Glue & Glitter

Air Fryer Lemon-Garlic Tofu with Instant Pot Quinoa Pilaf

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This recipe is sponsored by EZ Tofu Press. All opinions are 100% my own.

Lemony, garlicky Air Fryer Tofu cooks up quickly and is a perfect Mother’s Day brunch recipe tossed into Instant Pot Quinoa Pilaf with leeks and green peas.

Can you believe that Mother’s Day is coming up already? My mom is coming up to visit us this year for Mother’s Day, so I want to make her something extra special.

My mom and step-dad are both trying to eat more plant-based foods, and I can’t wait to make this flavorful tofu and Instant Pot quinoa pilaf for her!

How to Make Quinoa Pilaf in the Instant Pot

If you’ve never made Instant Pot quinoa pilaf before, you are in for such a treat! It’s super easy, and you don’t have to stand over the stove to do it. Pilaf is just a grain cooked in broth with vegetables mixed in. Here are the basics for a build-your-own Instant Pot Quinoa Pilaf recipe:

  1. Saute your hard veggies (onions, garlic, leeks, carrots, etc) with a little bit of oil or broth in the Instant Pot.
  2. Add 1 cup quinoa and 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth to the Instant Pot, and lock the lid.
  3. Cook for 5 minutes with a natural release.
  4. Add any quick-cooking veggies to the pot, lock the lid, and cook for 1-2 more minutes with a quick release.

So simple! And so good with Lemon-Garlic Air Fryer Tofu tossed in!

Lemony, garlicky Air Fryer Tofu cooks up quickly and is a perfect Mother's Day brunch recipe tossed into Instant Pot Quinoa Pilaf.

That Tofu, Though

Like with any marinated tofu recipe, you should not skip pressing your tofu when you’re making the air fryer tofu portion of this dish. I use my EZ Tofu Press to press my tofu quickly and evenly.

Tofu tastes like whatever sauce or marinade you cook it in, and pressing ups the ante in this department. Getting the excess water out of your tofu turns it into a flavor sponge, so it’s ready to drink in that tasty marinade goodness.

pressing that tofu

The EZ Tofu Press gets the liquid out of your tofu quickly and evenly.

Once it’s pressed, you slice into pieces and marinate your tofu in lemon-garlic sauce, then air fry. The citrusy tofu gets a nice, chewy texture in the air fryer. YUM.

Lemony, garlicky Air Fryer Tofu cooks up quickly and is a perfect Mother's Day brunch recipe tossed into Instant Pot Quinoa Pilaf.

Air Fryer Lemon-Garlic Tofu with Instant Pot Quinoa Pilaf with Spring Peas and Leeks

Lemony, garlicky Air Fryer Tofu cooks up quickly and is a perfect Mother's Day brunch recipe tossed into Instant Pot Quinoa Pilaf. 
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Air Fryer, Instant Pot, Vegan
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 333kcal
Author: Becky Striepe

Ingredients

For the Instant Pot Quinoa Pilaf

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 leek - light green and white parts only, washed well and sliced into thin rounds
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup green peas - fresh or frozen

For the Air Fryer Lemon-Garlic Tofu

  • 2 lemons - zested and juiced
  • 2 cloves garlic - minced
  • sea salt and white pepper - to taste
  • 1 block extra firm tofu - pressed and sliced into 1/2" pieces

Instructions

Make the Instant Pot Quinoa Pilaf

  • Use the saute function on your Instant Pot to heat the oil. Saute the leeks, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until they soften.
  • Add the quinoa and saute for another minute, stirring.
  • Add the vegetable broth, and lock the lid of your Instant Pot. Bring to high pressure for 5 minutes, then use a natural release, about 15 minutes.
  • Add the peas to the instant pot, and bring to pressure for 2 minutes, then do a quick release.

Make the Air Fryer Lemon-Garlic Tofu

  • Arrange the tofu in a shallow dish.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. 
  • Pour the marinade over the tofu, and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
  • Transfer the tofu to your air fryer basket, and reserve the leftover marinade. Air fry for 15 minutes at 370F, shaking the basket 8 minutes into the cooking time.

To Serve

  • In a large bowl, toss together the cooked Quinoa Pilaf with the Air Fryer Lemon-Garlic Tofu. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

I've broken out this dish into its components to make the instructions clear, but you don't have to make one and then the other. In fact, you shouldn't - it will take forever that way! To save time making this recipe, do this:
  1. Marinate the tofu while you prep the ingredients for the Quinoa Pilaf.
  2. While the tofu finishes marinating, saute the leeks and garlic in the Instant Pot.
  3. When you add the broth to the pot, start your tofu cooking in the air fryer.
Both dishes should be done within a few minutes of each other this way.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal
Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter or tag #ggveg on Instagram!

Lemony, garlicky Air Fryer Tofu cooks up quickly and is a perfect Mother's Day brunch recipe tossed into Instant Pot Quinoa Pilaf.

About Becky Striepe

(rhymes with “sleepy”) is a vegan food writer and cookbook author. She been vegan since 2006 and developing simple vegan recipes since 2008.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Colleen

    May 12, 2017 at 12:48 pm

    I am surprised by your recipe as when I do quinoa in the instant pot I usually do 2 cups of quinoa with 3 cups of water for 1 minute and release the pressure after 10 minutes. I will have to try this – it looks delicious.

    Reply

    • Becky Striepe

      May 12, 2017 at 1:17 pm

      Yes, I’ve heard 1 minute in some Instant Pot groups, also! I think it depends on what texture you’re going for. I like the 2:1 for 5 minutes, but it’s all about personal preference. 🙂

      Reply

  6. Alexandra

    May 2, 2017 at 7:50 pm

    Love using my air fryer. I need to try this tofu! It sounds awesome. My favorite childhood food memory is trying my aunt’s potato salad for the first time. It was so tangy and delicious and to this day is ny favorite food she ever made.

    Reply

  10. Sarah, Vegan Chickpea

    May 2, 2017 at 11:10 am

    What a fun post! I’ve been wanting an EZ Press for years now… hope I win! 😉

    My favorite childhood food memory… well there are hundreds, LOL! But if I have to pick one, I always enjoyed decorating cookies at Christmas time.

    Reply

  12. Dianne

    May 1, 2017 at 4:19 pm

    Can I come over, too? 🙂 I love that you were able to make this amazing meal without turning on the oven. Appliance cooking for the win!

    Reply

  14. Nicole Dawson

    May 1, 2017 at 1:16 pm

    I just love my EZ-Tofu Press! I’m so glad I finally bought one. Next on my list is the air fryer. I’ll just have to keep “pinning” your recipes for when I get it.

    Reply

  16. Linda weinberger

    May 1, 2017 at 10:28 am

    The recipe looks great. I wish I had an air fryer. My husband thinks I have too many kitchen appliances already. I love my Vitamix, instant pot and hopefully some day I will have an air fryer. I love to cook

    Reply

    • Becky Striepe

      May 1, 2017 at 11:22 am

      I hear ya! Every time I want a new gadget now, we have a family meeting in the kitchen to find a spot for it first.

      Reply

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