plant based alternative for chicken tenders. You can serve them up with some sweet chili sauce for dipping as an appetizer or with some veggies on the side to make a full meal. Either way, you’re going to love these.
Only a few simple ingredients are needed to make this recipe: a block of tofu, coconut yogurt, coconut flour, ground ginger, salt, and shredded coconut. All nutritious, vegan-friendly, and wholesome ingredients packed with protein and healthy fats. The ground ginger brings a little spice to the mix in the best subtle way.
Extra firm tofu is the key to this recipe. It holds up well once sliced and is easy to dip and toss in the yogurt and coconut. You could try for softer tofu, but it might not be the easiest to work with and may fall apart while coating it in the coconut crust.
Air fried to crispy, golden-brown perfection, they really do make a good swap for chicken tenders. I’m not about to claim that you’ll be able to mistake the tofu for chicken, but it ya got a hankering for tendies and are looking for a plant-based alternative...these will certainly do the trick. I would recommend a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a side of sweet chili sauce for dipping when serving this recipe up. And if you’re looking for more of a substantial meal situation, some steamed rice and roasted zucchini would pair wonderfully.
If you do give these Air Fried Coconut Crusted Tofu Strips a try, be sure to comment below and/or tag me on Instagram and let me know how you like them! I really love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for stopping by!
Take care xx
Slim
Air Fried Coconut Crusted Tofu Strips (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 (16oz) block of super firm tofu (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
4 oz plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt
⅓ cup coconut flour
⅔ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tsp ground ginger
Salt to taste
Instructions
Place the coconut yogurt in a shallow bowl.
In another shallow bowl, add the coconut flour, shredded coconut, ginger, and salt. Whisk together until well combined.
Pat the block of tofu dry between a few layers of paper towel. Press relatively firmly to get out as much moisture as possible. Then slice in half horizontally like a bagel, creating two thinner rectangles. Then slice each rectangle 8 times vertically, creating 16 total strips of tofu.
Dip the strips in the coconut yogurt, lightly coating it on all sides. Then place in the coconut mixture and toss, lightly pressing the mixture onto the tofu so it sticks. Then set in the basket of your air fryer. Be sure to leave space between each piece so they do not touch. You may need to do more than one round in the air fryer.
Bake in the air fryer at 400°F for 12 minutes. Open and let cool in the basket for a couple minutes before serving.
